Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
VORTEX [Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment] 1994 and 1995 received worldwide attention as it was the largest scientific research field research project of it's kind with the focus on tornadoes and supercell thunderstorm evolution. These are some of the actual storm chases recorded by Roy Britt who was out and actively documenting the scene in mid May of which was a fairly active month all around that year.
The video begins on May 12 near Russell, Kansas followed by video of VORTEX crew vehicles that were devastated by large hail, and concludes with the Jetmore, Kansas tornado on May 16th. Included are scenes with the Project VORTEX armada, the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology and several other chasers that were out and about. On a side note, the production of Twister was actively shooting in and around Oklahoma during this time period, an ironic juxtaposition of natural reality and big budget Hollywood.
The tail end of the video showcases how many storm chasers and meteorologists once gathered data on the road with a mid morning analysis at a local National Weather Service office. Included is one of Marty Feely's "Whirlwind Tours" storm chasing tour groups.
Enjoy the memories!
Video © 1995 Roy Britt, All Rights Reserved.
VORTEX [Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment] 1994 and 1995 received worldwide attention as it was the largest scientific research field research project of it's kind with the focus on tornadoes and supercell thunderstorm evolution. These are some of the actual storm chases recorded by Roy Britt who was out and actively documenting the scene in mid May of which was a fairly active month all around that year.
The video begins on May 12 near Russell, Kansas followed by video of VORTEX crew vehicles that were devastated by large hail, and concludes with the Jetmore, Kansas tornado on May 16th. Included are scenes with the Project VORTEX armada, the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology and several other chasers that were out and about. On a side note, the production of Twister was actively shooting in and around Oklahoma during this time period, an ironic juxtaposition of natural reality and big budget Hollywood.
The tail end of the video showcases how many storm chasers and meteorologists once gathered data on the road with a mid morning analysis at a local National Weather Service office. Included is one of Marty Feely's "Whirlwind Tours" storm chasing tour groups.
Enjoy the memories!
Video © 1995 Roy Britt, All Rights Reserved.
![Storm Chasers [1996] with Matt Biddle and Mark Herndon, CBC](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NGj6KFwYJXY/mqdefault.jpg "Storm Chasers [1996] with Matt Biddle and Mark Herndon, CBC
The media circus surrounding the topic of storm chasing, storm chasers and the Hollywood blockbuster film Twister reached a crescendo in mid-1996. It seemed wherever one turned, mostly on television, were interviews with seasoned storm chasers [or those intentionally seeking notoriety] about the realities of the topic. This interview by the Canadian Broadcast Company spotlights two chasers whom were directly associated with aiding the some elements in the development of Twister, Matt Biddle and Mark Herndon.
Matt Biddle was working on his MS in geography at the University of Oklahoma and participated in Project VORTEX 94-95, as part of the Probe 3 crew. His eccentric personal vehicle, a decked out Chevy El Camino, along with his Moderate Risk + Some Fear promotional branding and storm chase highlight videotape productions of that era were all fun parts of his personality. Afflicted by numerous health ailments since birth, his determination and drive was inspiring to anyone who knew him. Matt passed away on April 10, 2018.
A tribute to Matt Biddle by Dr. Chuck Doswell can be accessed here: http://cadiiitalk.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-tribute-to-matt-biddle-my-friend-and.html
Mark Herndon signed onto the 1995-96 Twister production as a consultant and storm chaser, leading actors out on actual storm treks and guided film crews [with Biddle] to aid in capturing actual storm cinematography that was intermixed with computer simulations in the film. Herndon, an avid rock climber and self-admitted thrill seeker began chasing in the late 1980s and joined up with Biddle prior to the inception of Twister.
This CBC interview with Biddle and Herndon is an excellent representation of how storm chasing was both achieving a foothold in popular culture, yet still remained in humble territory for what was to come a decade later. In 2014, I interviewed both Matt and Mark for the Storm Chasing Anthology documentary project, but Matts health had taken a turn for the worse which made long conversations problematic. This perhaps is the best interview I am aware of that featured both Matt and Mark.
Video © 1996 CBC, All Rights Reserved. The Twister clips were furnished to media outlets worldwide for promotion of the film and are © 1996 Warner Bros. and Amblin Entertainment.")
