Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This is a West Michigan severe weather special produced by the weather and production crew at WOOD TV8 Grand Rapids that originally aired in March 1996. Please excuse the videotape audio distortions!
I recorded this broadcast the evening it aired as a high schooler/soon to be meteorology geography WMU student and it's quite interesting to see how much has shifted in weather broadcasting from then until now [2025]. Live television affiliate radar is no longer a thing and so much has evolved.
Enjoy this moment in West Michigan weather history!
This is a West Michigan severe weather special produced by the weather and production crew at WOOD TV8 Grand Rapids that originally aired in March 1996. Please excuse the videotape audio distortions!
I recorded this broadcast the evening it aired as a high schooler/soon to be meteorology geography WMU student and it's quite interesting to see how much has shifted in weather broadcasting from then until now [2025]. Live television affiliate radar is no longer a thing and so much has evolved.
Enjoy this moment in West Michigan weather history!
![Raging Planet: Tornado [1997] The Discovery Channel](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wbgAj0F212Q/mqdefault.jpg "Raging Planet: Tornado [1997] The Discovery Channel
Raging Planet: Tornado is a 45 minute special that was produced by UK based Pioneer Productions and aired on The Discovery Channel in late 1997 and early 1998. It features many infamous tornado events and then ongoing research efforts from the early through mid 1990s and was one of the more popular tornado documentaries produced in the later part of the decade.
For references, the Pioneer Productions crew that was traveling and chasing with Jim Leonard and others, along with the mini research helicopter, are featured in this May 31, 1996 Kansas tornado chase day as documented by the late Jim Leonard: https://youtu.be/hjPSPAPPmjg
© 1997 Pioneer Productions, All Rights Reserved.")
