Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The first public awareness film produced with the limited motion picture films available of tornadoes was released in 1956 by the forerunner to the National Weather Service known as the United States Weather Bureau. The film was widely used and shown at Civil Defense meetings, academic and church groups throughout the US until it was eventually replaced with an updated color version in 1967.
Several points of bad advice made the rounds in Tornado [1956] including to open windows and doors to equalize air pressure and to shelter in the southwest corner of a home. Both of these theories were proven false, fatal or both, yet endured in the public mindset well into the 1980's.
This is a restored 16mm film print that was originally provided to me by the late Dr. Charles Doswell III, professionally scanned and restored by the Chicago Film Archives in 2023 and now available again here on Ancient Air Theatre.
The 1970 update to TORNADO! produced in 1967: youtu.be/ZDn5G5ZTbR4?si=dWhYrEvuYHDC2z7y
The first public awareness film produced with the limited motion picture films available of tornadoes was released in 1956 by the forerunner to the National Weather Service known as the United States Weather Bureau. The film was widely used and shown at Civil Defense meetings, academic and church groups throughout the US until it was eventually replaced with an updated color version in 1967.
Several points of bad advice made the rounds in Tornado [1956] including to open windows and doors to equalize air pressure and to shelter in the southwest corner of a home. Both of these theories were proven false, fatal or both, yet endured in the public mindset well into the 1980's.
This is a restored 16mm film print that was originally provided to me by the late Dr. Charles Doswell III, professionally scanned and restored by the Chicago Film Archives in 2023 and now available again here on Ancient Air Theatre.
The 1970 update to TORNADO! produced in 1967: youtu.be/ZDn5G5ZTbR4?si=dWhYrEvuYHDC2z7y
![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.")
