Favorite Vintage Tornado Video?

[Jim Saueressig]

What is your favorite vintage tornado video? I often see mixes online and have seen a few that are more impressive to me than modern stuff. Mixes like this one:



This Guy has a lot of the old vintage stuff as well as possibly newer stuff.

I think my favorite is the old "Day of the Killer Tornadoes"

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


I love all the old vintage "background operations" footage in there.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Does the 90's count as vintage?
If it does, I would have to say one of my faves id the Pampa TX tornado.
If you watch some viddys of it, some of them show a distinctive yellow cast brought by the storm. Its one of those times when a yellow-greenish sky was there for a tornado.
You can also see vehicle being launched into the air; there was a lot of destruction caught on film that happened that day.
I went out of my way this year when going to Iowa via the early spring route, and stayed in Shamrock TX. I went N into Pampa the next day where there were possible storms in that region. Just caught hail and lightning, but there were a few moments where there were some threats that nearly became real.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-PdZr2PAC0

 

[Tampa Dave]

Columbus, NE hands down

No question about it.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I have to agree that the 95 Pampa tornado would be hard to beat.

 

[Chris Lott]

May 27, 1997 Jarrell,TX F-5
May 3, 1999 Moore, OK F-5

Here's one I almost forgot about, but it's covered in this video I found on youtube. The April 10, 1979 Wichita Falls,TX tornado.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6483CqO_MM

I would have to agree with the 95 Pampa tornado as well.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

I agree with Rob: Pampa Tx tornado, even because of the mistery of the red car, that no one has solved yet. If Chuk Doswell was here, I'd ask him.

 

[Jim Saueressig]

I agree with Rob: Pampa Tx tornado, even because of the mistery of the red car, that no one has solved yet. If Chuk Doswell was here, I'd ask him.

Mystery of the red car?

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Mystery of the red car?

I saw that video a lot of times, and if you pay close attention at the end you'll see a red car that seems to head toward the tornado.Too bad the video ends just at the "clou" moment. So far, no one has given me an explanation yet.

 

[Leah Robertson]

Hmm, very intriguing question. The Pampa tornado ranks up there for me as well.

If I had to choose just one, it would be the March 13, 1990 Hesston, Ks F5 tornado: Clicky. I remember seeing it on the news when I was a kid and it really sparked my interest in severe weather, especially since seeing footage of such a strong tornado back then was few and far between. Just reading about the life cycle of this tornado was also very fascinating. I believe this was the first documented tornado where two separate tornadoes from the same storm merged together which then created one continuous, long damage track and shed some light on the Tri-State tornado.

Some other noteworthy footage:
1966 Topeka F5 Tornado: Link
1986 Minnesota F2 Tornado (Legendary video): Link
1987 Alberta F4 Tornado: Link
1991 McConnell AFB/Andover F5 tornado: Link

 

[Jeff Richardson]

Almost too many choices to pick but since I'm the sentimental type (LOL) this grainy film of a tornado moving through portions of northeastern Tulsa on December 5, 1975 warms my heart. It was the first tornado I'd ever seen. My dad and I watched it from my second floor bedroom window. It was several miles to our northeast, but still clearly visible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm-dJvoLUL8

This old severe weather safety film made in either '56 or '57 is another favorite, if for no other reason that is shows most of the tornadoes captured on film at the time and, from a forecasting standpoint, shows just how far we've come in the science of weather forecasting. While it's pretty campy at times, I do have an appreciation of what forecasters were able to accomplish without the technology we find indispensable. And I have to give them credit for hand analysis of maps. That can make or break a chase. Of course some of the safety rules are woefully out-of-date and downright dangerous if followed. Still, like a "cult" movie that's so weird it's fun to watch, I must admit that I get a kick out of this vintage safety film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jifHutGiiy0

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Cordell, OK, 5/22/1981. I think this tornado got "its" inspiration from the Wizard of Oz (wait until the very end of the clip). If I could squint my eyes like Hiro, this would be my first destination on a tornado time travel sojourn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPG9p4AUh_A

 

[Chris Hayes]

Cordell, OK, 5/22/1981. I think this tornado got "its" inspiration from the Wizard of Oz (wait until the very end of the clip). If I could squint my eyes like Hiro, this would be my first destination on a tornado time travel sojourn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPG9p4AUh_A

I remember watching a National Geographic special on storm chasers and tornados in the mid 80s. They went along with David Hoadley on a storm chase along with a crew from NSSL. When I saw the video clip of the Cordell tornado becoming all serpentine that was the spark that ignited my love for severe weather. I believe I still have that NG special on video around the house somewhere.

 

[Mike Ridgeway]

I was chasing near Allison, TX on the day of the Pampa tornado. The Allison tornado was a beast but the one in Pampa is one of my favorites to this day.

 

[Sarah Glenn]

I have an old home video filmed by friends of my grandparents of the March 13, 1990 Hesston, KS tornado as it was hitting Hesston. The water tower is very visible ahead of the tornado, and there is one moment when a large building explodes and flies up into it. There's also a heartbreaking moment when a little boy says, "Send it out of here, God, send it out of here." *Chills* I might just have to watch that right now.

This footage has probably had the strongest impression on me (followed by Andover and Moore). I was living in Wichita and 10 years old when it happened. We were under warnings all evening and I was very scared because we have many family members living in that area. My dad went to Hesston High School and grew up on a farm several miles to the east of there. At the time, I thought the tornado was bearing down on my grandparents and aunt/uncle. By 1990, I was already feeding my love of weather with books and a backyard weather station, but the Hesston tornado at that time was the most incredible thing I'd ever seen, and then followed the next year with Andover, coming within 5 miles of my house.

After some YouTube research, apparently it is "the famous" footage of this storm. If I knew the people's names who taped it I would supply them - maybe a good question for my grandma this Christmas. Oh, and according to the following clip, the "large building" might be "powdered concrete." I know it destroyed a construction company / building supply place, so it could be related to that. After filming the tornado, they go into Hesston and you see all the debris and dazed victims wandering around needing help. I usually end up turning it off a few minutes into that - obviously this part is not included in the "famous footage."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhPBV1QXnqQ

 

[Mike Johnston]

Almost too many choices to pick but since I'm the sentimental type (LOL) this grainy film of a tornado moving through portions of northeastern Tulsa on December 5, 1975 warms my heart. It was the first tornado I'd ever seen. My dad and I watched it from my second floor bedroom window. It was several miles to our northeast, but still clearly visible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm-dJvoLUL8

This old severe weather safety film made in either '56 or '57 is another favorite, if for no other reason that is shows most of the tornadoes captured on film at the time and, from a forecasting standpoint, shows just how far we've come in the science of weather forecasting. While it's pretty campy at times, I do have an appreciation of what forecasters were able to accomplish without the technology we find indispensable. And I have to give them credit for hand analysis of maps. That can make or break a chase. Of course some of the safety rules are woefully out-of-date and downright dangerous if followed. Still, like a "cult" movie that's so weird it's fun to watch, I must admit that I get a kick out of this vintage safety film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jifHutGiiy0

Thanks for finding that old safety film, Jeff. Never thought I would see that one again since I last saw it in elementary school back in the 1960's (along with probably every other third grader in USD 259 in Wichita)!

Wow - thirty minutes lead time was pretty impressive, especially since the radar scope wasn't trained on the storm until after it was spotted!

For some reason, I thought it was based on an actual event in Cherryvale, Kansas - don't know how I ever got that linked up in my head. Obviously, "Elmville" was a fictitous place!

Oh, the days of opening the windows and running to the southwest corner of the basement. It was practically a religion back then.