Recordings of Tornado Sound

[Robert Edmonds]

I'd be interested to be pointed toward audio recordings that best exhibit the "roar"/sound of a tornado described by so many. Unedited audio would be preferred... I'm interested in editing and trying to isolate the sound. Been toying with some ideas recently on the subject.

 

[StephenHenry]

This recording from May 3 Moore has always given me goosebumps, especially the middle section. In my opinion, it might be unmatched in the purity with which the raw tornado roar is recorded (no car engine and very little wind distortion). You really sense the bigness of the sound.

Watch video >

 

[Rob H]

Doesn't do it justice of course, but next to Langley it almost sounded like a combination waterfall/small jet engine. Skip to about 1:30 when the car slows down to a crawl:

Watch video >

 

[Shawn Schuman]

Probably the best recording of the "roar" I've ever heard is this video from Phil Campbell on 4/27/11.

Watch video >

It's not perfect since it's taken from inside a shelter, but it's the video that immediately comes to mind. You may have to turn the volume up to get the full effect.

 

[Bob Schafer]

About 8 years ago I found a recording from the April 3 1974 Xenia tornado and downloaded it. I somehow lost the file, but I still have the recording on CD. The thing is major league spooky, including the sound of the tape recorder being destroyed. It's really important to read the story behind the recording. I found this, but I think it's a little corrupted or something, and the end seems to be cut off a bit: http://xeniatornado.com/audio.htm

 

[Robert Edmonds]

To avoid compression issues if you have the file, PM me. I'd be happy to further describe what I'm thinking of doing.

 

[Bob Schafer]

I guess you must be addressing me. One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that I went back and tried to find the source of that file online again a couple years ago, but couldn't find it. As I say, I lost it, except for having it on CD. It was burned like a music file along with music. (Not sure that is significant or not) I didn't spend much time searching for it again today, but I'd be surprised if the original was available. Someone could give it a go?

Robert, since I'm in CO I'm sure we could arrange a meeting sometime and I could let you use the CD for whatever purpose you like. I go to Santa Fe each October.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

This is great--about ten or so years back I posted a thread on ST asking for the best 'tone-ado' recording, and no one had much to offer. Glad to see that we are getting some good sound recordings. Nice footage too...

 

[Jeff Duda]

Might wanna talk to Erik Rasmussen. Not sure if he's still at NSSL/CIMMS or wherever he was, but I recall him leading a team that sought to do exactly this back in the 1980s. Not sure what they came up with, though.

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

The first 15 seconds of this video from the 2011 Tuscaloosa tornado is a great example of the "roar" imo. Fades out pretty quick and there is a bit of noise pollution unfortunately, but wow, that sound.

Watch video >

 

[Bob Schafer]

Okay, I have ripped the Xenia audio from my CD and have it as a 3.6mb .wma file. Anybody want it? Simply shoot me a PM with your email addy and I will mail it to you (or give instructions for whatever other method you want to use). It sounds good, though I have only listened to it on my laptop using earphones, and the fidelity of that is just *okay*, so it may have lost a smidgeon from compression, but not that I can tell. Only caveat is that I can't send until tomorrow night... long story, LOL.

Edit: I first tried to rip using VLC player, but that seems to have been beyond my talent level. So I switched to Windows Media Player, which gave me the .wma option. I went back and reset the format to .wav, which acording to Bill Gates is "Lossless", then re-ripped, so now it is a 39.4 MB file, but should have no compression, I guess.

It is a 3:54 recording. You hear the roar right from the beginning. A couple times early on you hear what is believed to be a train whistle from off in the distance. Thunder rips the sky. At 2:51 you hear the microphone set down as the operator leaves to get in his shelter. Throughout, the roar intensifies. At 3:21 is the screeching sound of what is believed to be nails being ripped out as the roof is coming off. Finally, the recording ends as the tape recorder is destroyed. The guy who recorded it was said to have survived.

Those descriptions are from the website where I originally downloaded the recording many years ago, but they seem 100% plausible.

Another edit: For the public record, this recording is copyright of the original "artist", or his estate, whomever that is. Treat with respect.