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Tornado

14 min 27 sec115 shots

Black-and-white tornado footage accompanies an explanation of how violently rotating funnels form beneath thunderstorms and cause severe damage with wind and flying debris. Weather personnel analyze reports from ground stations, balloons, radar, and reconnaissance aircraft to identify conditions that may produce dangerous storms. Volunteer observers provide the local link by watching for funnels and reporting their location and movement. The film also distinguishes a severe-weather alert, which announces favorable conditions, from a tornado warning issued after a tornado has been sighted.

An instructional scenario follows a farm observer who spots a tornado moving toward Elmville and telephones the local United States Weather Bureau office. Radio, television, and telephone warnings give residents time to move into storm cellars, basements, low interior areas, or outdoor depressions, while radar operators track the storm. After the tornado damages the city, the scenario reports that no one was killed and few people were injured because the warning system worked and residents responded calmly. The closing message urges communities in tornado-prone areas to organize and support local observer networks with help from the nearest Weather Bureau office.

Provenance and rights

Original producer: Prelinger Archives
Collection: Prelinger Archives
Original title: Tornado
Date: Unknown
Original link: Open on Internet Archive
Rights: public_domain