Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A violent F5 tornado obliterated the small farming community of Jordan, Iowa on June 13, 1976. This was followed by a second anti-cyclonic tornado that followed a similar inverted U-shape turn that the prior tornado made. The tornado was documented on 16mm color film by Charles Barthold of WHO-TV in Des Moines. A year later the station produced this documentary.
It also showcases the work and analysis of the Jordan tornado with interviews by Dr. Ted Fujita, Iowa State University, survivors and a visit to the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma.
Some statistics on violent tornadoes in Iowa:
weather.gov/arx/ef5tornadoes
Video © WHO-TV Iowa.
A violent F5 tornado obliterated the small farming community of Jordan, Iowa on June 13, 1976. This was followed by a second anti-cyclonic tornado that followed a similar inverted U-shape turn that the prior tornado made. The tornado was documented on 16mm color film by Charles Barthold of WHO-TV in Des Moines. A year later the station produced this documentary.
It also showcases the work and analysis of the Jordan tornado with interviews by Dr. Ted Fujita, Iowa State University, survivors and a visit to the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma.
Some statistics on violent tornadoes in Iowa:
weather.gov/arx/ef5tornadoes
Video © WHO-TV Iowa.
