Born in Santa Barbara, California, he attended the public schools and graduated from Stanford University in 1898. (The Storke Publications Building at Stanford is named for his family.)

He was editor and publisher of Santa Barbara News-Press and its predecessors; a rancher and citrus fruit grower; and postmaster of Santa Barbara from 1914 to 1921. He was appointed on November 9, 1938, as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Gibbs McAdoo and served from November 9, 1938, to January 3, 1939. However, because Congress was not in session during the time he was in office, Storke was never actually sworn into office. He was not a candidate for election for the full term.

He returned home and resumed working in the newspaper business. He was a member of the board of regents of University of California from 1955 until 1960.

He died in Santa Barbara and is buried in Santa Barbara Cemetery. Part of Storke's lasting legacy in the county is Storke Tower, a 190-foot structure in the center of the UCSB campus. Beneath Storke Tower is the Storke Communication Plaza, where students currently produce the Daily Nexus newspaper and broadcast KCSB, the campus radio station.

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.