WELCOME, INTERNET TRAVELER
Photographs collected from here, there & in between.
This is my small corner of the web—a growing record of places worth remembering. Browse the latest albums, leave a note, and check back soon.
THE COMPLETE ARCHIVE
Photo Albums
Choose an album below. Click any photograph to open the full-size viewer.
Jefferson County Fair 2026
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
Personal Album • 25 PHOTOS
February 19, 2026 Storm Chase
The first regional tornado outbreak in Illinois of 2026, the start of a record-breaking tornado year in the state of Illinois.
Personal Album • 13 PHOTOS
Emily and Jonathan Engagement Photos November 2023
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
Personal Album • 13 PHOTOS
The Family Friends Farm August 2020
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
Personal Album • 24 PHOTOS
Reeds Spring Mill June 7, 2020
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
June 7, 2020 • 4 PHOTOS
The Cottage Chapter Soft Launch September 5, 2026
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
September 5, 2026 • 28 PHOTOS
Jefferson County Fair 2026 Film Photos
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
August 11, 2026 • 31 PHOTOS
Fathers Day Storm Chase
My first solo storm chase got my first EF3 tornado!
June 21, 2026 • 10 PHOTOS
March 10, 2026 Storm Chase
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
March 10, 2026 • 7 PHOTOS
Akron Colorado May 2025
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
May 23, 2025 • 11 PHOTOS
Missouri Mines State Historic Site September 6, 2020
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
September 6, 2020 • 13 PHOTOS
Cuba, Missouri Tornado June 27, 2020
My first EF0 tornado with my father!
June 27, 2020 • 10 PHOTOS
Photogenic Lightning June 3, 2020
A personal collection by Lucas Munzlinger.
June 3, 2020 • 16 PHOTOSBEHIND THE LENS
About Lucas
Hello. I’m Lucas.
I photograph the overlooked moments that give a place its character: the last light on an empty road, a lone supercell thunderstorm traversing the Midwest , the slow pause between destinations.
This archive brings together personal projects, travel blogs, and commissioned work.
“Get Close Photograph Wide”
IN THE CAMERA BAG
Canon EOS 80D · Canon EOS Rebel 2000 · A pocket full of film
SAY HELLO
Contact
For assignments, print inquiries, or a good old-fashioned note.
Get in touch
Based in Dittmer, Missouri
Typical reply time: 1–2 days
Please don’t send files larger than 10MB.
FIELD NOTES & STORIES
Photography Blog
Stories from behind the camera, recent travels, and new work.
Strike Finder Lightning Trigger Review
My personal review of the Strike Finder 2 lightning trigger
Read the complete story →
How I Got Interested In Storm Chasing
Hi, I'm Lucas. I am a photographer and storm chaser
Read the complete story →
An unforgettable first solo chase: the June 21, 2026 tornado outbreak
My first solo storm chase took me from work in Fenton, Missouri, to the Dix–Texico EF3 tornado. A firsthand account of June 21, 2026.
Read the complete story →May 4 2020 Storm Chase with Richard Thies and Brian Stertz
My first East Central Plains chase
Read the complete story →Florida Lightning Show
Coming back from the beach, I viewed some incredible Florida lightning with my parents
Read the complete story →MOTION PICTURES
Videos
Films, behind-the-scenes moments, and stories in motion.
SEASON BY SEASON · SAFETY FIRST
Seasonal Photography Guides
Practical field guidance for photographing Missouri weather and landscapes.
FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS · OFFICIAL SOURCES
Weather Event Timelines
Sourced, time-ordered records from the field.
WEATHER EVENT RECORD
June 21, 2026 Tornado Outbreak Timeline
A sourced chronology of Lucas Munzlinger’s first solo chase and the EF3 tornado that crossed Jefferson and Wayne Counties, Illinois.
- EVENT DATE
- June 21, 2026
- TIMEZONE
- CDT (UTC−5)
- AREA
- Southern Illinois and the Midwest
FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTOFFICIAL / ARCHIVED SOURCE
Official context
The archived 18Z HRRR run initializes. Lucas’s story uses the run as a later forecast comparison and does not claim it was the exact model run used for the chase decision.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Firsthand account
Lucas begins the chase after leaving work, fills the car with gas, and heads toward Mount Vernon and the developing thunderstorm.
Archived radar
The first scan in the published KVWX radar sequence shows the storm shortly before the surveyed tornado start.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Official survey
The updated National Weather Service survey marks the tornado start south of Dix, Illinois.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Archived radar
KVWX reflectivity and radial velocity show a hook-shaped feature and adjacent opposing velocities near the western part of the surveyed path.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Satellite and radar context
Archived visible satellite and regional radar place the compact storm within the broader afternoon cloud and storm field.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Archived radar
The storm and velocity feature have progressed farther east along the surveyed track.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Official survey
The surveyed tornado ends in Wayne County. The updated track is 15.26 miles long and up to 400 yards wide, with an EF3 rating and estimated peak winds of 140 mph.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Archived radar
The parent storm remains visible in the next scan after the official tornado end time.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Official analysis
NWS Paducah’s evening analysis still shows an environment supportive of rotating storms across the region.
VIEW SOURCE ↗Official analysis
NWS Paducah reports that substantial instability remained across southern Illinois later that evening.
VIEW SOURCE ↗
COMPLETE FIELD STORY
An unforgettable first solo chase: the June 21, 2026 tornado outbreak
My first solo storm chase took me from work in Fenton, Missouri, to the Dix–Texico EF3 tornado. A firsthand account of June 21, 2026.
READ THE FULL STORY ›Sources and further reading
- NWS Paducah event and environmental analysis ↗
- Updated NWS tornado survey ↗
- NWS Lincoln storm summary ↗
Times and statements are labeled by source type. Official survey information can be revised as agencies update their records.
NEWSROOM-READY WEATHER MEDIA
Weather Media Desk
Midwestern weather, landscapes, field video, and visual reporting from Dittmer, Missouri.
About Lucas
Lucas Munzlinger is a Missouri photographer documenting severe weather, rural landscapes, travel, and the overlooked moments that give a place its character. His work combines firsthand field observations with still photography and motion footage.
Coverage & availability
Based in Dittmer, Missouri, Lucas works across the Midwest and maintains an expanding archive of photographs, field stories, and video clips.
REPRESENTATIVE WORK
Selected photographs
PRIVACY
Privacy Policy
Plain-language information about the limited data this website uses.
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Personal data is not sold. Contact and purchase forms open your own email application; you can review the message before sending it. Questions or privacy requests can be sent through the contact page.
Last updated October 30, 2026.
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Traffic Control Center
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PRIVATE LINK-EARNING PLAN
Targeted Outside Links
Verified organizations that fit your Missouri, weather, event, and photography work. Midwestern Storm Trackers is excluded. Nothing is sent automatically.
Review each organization’s current submission rules and agree on credit, usage, and a website link before sending original files.
| Priority | Organization | Opportunity | Personalized pitch angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County Tourism Commission ↗ | Local tourism | “Jefferson County through the lens” feature using Dittmer scenery and local-event photographs. |
| 2 | Jefferson County Fairgrounds ↗ | Local events | Offer the fair galleries as a credited recap and discuss prearranged future coverage. |
| 3 | Leader Publications ↗ | Local newspaper | Pitch a timely photo essay with a link to the original story or gallery. |
| 4 | Visit Missouri ↗ | State tourism | Package several collections as an “Unexpected Missouri” visual story. |
| 5 | St. Louis Camera Club ↗ | Photography group | Offer a practical presentation or newsletter article backed by field examples. |
| 6 | Jefferson County Historical Society ↗ | Local history | Offer a captioned contemporary Jefferson County set for archival consideration. |
| 7 | Jefferson County Library ↗ | Community / education | Propose a local program or exhibit with a linked presenter profile. |
| 8 | Missouri Mines State Historic Site ↗ | Parks / history | Offer the existing album as a captioned, credited visitor photo essay. |
| 9 | Visit Cuba Missouri ↗ | Tourism / history | Offer a sensitive tornado documentary story and possible present-day follow-up. |
| 10 | State Historical Society of Missouri ↗ | State archive | Discuss a long-term born-digital collection with creator attribution. |
| 11 | First Alert 4 / KMOV ↗ | TV weather desk | Offer timely weather media only after agreeing on credit, licensing, and linking. |
| 12 | Spectrum News Missouri ↗ | Statewide news | Pitch a complete visual story rather than submitting an uncontextualized image. |
Before sending full-resolution media: confirm the requested credit line, the exact usage rights, and whether the published page will link to LucasMunzlinger.com. Generic newsroom upload forms may grant broad rights without guaranteeing a link.
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