For the past three years, photographer Jody Miller has been traveling across the Midwest chasing the formation of thunderstorms, specifically “supercells” that spawn tornadoes. This dramatic meeting of atmosphere with the land has been a source of fascination for Miller all her life. A photographer for over 35 years, Miller has only been chasing storms for a few years, focusing on the United States’ “Tornado Alley,” which roughly comprises “central Texas, northward to northern Iowa, and from central Kansas and Nebraska east to western Ohio,” according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. With monsoon season approaching states in the American Southwest, Miller shares some of her stunning photographs from Roswell, N.M., to Colorado and farther west to California.

“The energy and vibrancy of these storms and the incredible light they produce is joyous to me, not scary, although one must exercise common sense prudence around these magnificent weather systems. Several of these images emerged from just one storm that we followed for three or four hours near Roswell, N.M.,” Miller said.