Can I Find the Location of this 1950s Tornado Film? Warner Robins GA F4 Tornado Death Footage

Yo I went down the rabbit hole for real in this video. Not only do we analyze one of the oldest Tornado Footages Ever, but we also try to solve the rumor that the man who filmed it died in the process. Also are there any Remnants still around today? Thanks for watching! Sub for more!
#tornado #death #georgia

[@GR-bn3xj]

The cameraman never dies. That's why you always grab a camera when a tornado comes. It's better than seeking shelter

[@texasnewt]

Ha, good one!!

[@richardmullaney2064]

Yeah right! Alive and well however missing. Your camera might be found assuming it still works.

[@Gunshinzero]

Like the guy who got hit directly. His wife died but I think he was uninjured

[@richardmullaney2064]

I've seen that video. He was lucky and I found out that the cameraman in this video also survived along with the rest of his family. I can think of other cases however where photographers were killed taking pictures and videos of natural disasters including tornadoes.

[@GR-bn3xj]

@@richardmullaney2064 I was just thinking about that. I wonder if they release videos that people film if they die or just that most people don't die during the filming

[@jerrysmooth24]

I always thought that old tornado photos were even more ominous they had even less support for these communities after disasters and back in day before the fujita scale the only measure they really had was if a tornado was "killer" or not. Pretty scary and very sad.

[@ButtChugDoug66]

Lol fajitas are good

[@beng7846]

i like fajitas

[@EdsterIII]

In the movie Twister, they made a comment about how a 🌪tornado🌪 is classified. By how much it eats or destroys. I grew up in the 70's and while the 70's were more or better "equipped" sort of in regards to warnings, etc. You still at the most sometimes could get 15 seconds, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. If it's at night like 2am? TV's did NOT play 24 hrs a day. They shut down at 1am, some at 2am or 3am. It was scary especially for a 5 year old, or even a 10 year old. Add to that we lived in a Trailer Park. Granted ours was one of the most "advanced" and largest made then, however a 🌪tornado🌪 would have launched our tin house into the lower atmosphere. 😳 The NOISE was the worst. Like an ✈airplane🛩 next to your head. It is truly terrifying!

[@BendviewFarm-dq4sp]

Can you try to look up the registered address for Vince Rupert and possibly his family members? Gosh, now i GOTTA know! 😂

[@P_RO_]

@@BendviewFarm-dq4sp It seems that there was no "Vince Rupert" in the area at that time. There was positively no mention of him or any similar name in newspaper accounts of injured or dead, or obituaries then or during the next few months. It's only a widely-spread rumor which has been repeated so much that it's often taken for true. According to the Macon(Georgia) News article on May 15, 1953 this was filmed by USAF Sergeant Lewis Prochniak, who survived. I've passed along the info I have to this channel owner and others, so they can take it from here.

[@LettuceMan]

I actually live in the neighborhood right beside where this happened off of Randolph Ave. The elementary school you're looking at is named pearl Steven's, and my little brother actually attends there. I can confirm that out by the school there are still parts of concrete foundations, especially if you look towards the playground area of where the school is today.

[@SwegleStudios]

Interesting! The playground area is exactly where the tornado went through. Im going to have to visit sometime and investigate.

[@marcialynnukulele]

I grew up off Pleasant Hill Road and had no idea Pearl Stephens was built on the ruins of the tornado until this video.

[@P_RO_]

@@SwegleStudios See my post above for the link. The filmer survived and the exact location is given. Copy of a newspaper article included.

[@emmas1082]

@@P_RO_ yes Sgt. Lewis Prochniak.

[@sallyphillips9175]

@@P_RO_ Unfortunately, YT comments with links in them do not show up.

[@silvermainecoons3269]

You’re a great detective, I’m impressed! I love history and old films/photographs. I’ve never been in a tornado but live in Northern California so I’m used to wildfires, earthquakes and blizzards. Nothing terrifies me like tornadoes; my mom lives in Kansas but so far she’s been lucky. I’m glad to have discovered your channel.

[@quietwatch]

Thank you for this video. So strange that KZbin randomly recommended it. My dad was stationed at Warner Robins when that tornado hit. He lost everything except a plaque from a trophy he had won, which is here in the room with me now. Eerie in a way.

[@commiecomrade2644]

Really cool stuff. Helpful to know about these websites. My dad was a huge contributor for find a grave back when it first launched. He spent so much time going around and documenting graves in our area. I have always been fond of this kind of detective work. Subbed!

[@bkkorner]

A big thanks to your dad for helping to make a cool website!

[@katarinavina]

That’s amazing!

[@ingaleanan634]

I used to do Emergency Management at Robins. They showed us this footage in training. They've redesigned a large portion of the base since the 50s, but it's neat to see an outside perspective on video locations.

[@Snowstar837]

The way that you do these deep dives (especially into tornadoes) is so much like myself, except you make these well written and edited videos about what you've learned 😂 I love to watch them!

[@SwegleStudios]

Thank you very much!

[@7deepbreaths.sounds]

Hats off to this guy for his sluething resilience .... it has absolutely sparked an interest in this rabbit hole .... along with the subtle soundtrack playing in the background

[@brucemorrison111]

Very interesting, I have lived in Warner robins most of my life and I'm 53 years old. Thank you for the interesting video of my town history. I came across your video also scrolling through my phone looking up vintage photos of Warner robins.

[@lsdzheeusi]

One thing is certain: this tragedy occurred on a military base, and that means that somewhere, there are a ton of reports in quadruple triplicate. Now, to find them, it may require a trip to the warehouse at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" ...

[@musicnerd72]

I absolutely love your work! I found myself doing basically the same thing after the 2011 outbreak in Alabama and Joplin, Missouri. I would spend hours on Google maps! 👍

[@RescueDogTeddy]

I think it was worth the dive. Fascinating. Your’s is my favorite tornado channel.

[@SwegleStudios]

Thanks so much!

[@w9akwqsl]

1925 the Tornado that started in SE Missouri, it crossed the Mississippi at GrandChain, Illinois then on to Murphysboro, Illinois on across to various towns. The West Frankfort, Illinois. It continued on northeast to Vincens Indiana and sometime later it ran out of steam. This is one of the longest and biggest Tornadoes.. The tornado's speed was about 73 mph as it reached Murphysboro around 2:35 p.m. There, 234 people were killed and 623 others injured, making this the largest single-community death toll from a tornado in U.S. history. Forty percent of buildings in Murphysboro were either damaged or destroyed.

[@blacktoothgrin4348]

Awesome video , i appreciate all the hard work. Very interesting.

[@scottgarvy]

Nice detective work! Enjoyed your video.

[@AlmightyBruce]

2:08 people get the name “Vince Rupert” by mis-hearing the narrator saying “it’s rumoured”

[@glitch._]

Warner Robins is where I grew up. I love seeing people on KZbin interested in my hometown, even if it is for a fairly morbid reason lol

[@kevinashley478]

I'm about halfway to the 70 year old mark with tornado damage. Here it is: November 28, 1988 Raleigh, NC was hit with an F4 tornado around 1am. I was 11 at the time, and I remember the next day, mom and dad took me with them as they went to moms work because it was in the path and she wanted to know if she still had a job. We get there and her workplace was immaculate, the shrubbery hadn't lost a leaf. After looking around, the tornado came straight at her work, then essentially jumped over her work and HWY 70, and landed on the Kmart and completely obliterated it. It looked like a redneck yard sale. The tornado continued on, hitting some townhomes and residential areas. Fast forward, and in 2014, I purchased a townhome that was in the townhome community directly behind where the Kmart used to be (it is now a Walmart) that was hit directly. It has been 35 years since the tornado, but there are clear signs that still exist. Half the trees in our neighborhood are twisted and curved in weird growth structure. There is one unit, about 5-6 down from me that used to have a garage before the tornado relocated it, but you can still see the brick footprint of where it stood. To this day, I can still find tiny pieces of broken glass in my yard. The after effects of tornado damage absolutely can last for decades, or longer.

[@TheLadyDraconus]

The military brought me to Warner Robins back in 2005. Still here in 2022 lol. I need to double check this sometime.

[@JLKDOOM]

Nice microphone!!! I've been using the BLUE baby bottle for about 10 years and love it!! I've bought 3 over the last decade!

[@infantrywagon]

Dude had no clue that tornado was headed right for him, when those houses got tossed right in-front of him I think he was clueless how close it was until that point.

[@jahmezsayz]

This was a random but really well done video.

[@user-lk5tf5it9x]

SGT. Lewis Prochniak The Macon News. Macon Georgia I found the story on newspapers Ancestry. I went to clippings because it's so much easier to find and its free on clippings. There is also a nice picture of him with the story! Fri, May 15, 1953 Page 17

[@Firehouse56]

Big fan of all of your content. Post more frequently!

[@SwegleStudios]

Working on it!

[@cogamergirl76]

I was raised in the circular area. There was also a cool BMX bike trail by the school. When I went there, the school was Linwood Elementary and I always wondered why the pavement was that far extended from basketball court area.

[@LiseAdler]

You present a strong argument for the photographer having died in the tornado. That said, if, as the film reveals, the 🌪️ tornado was violent enough to pulverize 🏠 homes as they were ripped away from the ground… how did the photographer’s film and 🎥 film camera remain intact enough for the film to be successfully processed? 🤷‍♀️

[@froggy0165]

If the man died, how would they have the footage? It wasn't retrieved from the cloud. And it didnt look like he was being taken out by the tornado he went back into the house. You should do a follow up with the real videographers name

[@tjhall9377]

2:10 I think the narrator is saying “including, ‘it’s rumored’…” not the name “Vince Rupert”.

[@samsammich8465]

WR is an interesting place if you go there you see it and think "oh what a one horse town, its just a bunch of used car dealerships" then you go into the base and that place is swanky, its got a full golf course and all these nice looking gyms and stuff. Its bigger than the town itself.

[@joannemadden7449]

I was told that I died in a tornado in Oklahoma as well as in a ship wreak, the ship looks like the Vasa in the 1400. I believe the last one especially, going through The Pirates of the Caribbean at 10 I screamed, peed myself. Night after night I kept hearing the waves and wood breaking. ( That didn't happen at Disneyland ) the stories I could tell

[@AppNasty]

Imagine you're about to die but almost a century in the future there are people speaking your name.

[@TheJp1092]

I went to Linwood Elementary in 1966 and lived across the street on one of the rebuilt houses. I was there when They started building the stadium.

[@find127]

Awesome video!!

[@1999nathanule]

G’day, thank you so much that was really interesting

[@hippokrates4494]

The actual creator of the footage, Lewis Prochniak, survived - as did his family (but not his home entirely)

[@ZolFox]

Hey! Wustah, Massachusetts mattahs just as much as Flint and Waco. We may sound like THIS, but ouah toahnadoes ah just as significant as anywheah else.

[@4422michael]

Those houses you pointed out are definitely NOT parallel.

[@Y00nJin7]

It may have been random but I found it very interesting!

[@fluxerflixer1]

agree. Before U even said it I said it’s by the basketball hoops. The pic of destroyed buildings shows that foundation. Nice job.

[@fendergibs]

great detective work !

[@erniebennett4650]

Yes, MLK was Cannon Road. The road actually ran into the base, and for years after the name change the entrance to Robins AFB there was called the Cannon gate.

[@Knorkooli]

There is a more recent video where the guy set up his video camera in his upper level of his home and had the camera looking out the window to video the tornado. And the tornado did hit his home and he died in that tornado. The video is on KZbin.

[@kjpphotography4764]

Great research.

[@jessicamiller7385]

I went down a rabbit hole once. Nobody saw me for two days.

[@stargirl_forlife]

Pretty interesting. I live in WR .don't when was the last tornado we had but I definitely don't see em where I'm at .

[@evilwhitemamba]

i live 15min from robins afb and this was interesting to watch

[@Rhino1988]

Awesome! I actually lived here from 2011 to 2013. 143 Sinton place.

[@docdurdin]

Great detective work. Name could be Ruppert

[@bobbys4327]

On an Air Force Base: Airman, get out there and film that tornado.............NOW!

[@dianeadkins1281]

0:16 0:17 the Wizard of Oz tornado scene If the camera is still filming and not on the ground then the camera man is still alive holding the camera

[@HumanitySucks.]

70m years? i have a 76 yo grandpa and he was probably around 6 when it was filmed, thats crazy bro

[@goatnuts69]

How did u get the archives of google earth? Love the video, showed it to my cousin. ;)

[@tophee7462]

Not sure if this is true, but from the research I did online, I found that this video was taken by Sgt. Lewis Prochniak, who did exist and lived on that base in 1953 and was a film enthusiast. The reason why the video lifts up at the end is because he dived back into his house to avoid being hurt. He and his family did in fact survive though.

[@The_Conspiracy_Analyst]

Based film enthusiast

[@hauntedshadowslegacy2826]

I mean, fair. It's kinda hard to hold a camera steady when your mind is screaming 'oh fck oh sht oh fck oh shit-'

[@ItsWaffleTime]

I just found this too with an old newspaper article to go along with it! Happy ending to the film story after all!

[@rachaelramos]

​@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826or "oh f**k this s**t" lol

[@imthenoob990]

He did die I looked it up

[@laurahemenway8072]

So good to see this video. It was my Grandfather I. Lewis Prochniak who filmed this tornado on his camera in 1953. I just showed the footage to my Mom who was there that day and warned her parents of the tornado. She was washing the dishes. Grandpa went out to film the storm, just sure it would turn away. It did not. At the last moment he dove into the military row home. My mom was under a bed with a dachshund named Fritzee. Happy to say none of them died that day. :)

[@bobcat24]

God bless your family ❤

[@XxAngejoxX]

cap

[@ramonz5917]

RIP Lewis Prochniak (1911-1992)

[@zach2382]

@@XxAngejoxX Nope looked up the name is real

[@zach2382]

@@XxAngejoxX One of the most common questions I come across in almost every case I’ve covered is a simple one: Did the legend really happen? After all, history without truth is just a lie that grows into a legend. Later, some poor researcher, like myself, has to come around and try to set the record straight. With that said, every chance I get to do a historical piece on Warner Robins, I’m super glad to do it. Warner Robins is a relatively young city, basically (seriously in a nutshell) being a product of the second World War. Before the base, it was simply farmland. This is why you’ll hear stories from people as young as 30 say "I remember when this road was a dirt road,” or "man, this town sure has grown since I was little.” All of that is true, because it has. It grew fast, so fast that any history before is basically, well, lost. There is one major event that did happen in 1953, however, that some would argue changed the course of Warner Robins forever. In May of that year, a string of powerful tornadoes would ravish the military town. One of the tornados, which was a category EF-4, REALLY did some damage. What’s crazy is the fact that it was caught on video. That is where our legend begins. It is said that the man who filmed this video actually died while filming it, and his death is shown as the video cuts off. Making it the second known film to ever record a death on American Soil. So, we ask, did Vince Rupert (the supposed man behind the film) die while filming the tornado footage in Warner Robins? Here’s the truth. Now, it’s unfair to answer this question without giving you the original source of the rumor. A KZbin video by the channel "Swegle Studios” posted a video about this subject and it has actually garnered over a quarter million views. You can certainly tell they are not from this area, as he calls it Hews-ton County, and not House-ton County. Either way, in this video (which you can find here kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmHEiJ6neNqVbqc) they show the footage in question and actually set out to prove or debunk it. They used some of the very same tools I use in my research. In fact I was quite impressed. Please, when you get the time you should check out the video. It led me down a rabbit hole, finding out that this rumor has been around for quite a while. Nonetheless, let’s get to the facts. As they point out in their research, Vince Rupert never existed. I checked everywhere I could check as well. I even went further than find-a-grave and used ancestry.com, along with the favorite newspaper.com, and still nothing. It looks like they did a spot-on job. That’s not where this case ends, however. Because now the question is, who filmed it, and did THEY in fact die while doing so? That’s where I step in, and I have an advantage called hindsight. Others have done research on the subject since the video was posted, and I really didn’t have to look far. As it turns out, a man named Sgt. Lewis Prochniak filmed the video. He did indeed survive the event. So much so that he went on to actually sell the footage, which is why we are able to see it. In a strange way, we owe him a thank you for this rare historical footage. I Found the newspaper article with him and his film in Black and White from the page stormtrack.org/.../1953-warner-robins-tornado.../ if you so chose to read up on the subject. So, there you have it. A prime example of why you should always research ideas, and beliefs before jumping headfirst into them. This story, to me, was still uncanny and worth a visit! This is the latest post on my website haunted-history.org which displays everything I’ve ever published, outside of "Houston’s History Files.” If you’re familiar with my site and page, you’ll notice some subtle differences, with one big difference. It’s now "Middle Georgia’s History Uncovered” and it’s growing! Next, on Houston’s History Files, what’s the big deal about that rock wall? Find out next time!

[@sammyday3341]

The man who filmed this was Sgt. Lewis Prochniak of Minnesota. At the end of the film he dives into his home. He, his wife, and two children survived without injury. The ‘Vincent Rupert’ name is fictional and started as a rumor. Sgt. Prochniak passed away in Minnesota in 1992 and the obituary shows him holding his favorite camera. There are newspaper clippings about his famous film. It’s an easy Google search if you want to learn more. At 6:17, I see an elevated water tower directly ahead of the cameraman. The tower survived the storm so it would show in subsequent aerial photos of the area.

[@numbersstationsarchive194]

The name "Vince Rupert" comes from people mishearing the narrator saying "it's rumoured", at 2:09.

[@Mike-e1h1z]

Right on...glad someone finally took a moment to set the record straight on this. Even the local weather service in Warner Robbins 'took the rumor at it's word' as recently as two years ago, having actually put the name Vince Rupert on their website and stating that he was killed during the filming. Then I saw the newspaper article about Sgt. Prochinak which was dated 3 months after the storm. Either way no reflection on the guy who made this presentation, for he is top notch and I enjoy everything he publishes about tornadoes, including this video.

[@tardismole]

As an archeaologist, you are trained to look for what we call "crop marks". These are patches or lines in grass and other vegetation that are either stunted or discoloured as a result of changes in the depth of the soil. Go back to the 10:57 photo of the elementary school and you can find several of these in the grass, especially the area at the back of the school. Also, going in from the 'bit of old road' along the side. Look in towards the school and you can clearly see a long patch of dry/dead grass under the tree at 11:21. That, in my experience, is where the old road went between the apartments.

[@chellefell1331]

Not only depth of soil, but soil depletion. Hence trouble growing things....

[@tardismole]

@@chellefell1331 That's true but not applicable to the subject of archaeology.

[@velvetbees]

This explains why some public places have those areas that grass never grows well on. Something caused an old structure to be removed. Then whatever was there affects the area for a long time unless somebody pays to have it radically landscaped.

[@tardismole]

@@velvetbees Yes. The grass would still be slightly different for the surrounding grass, even if you robbed the foundations out. The chemicistry of the soil had been permanently altered.

[@hinachan70]

@@AllHijinksNoHighDinks Dang that was a pretty cool read!

[@Cutter-jx3xj]

My grandmother had a diner in waco in 53. Her and my dad were there when the tornado hit.My dad said there was a man sitting at the counter when someone called and told granny the tornado was headed right at them. She hung phone up and told everyone that they had to take cover. The guy at the counter jumped up and. Exited the building. Just as it hit. His body was found 8 blocks away by the Brazos river. The outside walls collapsed inward on the diner and everything except the cooler was totaled. That was where everyone had taken cover. The tornado went on down and thru one of the poorest parts of waco

[@SwegleStudios]

Oh wow. Im glad your family was okay. The picture of the ALICO building surrounded by debris is insane.

[@Cutter-jx3xj]

She was 2 blocks from there. The area farther down was just poor peoples shacks. It demolished the entire area. I lived in Waco 9 yrs. Until 2 yrs ago and i walked the area several times. There used to be photos of her diner online.

[@Porsche4life]

@@Cutter-jx3xj do you know the name of the diner? I lived in Waco for a few years and I was always intrigued with its history

[@EdsterIII]

@@Cutter-jx3xj 🌪Tornado🌪alley or whatever they call it is a ruthless and sometimes deadly stretch. I live more north. Up by Minnesota, just south east. We got nailed by a F-2, F-3, I am not 100% sure of the classification of it. All I know is it killed. Back then we lived in a more serious and dangerous area for storms. We had a farm across the street. His fields stretched way out. He lived next door with his wife who BTW was a nurse. They were both first responders as well. It hit hard and fast. I can remember standing in the driveway by the front porch leaning against the outside living room wall. A wind gust whipped by and some pebbles flew up and pegged my face. I looked off to the right of the porch and black ominous clouds stacked moving, rotating. It looked alive. Then a tail popped out and slowly weaved it's way to the ground. It went from a thin swaying Hula back and forth to a thick, debris filled monster. I felt a hand on my collar. My Dad yanked me back and yelled GET IN THE F**KING HOUSE NOW! I watched from inside as it turned away from us, went across the field away from our homes. Sadly it didn't miss a trailer park. A man's child was thrown as his trailer was split in half. They found him after an half hour to an hour of searching. For those who joke, make ha ha comments, think being a troll is "fun"? What if your kid brother, or your parents, or what if your STASH got destroyed. These are not jokes! These people who lived through these horrific events are braver than we'll ever know. I am so sorry for all whose families were hurt, or worse by these storms. I pray that the can design a faster system to warn people before the storms are on top of them. Be safe, take care and God Bless!

[@aaronumbergerau]

I grew up in Waco and was always mesmerized by the stories people told about that tornado. I remember seeing all the pictures of what Waco looked like before the tornado and I feel like the town never rebuilt to where it was before the 50's.

[@cdavis7255]

My mother was 12 when the tornado went through Warner Robins. She still remembers how it sounded like a train and her mother yelling her name sounded like it was in a tunnel. The location of the Ziegler apartments later became off base housing and they were torn down in the 90’s. The school you show was a military school. The town now owns the land and the homes there now are DoD contract homes. I need to go check out the locations of the slabs you showed. I never realized they were foundation from the Ziegler Apts. Thank you.

[@rdfox76]

For the record, it turns out that the Corn, OK, footage actually *isn't* the oldest film of a real tornado. There's newsreel footage of one that hit in Cuba in the mid-1930s that Thomas Grazulis managed to dig up--it's included in Tornado Video Classics 2, as a correction to his referencing the Corn footage as the oldest in TVC 1.

[@borealacrobat3998]

Where did you find this? And where can i see it?

[@paulcarpenter7844]

Heard about this

[@Steven_Andreyechen]

@@borealacrobat3998 kzbin.info/www/bejne/npraqWyPd9l1j6s

[@winkelauditions]

Where in Cuba was it?!

[@ExtraQuestionableContent]

I managed to find it, for people who are looking its called "See a Tornado... In Safety!" or just type in Cuba Tornado 1933

[@mr16325]

There’s a newspaper that states the man who filmed the tornado is named Lewis Prochniak and he survived

[@KingofGamingAndTrains456]

Did it say say anything about him having minor injuries or recovering in a hospital?

[@itisamystery.5090]

@@KingofGamingAndTrains456 The newspaper article only directly states his family were uninjured, I believe. There's no specific mention of him being hurt during this, at the least, but that's all we have to go on.

[@benjaminraymundo6711]

@@itisamystery.5090 he did all that research and you go… no this article says… and didn’t even give an article

[@itisamystery.5090]

@@benjaminraymundo6711 No, I answered the question― whether or not he was injured has nothing to do with anyone's research. It changes nothing the OP said. It takes less that one minute to find it on your own. Enter the man's name in Google, boom, there's the article. As it is, KZbin has begun to flag any URL I input as spam almost automatically.

[@benjaminraymundo6711]

@@itisamystery.5090 hmm i guess

[@paranoidfungi]

As someone from Warner Robins, it's so weird hearing KZbinrs talk about it let alone know it exists lmao

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

Just like M&Ms, it does exist

[@Mt.KilaManJarod]

Warner Robins has a significant base. Or I may just think that

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

@@Mt.KilaManJarod its very significant now, we just got a new base commander & it was just named the new strategic command center! I have lived here 5 yrs & love it but i used to live not far from here {East Dublin} back in 1986-1990 {I was raised in north Georgia} GO DAWGS, BACK 2 BACK CHAMPIONS!!!

[@devin1820ify]

Ain't it.. nobody talks about us lol

[@maximushd9637]

Fr

[@laurie7689]

The tornado film was supposedly taken by Sgt. Lewis Prochniak in his backyard, not Vince Rupert. It was from an article that came out after this video was made. On another note and a sad one at that: The gravesite on the website mentioned in the vid for that of Mrs. Minnie Lee (Tippett) Mixon mentions how she was a grandmother and taking care of her granddaughter, Marie Annette Tydings on the day of the tornado. They were both killed together with the granddaughter in her grandmother's arms. Note too, that quite of few a the persons killed and listed in the paper column were children. Furthermore, Capt. Nicholas Vasile appears to be buried in [Correction: Indiana] after having died on May 1, 1953, the day that the paper listed his death if you look at some of the other articles next to the list, so he probably died early that morning from injuries obtained in the tornado. [One correction to what I previously posted: Vasile was buried in Indiana, NOT Mississippi. I had been looking at somebody unrelated to the tornado when I mistakenly typed the MS location.]

[@kristinxox]

I find his research to be so interesting. Not only what he finds but the fact that he takes the time to do it.

[@clintmullins8670]

Yes. I just stumbled across today like And subscribe

[@ZepyhrLight]

@@clintmullins8670 me too :D

[@ZAKU-GD]

why do you comment like this is not his channel.... smh like your approving his content?! come chick seriously?! bro

[@anarchistatheist1917]

I remember seeing a video of a man filming a tornado tossing debris around the outside of his house in fritch texas until he was struck by lightning and he continued filming until he was knocked unconscious by debris being tossed around the inside of his home then he filmed the aftermath after the tornado left the area of his home. So it's possible to survive filming a tornado from close proximity.

[@DanielMaverick]

Do you have the link?

[@SlapStyleAnims]

Link?

[@onehundredpicks5531]

@@DanielMaverick i remember seeing this on youtube i can confirm it exists but i have also been looking for it for years

[@canadey97]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqCalGhsd9Fnm5Y

[@licechrispies]

It exists kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpCYhaemfrR_qrc

[@austinkub2337]

As someone who lives in the central GA area, 2 things: 1. It's actually Houston (How-stun) county lol 2. I've always wondered where exactly that tornado went through ever since I saw pictures of it in a history book about the town.

[@InstantAce]

Came to the comments just to leave a comment about the pronunciation of Houston

[@sams9185]

This is really interesting. I've lived here (Warner Robins) all my life and never heard of this or seen this video (that I can recall). You did a ton of research on this -- great work. I use to live maybe 1 minute from that area. I may drive by there today, now that I know this. (Side note: Houston County is pronounced as "How-ston") Thanks for covering this!

[@SwegleStudios]

I had no idea it was pronounced "How-ston" Thanks for letting me know!

[@Snowstar837]

I'm from Georgia and I didn't know that either 😂 guess I'm too far north!

[@ArakDBlade]

@@Snowstar837 We got too many dang counties. Can't know how to say them all (I didn't know it was pronounced that way either...)

[@AshtonKilgore8237]

THANK YOU FOR CLAIRIFYING! I live in Houston Texas and was super thrown off to see "Houston medical center"

[@The901meister]

There's also a street in Atlanta spelled Houston and pronounced "How ston".

[@FUBAR1986]

As a retired Navy guy it’s nice to see someone be able to use pictures in Maps and do comparative studies and the homework you did to find this location. I know the air wing of all branches of service would certainly be interested in you being a part of their branch. Your skills are excellent keep up the great work as always peace love and joy to you and yours

[@BAFLOD]

Look chief, indoc is for boots, let's keep the Einsteins where they are. We've got plenty of wool to choose from.

[@dylantaylor8389]

@@BAFLOD this isn’t 1975. Half the nerds that get recruited are flattening neighborhoods with drones being flown from a trailer parked some place in Arizona. When they get done for the day they head for a mocha frappe and then home.

[@jasonhendrickson1086]

Something tells me you were not actually in the navy. What this guy did was simple Google searches and compared images. Any GIS intro course would demand more than this... 😆

[@electrictroy2010]

Obviously the military would provide additional training & higher resolution spy satellites for their image analyzers

[@AllHijinksNoHighDinks]

What about people who actually solve the mystery? The actual creator of the footage, Lewis Prochniak, survived - as did his family (but not his home entirely). I uploaded an image of a newpaper clipping describing the ordeal: i.imgur.com/dBmqhGy.png Where's my job offer?

[@gregblair7144]

I found this very interesting because I was raised in Warner Robins and my mom who was born in 1947 was 6 years old and lived in Zeigler apartments when the tornado hit in 1953. My family on my mom's side lived and some still live in Warner Robins to the present. day. So I asked my mom about it and she has a actual newspaper clipping with an article about the 1953 Tornado with pictures if you are interested in seeing it.

[@benitoplaza2449]

My great grandfather was I. Lewis Prochniak! Thanks for the great video- really interesting stuff. Glad to report the photographer made it out in one piece!

[@asisofthunder]

Born and raised in Warner Robins, Ga. My grandparents talk about this tornado all the time. Grandpa was station here and retired here. So scary to see this!

[@1166crash]

Robins has grown up a ton

[@harrisonwalls8570]

From Dublin, Wartown resident 💪

[@ksis86]

From WR too, ive never heard about this one. Crazy

[@harrisonwalls8570]

@@ksis86 legit. Didn't search the video either

[@snoodlebug1800]

I’m from Warner Robins! Thanks for the effort you put into this informative video. We hardly get any tornadoes nowadays, especially not very destructive ones, so it’s hard to believe the one in 1953 happened in Warner Robins!

[@ewokoniad2396]

There was a f3 that hit here this year, just south of the base

[@snoodlebug1800]

@@ewokoniad2396 Yes! My mom had to grab the guinea pigs and take shelter!

[@derekhartman9970]

@@ewokoniad2396 That tornado did quite a bit of damage to our neighborhood. Fortunately, it only hit the very south-eastern part of the neighborhood.

[@stenamathison6054]

@@derekhartman9970 I live in the neighborhood you’re talking about. The house that got completely destroyed is behind my house. Over the golf course. That day was so scary

[@Tankrat73]

Really I don't remember hearing that there was alot of damage

[@stacyrussell460]

So sad for this person. May they rest in peace. Amazing how clear the footage is given the age of the film.

[@blackhawksnbullsncubsnbear4615]

I don't know if you've seen, but people have done more research on the guy. His real name was Lewis Prochniak, not Vince Rupert. I would also like to report that Sgt. Prochniak actually survived the tornado, as did his wife and 2 children who were also there.

[@MKPrive]

Impressive level of research, and fascinating to see footage so old. I’d be curious if you could find some addresses from building plans of the era to match with the building footprints and maybe cross reference the census records? Maybe that could provide some insight into the name of the man filming (assuming he was a resident).

[@protipskiptoendofvideoandr286]

There is a newspaper about this. The man survived amd gave the exact location he was standimg

[@CherryBun0325]

@@protipskiptoendofvideoandr286 I want to read that.. 🥺

[@kitdoesstufflmao]

@@protipskiptoendofvideoandr286 is the newspaper available online?

[@demetriusjohnson5358]

bro i cannot believe you are the same person as the dead man walking tornado video you made!

[@Pdasilva0324]

Stuff like this is one of my "hobbies" you could say. Like you, I have spent hours I should be sleeping going down these rabbit holes. Former disaster sites, accident sites, or just places lost to time but somehow lingering around making their presence known in a completely different era just fascinates me. There are the sites of a couple former amusement parks around me in Columbus, OH that I have done some of that "remnant exploring" and have found a few things. Same with other old buildings, rail and transit infrastructure, and a former air force base that has been almost completely overtaken by commercial development over the last 20+ years. While most is gone, there will almost always be remnants of the past if one looks hard enough

[@nescafe5308]

Very cool. What's the most interesting thing you have come across so far?

[@SoCal780]

I have always been very impressed with your investigative skills, they are truly remarkable. I wouldn’t be surprised if the FBI, some other law enforcement agency, or even say a television documentary production company contacted you for some kind of position requiring your skills. Your videos are always very interesting and informative and I always look forward to your next one. Keep it up, our country needs people like you. On a side note, I have been a member of Find A Grave for well over 10 years now and I have many family members who are memorialized there.

[@SwegleStudios]

Thanks so much! I've spent a lot of time connecting my family on Find a Grave. It's crazy how far back you can go.

[@curtis7599]

I see you everywhere. 😆 We are both truck drivers and now I see you on this tornado video.

[@curtis7599]

Yes. He is really good. He makes me want to do stuff like this as well.

[@SchlueterMan]

Excellent work from Swegle delving in to this. Though as many people have mentioned the man filming the tornado is Lewis Prochniak and he and his family managed to survive the tornado. It's very respectable what Swegle managed to find out with what he was given. He dug deep but in the wrong mound of dirt I guess lmao

[@michaelandcolinspop]

Cool video and nice sleuthing. I was stationed in Warner Robins from 1997-2000 and heard about that tornado from locals, but it’s definitely not memorialized the way some other towns, like Xenia, OH (ironically, the next town we lived in) remember killer storms. I lived further west toward I-75, but I know the area you found pretty well. I doubt there’s much of anything left from 1953, though. The one constant in that town, aside from the base, is expansion. The population growth there has been massive over the last 25 years.

[@michaeld9338]

My grandparents were part of the roughly 8000 people living in Warner Robins at the time. They shared stories with me of that day, but I have forgotten many of the details. It originally touched down on S Pleasant Hill Rd, where it leveled their friends' home. The cement slab and stairs from this home were visible there through the 90s. Here is a local news station remembering the event. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gX63fWmfnNGahrc

[@SwegleStudios]

Im definitely going to try and find that cement slab!

[@michaeld9338]

​@@SwegleStudios I just spent some time looking at satellite imagery. It's tough to tell where it was, but I believe it's the east side of the 400 block of the street. Right where S Pleasant Hill meets Bay St. I'll try to find it next time I'm in town

[@marcialynnukulele]

@@michaeld9338 I grew up right off Pleasant Hill Rd. I’ll have to check it out next time I head up there.

[@GuyFromTheSouth]

Imagine how much he could find out if he have access to government databases and resources too lol

[@Tankrat73]

It's crazy we haven't had any big tornadoes like that since then lol maybe because of the base

[@slider9675]

I watched the video of the guy filming it several years ago and also had read the the guy died while filming but never knew if he died or not. Great work my man!

[@SwegleStudios]

Thanks my man!

[@haydenverner5458]

The one in illinois Rochelle he lived but his wife and neighbor died

[@katherinelee313]

@@haydenverner5458 is that the one where he was in his attic?

[@haydenverner5458]

@@katherinelee313 I believe so or if not he was upstairs

[@peachxtaehyung]

@@katherinelee313 yes I think so because he was high up in the house so it would make sense that he's in the attic... And it's so weird that he's the one who survived because usually you hear that the lowest floor is best

[@deborahhuckstep2379]

If I remember my tornado history right, this is one of many pieces of footage that Dr Fujita did photogrammetry calculations on, to determine the F scale rating after the fact...in addition to studying photos of the damage. He also did this with the 1957 Fargo ND tornado too.

[@voiceofjeff]

Excellent work. This kind of thing interests me too. Looking at old maps, and comparing with contemporary maps. Seeing how things changed, and from where pictures might have been taken from. I'm currently working on a project of the history of radio stations in my area. Similar type of research and compilation. Enjoyed seeing your work. I do voice over professionally and I also liked your smooth narration style.

[@demetriusjohnson5358]

did you notice that the tornado was anticyclonic! very first tornado video! kinda crazy!

[@sk8ergirl182]

I’m from Georgia and used to live near WR so this was super interesting! I’ve never heard of this tornado. I love your channel because I’m both a tornado nerd and a map nerd so it’s always fun to see them both in your videos!

[@daeclipse03]

Great work as usual. Hope things are going good for you, keep the videos coming please your channel is very unique compared to so many other tornado channels.

[@SwegleStudios]

Thank you very much! Things are great but pretty busy!

[@BirdDawg-52]

My parents moved to Warner Robins, in 1953 after the tornado, I was 1 year old. We lived in the Zeigler apartments until about 1959 (The ones that survived of course) I remember as a kid of 6 or 7 walking by the foundations of the apartments that were wiped out and rubble that was piled up and left for years. I also remember the grown ups for years talked about the storm, but no more of course its been a long time, so it was kind of flash back when I saw the title of your video.

[@lucashaskins5536]

Interestingly enough, there are some foundation remnants and visible scars to buildings from the 1925 Tri State Tornado. If you walk the path of just about any violent tornado throughout history, you will almost certainly see scars if you know what to look for. Most often, the story is in unnatural looking trees. I have walked some of the path of the 1956 F5 tornado that devastated the Grand Rapids Mi area, and there are still chunks of metal and even a bicycle stuck in old trees.

[@Ty91681]

Are you aware of the Coffelt House in Alabama that is literally in the middle of the path of an ef4 tonardo during the 2019 outbreak but literally is the only thing left standing in the literal middle of the damage path? The aerial photos are shocking. I had no clue it existed until tonight. I'd love to hear your thoughts or see a video on it!

[@djbarker79]

It’s in Harris County, GA actually. Had a good friend take that photo. It was the same tornado as the one that hit Beauregard, AL in 2019, so you’re right on that one. Definitely would fit the MO of this guy’s work.

[@Ty91681]

@@djbarker79 my bad and thank you for the correction!

[@Ty91681]

@@djbarker79 you're also right about it fitting his MO on this channel. That's exactly why I had to ask. Shockingly enough, a YT search shows very little information on it. I'd have thought someone would have picked up on it and a handful of videos would already exist. It's def remarkable. That's also awesome your friend took the photo!

[@TheCcormier2]

Totally fascinating. My dad and I once located an old well in the woods (we were hoping it was full of old bottles) based off a 150 year old panoramic photo of the area. It was pretty satisfying to do the research and find the place!

[@joelewing4498]

+TheCcormier2: Did the well site ever produce anything interesting like you'd hoped? I'm old-school Nebraska farm-family guy, and I know all kinds of crap went down wells. Even more so were old outhouse dugouts. Guys in New York City have pulled out all kinds of cool bottles and valuable stuff from old outhouse sites. There is no smell, no germs, as way too much time has broken down all the waste and it's just dirt now, I understand. Still.....I think I'd wear heavy gloves and masks. But what fun to find cool old stuff from back in the day!

[@TheCcormier2]

@@joelewing4498 we never found anything as the well was filled in with rocks. This was maybe 15 years ago. The site remains untouched as far as I know, as it’s sitting in a marshy area in the woods of NH. Maybe I’ll make it back there one day. My dad lives like 2 minutes down the road.

[@shananagans5]

I love doing detective work like this. Great job!! One time I was looking at 1930s photos of car crashes. There was one in Chicago where the car had knocked out a chunk of a concrete wall. The photo gave the street name so there wasn't lots of work required to find the spot but the wall still had the chunk missing.

[@jaimiebanks3179]

Whoa. I used to live in Warner Robins! Cool video! Also Houston is pronounced house-ton. Not like Houston, TX.

[@pattymiles2688]

Hey just so you know- all of us from Warner Robins, Ga pronounce Houston county like this: “ house-ton” not Houston as in Texas. My mother and father and older sister lived in the Ziegler apartments at that time and were in that Tornado. My mother was terrified of thunderstorms from then on- fearing they could develop into a tornado…. She was definitely scared as a result. The Ziegler apartments were located off base.

[@robdixson196]

Those buildings were WW2 era barracks. The thing about those buildings is they were thrown up in a big hurry during the huge ramp up of the military for WW2. As a result they weren't particularly well built. When i was in the Army in the early 90's there were a few such buildings still being used I am sure they are all long gone by now.

[@deliaguzman1138]

I like how you try to find the exact spots where things happened or were filmed from. It’s fascinating!

[@chriscurtis1578]

Thought that was a really interesting video bro! I actually took a pic of a large funnel cloud coming home from work a couple of weeks ago. At first I thought it was just a funnel looking cloud but when I saw lightning was coming out of the side of the funnel I immediately took a picture of it and then looked at the radar and sure enough a small hook was trying to develop. I sent the picture along with a screen shot of the radar to a friend I grew up with in west Nashville who works for Channel 2 News and the insane thing was he and his daughter were actually chasing the thing haha! It never touched down but it was still very exciting and a little nerve racking at the same time.

[@colbygarciamusic]

I was raised and still live in Warner Robins. My great grandparents lived in the Ziegler Apartment's that no longer exist. My great grandfather "Shorty" was A WW2 veteran, Him and my great grandmother "Alberta" both worked on the base. My mother and grandma have always told me the story of how they outran the tornado. They had both my aunts in the car with them as they fled. The apartment's over from where they had lived were flattened. The story still amazes me everytime its brought up during a conversation in my family. Thanks for the video!

[@hannahpchism]

I know you probably have lots of tornado content in the works, but I would also love to see you cover hurricanes too! Good work-one of my new fav channels 😊

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

I still believe that the "Wizard of Oz" tornado remains the most authentic portrayal of a real tornado in film history. Apparently, they used a stocking to film the shots.

[@AnnaHerrick]

I am a 70 year old remnant! Nothing more!