Tornado chasing is believed to have solid roots back to at least the 1950s. David Hoadley and Roger Jensen are thought of as among the first storm chasers in the Plains.
However, it wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s that chasers, both research oriented and increasingly recreational, started catching moving imagery (on film and eventually video tape) of tornadoes at greater regularity. It was also around that time when storm chasing began to emerge into public light. Programing about tornadoes, and the growing ease of video capture with the advent of mass-produced recorders helped accelerate interest. Twister‘s appearance in 1996 brought the chase mass attention, and the Internet revolution to follow helped the hunt go mainstream.
Below are some of the “great chases” of the period…
August 30, 1974 – Great Bend, Kansas F2 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Bob Dundas
June 6, 1975 – Freedom, Oklahoma F1 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Jim Leonard / First known footage of an anticyclonic tornado
April 30, 1978 – Piedmont, OK F4 (tornadoes that day)
Video: NSSL / First tornado recorded on video tape
April 10, 1979 – Seymour, Texas F2 (tornadoes that day)
Video: NSSL
May 22, 1981 – Cordell, Oklahoma F2 (tornadoes that day)
Video: NOAA
May 19, 1982 – Pampa, Texas F3 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Jim Leonard
May 13, 1989 – Hodges, Texas F2 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Charles Doswell
Mar 13, 1990 – Hesston, Kansas F5 (tornadoes that day)
Video: KSNW 3 Wichita
April 12, 1991 – Pond Creek, Oklahoma F3 (tornadoes that day)
Team: Howard Bluestein
April 26, 1991 – Billings/Red Rock, Oklahoma F4 (tornadoes that day)
Video: StormStock
May 5, 1993 – Hooker, Oklahoma F3 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Robert Prentice
July 21, 1993 – Last Chance, Colorado F3 (tornadoes that day)
Video: BNVN
June 2, 1995 – Dimmitt, Texas F2 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Robert Prentice
June 8, 1995 – Kellerville, Texas F4 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Jim Leonard
April 19, 1996 – Jacksonville, Illinois F2 (tornadoes that day)
Video: KSTP-TV
May 25, 1997 – Perth, Kansas F2 (tornadoes that day)
Video: moviemagg
May 30, 1998 – Spencer, South Dakota F4 (tornadoes that day)
Video: William Reid
May 3, 1999 – Bridge Creek, Oklahoma F5 (tornadoes that day)
Video: Scott Currens
Latest posts by Ian Livingston (see all)
- Top tornado videos of 2023 - January 1, 2024
- March 31, 2023 tornado outbreak videos - March 31, 2023
- Top tornado videos of 2022 - December 31, 2022
