For a pair of storm-chasing sweethearts, taking a knee to propose while a perfect EF-3 tornado rages in the background seems like a fairy tale.
Professional storm chaser Bryce Shelton was waiting for “the perfect opportunity” to propose to his girlfriend and fellow professional storm chaser Paige Berdomas. After 18 weeks of waiting, that opportunity arrived in the form of a tornado that touched down near Clear Lake, South Dakota, on Saturday.
The moment was captured in a dramatic photo, which was the plan.
"I wanted to do it in South Dakota in front of a photogenic tornado,” Shelton said in an interview with People. “Because South Dakota is our favorite state, both of us, and it just worked out perfect."
Fellow storm chaser Brandon Copic was also there to capture the incredible moment, People reports: Shelton kneeling with the engagement ring, Berdomas’ elation and surprise, and the “photogenic” EF-3 tornado raging behind them.
“I had no idea about the proposal at all,” Berdomas told People reporter Angela Andaloro. “It was just business as usual.”
Whirlwind Romance
Shelton and Berdomas met online and connected over their shared love of storm chasing. After years of online exchanges, they pursued their first storm together in 2024.
“We got to know each other online and were really good friends,” Berdomas said. “After other relationships we were each in ended, we became even closer. Last June, we decided to meet up for the first time to go on a storm chase."
The pair hit it off immediately and translated their real-life chemistry to online success, according to the People report. The pair started appearing on each other’s YouTube channels, Palmetto State Chasers and Tornado Paigeyy.
Shelton told the magazine he knew he wanted Berdomas to be his permanent storm-chasing partner “from the day I met her.”
Naturally, the only way to propose was during the perfect storm in the perfect place.
Caught Up In The Moment
Shelton and Berdomas were traveling through South Dakota on Saturday when they saw promising patterns in the forecast. Berdomas wasn’t aware of the storm of emotions brewing for her that afternoon.
“I don't know how he kept it from me because we're always in the same truck, in the same hotels, together all the time,” she told People. “So we were waiting for the storm to fire off and picked the one we were going after. We were watching the wall cloud form, and then we saw a funnel, and we were talking to our stream and everything."
The viral photo of the storm-chasing engagement wasn’t the actual engagement.
Shelton suggested they pull off the road to get photos as the tornado grew and used that moment to make his move.
"I didn't think anything of it,” Berdmoas said. “I was wearing gym shorts and a T-shirt, and my hair was messy, and I had my safety goggles on, and we're going on to take a picture in front of a tornado. We got out of the truck. It's like pouring down rain, and then all of a sudden, the tornado got really big, too."
Despite being “more than nervous,” Shelton proposed, and Berdonas accepted.
She announced the news on X as a proposal in “the most epic way imaginable.”
“How on earth could this day ever be topped?” she wrote.
Not Getting Carried Away
Despite the emotional magnitude of the moment, Shelton and Berdomas prioritized their passion for storm chasing over their passion for each other.
After the successful engagement, People reports the couple continued tracking the tornado raging across South Dakota for the rest of the evening.
Eventually, they ran into Copic, who was chasing the same storm.
He encouraged Shelton and Berdomas to reengage with their moment of engagement for a photo with the tornado raging between — but not coming between — them during a moment of emotional intimacy.
"When we were done chasing, we parked on the side of the road to upload a video and four people saw our truck,” Berdomas told People. “It was other YouTubers, and they jumped out and sprinted over to us to give us hugs. It was the sweetest thing, especially because it's mostly a bunch of guys. Everyone was so excited for us. It was the cutest thing."
Knocked Them Off Their Feet
The National Weather Service classified the tornado Shelton and Berdomas were chasing as an EF-3. “EF” refers to the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which ranks tornado intensity.
An EF-3 tornado swirls at between 135 and 165 mph, and can cause severe damage. Multiple reports of shredded trees and destroyed buildings came in from South Dakota and Minnesota as it moved across the state line along its 6.85-mile path of destruction.
Fortunately, Shelton and Berdomas are professionals, so they were able to keep themselves safe during the storm. Even if it wasn’t a life-changing moment for the two storm chasers, they’ll remember this storm for the rest of their lives.
“It was the most beautiful tornado I've ever seen in my life," Berdomas said.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
