Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The early 1990's saw further public interest in storm chasing increase after several noteworthy tornado outbreaks in 1990 and 1991 grabbed headlines and television news broadcasts leads. After a few successful documentaries in the mid-1980's by WGBH NOVA, National Geographic and KARE-TV 11 in Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota, other media outlets took note and ran with a similar production formula. This program originally aired on the A&E cable network in 1993 and later was repackaged with updated narration by then CBS Chicago-based newscaster Bill Kurtis for broadcast and home video sale in 1995. All of this on the lead up to the 1996 Hollywood film that would permanently catapult storm chasing into the public vernacular, 'Twister'. It's not a coincidence that Kurtis was selected as narrator, as he too had a significant tornado experience of his own at Topeka, Kansas on June 8, 1966, of which launched a long broadcasting career.
"Storm Chasers" [1993] follows several storm chasers and meteorologists during their varied exploits on the Plains, touches on a [then] recent Central Plains tornado outbreak [April 26, 1991] and a few other topics.
Program © 1993, 1995 A&E Productions, Kurtis Productions, All Rights Reserved.
The early 1990's saw further public interest in storm chasing increase after several noteworthy tornado outbreaks in 1990 and 1991 grabbed headlines and television news broadcasts leads. After a few successful documentaries in the mid-1980's by WGBH NOVA, National Geographic and KARE-TV 11 in Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota, other media outlets took note and ran with a similar production formula. This program originally aired on the A&E cable network in 1993 and later was repackaged with updated narration by then CBS Chicago-based newscaster Bill Kurtis for broadcast and home video sale in 1995. All of this on the lead up to the 1996 Hollywood film that would permanently catapult storm chasing into the public vernacular, 'Twister'. It's not a coincidence that Kurtis was selected as narrator, as he too had a significant tornado experience of his own at Topeka, Kansas on June 8, 1966, of which launched a long broadcasting career.
"Storm Chasers" [1993] follows several storm chasers and meteorologists during their varied exploits on the Plains, touches on a [then] recent Central Plains tornado outbreak [April 26, 1991] and a few other topics.
Program © 1993, 1995 A&E Productions, Kurtis Productions, All Rights Reserved.
