Cyclone1's Top 5 Best Tornado Videos of All Time
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:41 pm
I'm kinda trying out a Top List series. Could be interesting. Anyway...
I took about an hour or so to compile this list. With so much amazing footage out there, it was difficult to pin down a top 5. But here it is, the top five best tornadoes ever filmed... in my opinion.
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# 5 The McConnell AFB Tornado, Andover, Kansas, F5?, April 26, 1991
Famous footage of a tornado ripping through an air force base at very close range. The tornado is apparently filmed from inside an upper floor of a building, overlooking a parking lot. Large debris can be seen damaging cars. This tornado was nearly a billion dollar disaster, had it hit a line of B1 bombers that we nearby.
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# 4 - The Elie, Manitoba Tornado, F5, June 22, 2007
Clear, up close footage of the strongest tornado ever recorded in Canada. Filmed in a car by two guys listening to "Power 97" on the radio on a Friday evening. For a tornado filmed through a car window, this is incredibly sharp and clear. This video also happens to be exclusive to YouTube and the user who uploaded this footage also filmed it.
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# 3 - The Pampa, Texas Tornado, F4, June 8th, 1995.
If you've ever heard of a tornado, you've seen this footage. Probably the most famous tornado footage ever (except for that cliche overpass tornado), captured from a police dashboard camera going down the road in the late afternoon. I couldn't make a list like this without including this insane footage. The clip is often used to display the power of tornadoes, because it is some of the only footage ever captured of a car being thrown through the air (5:58 into the video).
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#2 The Mulvane, Kansas Tornado, F3, June 12, 2004
By far, the most photogenic tornado in my book. This is a long video, the first 7 minutes are okay. But at 7 minutes in, one of the chasers gets out of the car to film the end of the tornado. Right before dying, it displayed the most beautiful roping-out stage of any tornado I've ever seen. It became solid white against a dark gray background (still having quite a bit of power), and it was bisected by a faint rainbow. This sun-kissed tornado, while beautiful, was quite devastating.
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#1 The Manchester, South Dakota Wedge, F4, June 24, 2003
June 24th, 2003 was the day South Dakota went through absolute hell. 67 tornadoes were confirmed in one day in one state, tying the record. One of these tornadoes was the Manitoba tornado. This massive wedge tornado developed quickly right off the road right in front of the guys at TornadoVideos.net. Captured was some of the most mind-blowing, most clear, and closest footage of a truly giant tornado. I love the conflict between the guy filming and the driver. It makes for some funny (and explicit) dialouge between the two. Plus there's a random drunken man at the end... you'll see. Either way, best tornado footage of all time, hands down, bar-none.
And that's the top 5.
Honorable Mention:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60AgITei5w - Miami 1997 tornado. This footage is okay, I could do without the music. However, There IS footage of this tornado that would be #1 on this list that's floating around somewhere, but I can't seem to find it. If anyone knows where to find it, please tell me and I'll edit this list. It's filmed from a news tower or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o231V5bYQrI - This one is really good, but I just think those other 5 (six including the Miami footage I can't find) are all just a little better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HBMOuMWzM0 - Nashville Tennessee tornado. Footage from a news station that had been knocked off the air. Good stuff, but you can't really tell the difference between this tornado and footage of a hurricane or a downburst.
I took about an hour or so to compile this list. With so much amazing footage out there, it was difficult to pin down a top 5. But here it is, the top five best tornadoes ever filmed... in my opinion.
----
# 5 The McConnell AFB Tornado, Andover, Kansas, F5?, April 26, 1991
Famous footage of a tornado ripping through an air force base at very close range. The tornado is apparently filmed from inside an upper floor of a building, overlooking a parking lot. Large debris can be seen damaging cars. This tornado was nearly a billion dollar disaster, had it hit a line of B1 bombers that we nearby.
---
# 4 - The Elie, Manitoba Tornado, F5, June 22, 2007
Clear, up close footage of the strongest tornado ever recorded in Canada. Filmed in a car by two guys listening to "Power 97" on the radio on a Friday evening. For a tornado filmed through a car window, this is incredibly sharp and clear. This video also happens to be exclusive to YouTube and the user who uploaded this footage also filmed it.
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# 3 - The Pampa, Texas Tornado, F4, June 8th, 1995.
If you've ever heard of a tornado, you've seen this footage. Probably the most famous tornado footage ever (except for that cliche overpass tornado), captured from a police dashboard camera going down the road in the late afternoon. I couldn't make a list like this without including this insane footage. The clip is often used to display the power of tornadoes, because it is some of the only footage ever captured of a car being thrown through the air (5:58 into the video).
----
#2 The Mulvane, Kansas Tornado, F3, June 12, 2004
By far, the most photogenic tornado in my book. This is a long video, the first 7 minutes are okay. But at 7 minutes in, one of the chasers gets out of the car to film the end of the tornado. Right before dying, it displayed the most beautiful roping-out stage of any tornado I've ever seen. It became solid white against a dark gray background (still having quite a bit of power), and it was bisected by a faint rainbow. This sun-kissed tornado, while beautiful, was quite devastating.
----
#1 The Manchester, South Dakota Wedge, F4, June 24, 2003
June 24th, 2003 was the day South Dakota went through absolute hell. 67 tornadoes were confirmed in one day in one state, tying the record. One of these tornadoes was the Manitoba tornado. This massive wedge tornado developed quickly right off the road right in front of the guys at TornadoVideos.net. Captured was some of the most mind-blowing, most clear, and closest footage of a truly giant tornado. I love the conflict between the guy filming and the driver. It makes for some funny (and explicit) dialouge between the two. Plus there's a random drunken man at the end... you'll see. Either way, best tornado footage of all time, hands down, bar-none.
And that's the top 5.
Honorable Mention:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60AgITei5w - Miami 1997 tornado. This footage is okay, I could do without the music. However, There IS footage of this tornado that would be #1 on this list that's floating around somewhere, but I can't seem to find it. If anyone knows where to find it, please tell me and I'll edit this list. It's filmed from a news tower or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o231V5bYQrI - This one is really good, but I just think those other 5 (six including the Miami footage I can't find) are all just a little better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HBMOuMWzM0 - Nashville Tennessee tornado. Footage from a news station that had been knocked off the air. Good stuff, but you can't really tell the difference between this tornado and footage of a hurricane or a downburst.
It's a great compilation...I do continue to add more and i'll add those you mentioned..
