Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Just before midnight on April 26, 1994, a severe thunderstorm spawned a significant and deadly F4 tornado that devastated portions of West Lafayette and Battle Ground in Tippecanoe and Carroll County, Indiana. This is a compilation of original news stories filed by reporters and photojournalists at WLFI-TV 18 in West Lafayette, Indiana between April 27 and May 9, 1994. The tornado was one of if not the worst to strike the Lafayette area to date.
For some context as to how this video is still in existence. I was a video journalist, editor and weather producer at WLFI-TV between 2006-2008. The stories presented in this compilation were originally archived on 3/4" videotapes that I converted over to Betacam SP tape copies for integration into the productions produced for the station/weather department at the time. About a decade later, I was made aware that all of the original 3/4" file videotapes in the news archive were thrown away in a hasty decision. To my knowledge, these are likely the only surviving copies of the original stories filed the week of the 1994 tornado. While natural disasters are never pleasant for anyone involved, these stories give a sample of the events from that night and remain preserved for future generations.
Additional information on the April 26-27, 1994 West Lafayette, Indiana tornado via NOAA: weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/West%20Lafayette%20IN%20Tornado%201994.pdf
A more-recent retrospective story by WLFI-TV with full details of the event can be accessed here: wlfi.com/news/local-weather-history-the-nocturnal-april-26-27-1994-tornadoes/article_7458defa-c5a5-11ec-8bb6-cb47373dc7a8.html
All video is copyrighted by WLFI-TV 18 © 1994, All Rights Reserved.
Just before midnight on April 26, 1994, a severe thunderstorm spawned a significant and deadly F4 tornado that devastated portions of West Lafayette and Battle Ground in Tippecanoe and Carroll County, Indiana. This is a compilation of original news stories filed by reporters and photojournalists at WLFI-TV 18 in West Lafayette, Indiana between April 27 and May 9, 1994. The tornado was one of if not the worst to strike the Lafayette area to date.
For some context as to how this video is still in existence. I was a video journalist, editor and weather producer at WLFI-TV between 2006-2008. The stories presented in this compilation were originally archived on 3/4" videotapes that I converted over to Betacam SP tape copies for integration into the productions produced for the station/weather department at the time. About a decade later, I was made aware that all of the original 3/4" file videotapes in the news archive were thrown away in a hasty decision. To my knowledge, these are likely the only surviving copies of the original stories filed the week of the 1994 tornado. While natural disasters are never pleasant for anyone involved, these stories give a sample of the events from that night and remain preserved for future generations.
Additional information on the April 26-27, 1994 West Lafayette, Indiana tornado via NOAA: weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/West%20Lafayette%20IN%20Tornado%201994.pdf
A more-recent retrospective story by WLFI-TV with full details of the event can be accessed here: wlfi.com/news/local-weather-history-the-nocturnal-april-26-27-1994-tornadoes/article_7458defa-c5a5-11ec-8bb6-cb47373dc7a8.html
All video is copyrighted by WLFI-TV 18 © 1994, All Rights Reserved.
