Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
On April 3, 1974, a series of destructive tornadoes, one specifically a long-track significant tornado that produced widespread F4 damage across western and north-central [mid-north] Indiana made a direct strike on the community of Monticello in White County, Indiana.
In March 2008, I recorded video interviews with tornado eyewitnesses and survivors for a historical segment on the Monticello tornado, part of a larger 25-minute local broadcast severe weather special at WLFI-TV 18. These interviews are from a work edit tape with select sound cuts I saved, not the full raw interviews. The finalized April 2008 story about the Monticello Tornado from the WLFI-TV severe weather special follows the interviews.
Some original color 16mm film taken by WLFI-TV on April 4, 1974 is included in the segment. The full footage can be viewed here: youtu.be/nUH3sUa6mCU
In other spots I composited film footage taken by Bruce Boyd at Xenia, Ohio on April 3, 1974, along with a few segments from 'The Day Of The Killer Tornadoes' public awareness film, and some [then] more recent tornado video by Jim Leonard and myself. The black and white photographs were taken by the Monticello Daily Herald Journal.
In retrospect an entire documentary could have easily been produced and was something I likely considered while at WLFI, but as a general public awareness weather production, we were limited with time.
Produced by Blake Naftel and Mike Prangley, March 2008.
© 2008 Blake Naftel and WLFI-TV, All Rights Reserved.
Photographs © 1974, The Monticello Herald Journal, All Rights Reserved.
Additional information on the April 3, 1974 Monticello, Indiana tornado, one of 147 others during the "Super Outbreak' across the Midwest, Northeast, Southeastern United States and Southern Ontario, Canada can be accessed here: weather.gov/iwx/19740403_superoutbreak
On April 3, 1974, a series of destructive tornadoes, one specifically a long-track significant tornado that produced widespread F4 damage across western and north-central [mid-north] Indiana made a direct strike on the community of Monticello in White County, Indiana.
In March 2008, I recorded video interviews with tornado eyewitnesses and survivors for a historical segment on the Monticello tornado, part of a larger 25-minute local broadcast severe weather special at WLFI-TV 18. These interviews are from a work edit tape with select sound cuts I saved, not the full raw interviews. The finalized April 2008 story about the Monticello Tornado from the WLFI-TV severe weather special follows the interviews.
Some original color 16mm film taken by WLFI-TV on April 4, 1974 is included in the segment. The full footage can be viewed here: youtu.be/nUH3sUa6mCU
In other spots I composited film footage taken by Bruce Boyd at Xenia, Ohio on April 3, 1974, along with a few segments from 'The Day Of The Killer Tornadoes' public awareness film, and some [then] more recent tornado video by Jim Leonard and myself. The black and white photographs were taken by the Monticello Daily Herald Journal.
In retrospect an entire documentary could have easily been produced and was something I likely considered while at WLFI, but as a general public awareness weather production, we were limited with time.
Produced by Blake Naftel and Mike Prangley, March 2008.
© 2008 Blake Naftel and WLFI-TV, All Rights Reserved.
Photographs © 1974, The Monticello Herald Journal, All Rights Reserved.
Additional information on the April 3, 1974 Monticello, Indiana tornado, one of 147 others during the "Super Outbreak' across the Midwest, Northeast, Southeastern United States and Southern Ontario, Canada can be accessed here: weather.gov/iwx/19740403_superoutbreak
![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.")
