Hesston Kansas F5 Tornado 3-13-1990

[@alexdillard6188]

Amazing! Probably the first time an F-5 tornado's destructive power was so vividly captured on film. Incredible motion in those vortexes.

[@jboettgerboring]

It's not a house at 2:33, it's a massive factory. This tornado was so huge it makes an enormous building like that look like a little house.

[@jalenstimes7452]

I'm really surprised to hear an actual roar of a tornado. It does sound like a waterfall. Props to the guy for not screaming at the top of his lungs unlike other "storm chasers".

[@brianmears3388]

This wasn't the only F5 tornado of 1990. That same August, a powerful F5 would strike Plainfield, Illinois without warning, due to radar issues. This one killed 29 people.

[@MesoStorm]

This guy is incredibly calm. The sound this tornado makes is ridiculous... so much damage.

[@bmedic2082]

People can actually film a tornado without screaming at the top of their lungs, cussing and generally freaking the F out?!! Great video! I like watching tornado videos but usually have to hit mute because I can't stand all the yelling. It was nice to hear the sound of the tornado for once!! Thanks for posting this video.

[@bloggulator]

At 2.45 or so, there's a structure (perhaps a water tower?) right in the path of the tornado - it was still standing after the tornado passed thru, while everything else around it was pulverized. Great job on the camera!

[@karenrosario3345]

I was at Hesston College in the building closest to the train tracks. The Hesston tornado of 3/13/1990 demolished everything on the other side of those tracks. Talk about changing your perspective on life.

[@cubby091398]

Probably among the most intense tornadoes in Kansas history.

[@karenrosario3345]

Definitely humbling to see the aftermath, and clean it up!

[@26michaeluk]

I remember this from my first ever tornado documentary. On it they freeze it to show the multiple vortexis and at 2:32 on this video on the right side of the tornado it shows 30,000 tons of some kind of concrete being picked up. This was the example of the F5 tornado and damage on the documentary.

[@soulprophet01]

Tornadoes make all sorts of sounds. Some of 'em make almost no sound at all, some sound like a waterfall, some like a freight train. Some of them even make a sort of whining sound. Depends on what sort of terrain it's passing over, how intense it is, how large it is, etc.

[@DANCEMONKEEBOY]

That is amazing footage for 1990 the video cams just came out around that Year looks like it went right thru town wow

[@jscottcurrier]

I had the audio turned off because I figured there would be yelling and screaming, I turned it up for the heck of it and was pleasantly surprised that there was none. I could actually hear what the tornado sounded like. It does sound like a waterfall. None of the sounds of whatever it was ripping up made it to the cam corder. I wonder how far that tornado was from the camera? This guy was good, very good. We need more like him.

[@GuravyGurl]

Homes were flattened, and half a block over, practically no damage. My husband was that close when it hit. There were a few holes in the screen door, 4 houses down, the roof was off a house, a few houses away from that, total devastation! The headquarters for Mennonite Disaster Service were ironically destroyed, but rebuilt, and tons of local volunteers got working right away!

[@SupernalOne]

What horrifies me is at 2:00 when unrecognizable stuff (trees? houses?) start getting uprooted and pulled into the trailing circulation, stuff that's not touched by the visible funnel is still within the whirling column of air, and it's drawn irresistably into the vortex and shredded

[@ArchTeryx00]

That's a classic example of why "Do Not Touch The Funnel Cloud" is not reality. Tornadic circulation can extend *way* outward from the condensation funnel, and then you have RFD and inflow jets on top of that - and then you always have the chance the thing starts farting out satellites well outside the circulation. With a monster like this, you can't take anything for granted. The cameraperson was lucky.

[@t4705mb6]

Looks like the class 5 that hit our house when I was a kid. My house was totally destroyed - half of it sucked up ... vanished - and over 80 people were killed - 8 of our neighbors. I still have nightmares.

[@soad2rox]

you can still hear birds chirping in the background lol

[@brianmears3388]

The appearance of this tornado is very scary.

[@GuravyGurl]

My husband was in his parent's basement in Hesston, his dad having made it back from Kropf Lumber just before it hit. They exited their house after it had passed and watched it move northeast. Surprisingly there were only two deaths, probably from the F5 with which it merged NE of Hesston. Thankfully it did not hit the large retirement community, and the college, although many people lost their homes.

[@vanni9283]

Is Kropf Lumber where all the powdered cement got sucked into the funnel?

[@fredthompson7465]

Good job filming that with old 1990 cam tacnology. Thank for staying calm durring the recording

[@soulprophet01]

It was actually a mile and a half wide as it crossed I-65. Several of the tornadoes that day were mile-plus wide monsters.

[@Beauty4Aspies]

It sounds just like a waterfall for a tornado THAT big. You'd've thought that it'd be a huge jet engine or a freight train.

[@chimayai]

that was a horrifying day.

[@nenblom]

Great filming!

[@sunlitweb]

That is some incredible and very sad footage.

[@bristowboy20]

Most chasers I know do compare them to waterfalls.

[@Renfurrer]

Wow! This video is simply incredible!

[@fredthompson7465]

GEZZZZZZZZ you can hear the demolishing of that neighborhood MAN Natures terrible!

[@TheMightykaz]

Seemed to gain strength at 1:59

[@buzz385]

Beautiful video. TVN is too big and good to take comments on their videos or even on their website. So thank you for your great videos and letting me show my appreciation.

[@buzz385]

Beautiful, awesome video and sound capture. At about 3;02 to 3:09 I saw what looked like a large four legged animal on the left side. I hope not though. Very terrible. Must have been humbling to witness. Thanks for sharing.

[@GuravyGurl]

A large dumpster got lifted from the lumber yard, and was never found...

[@FaintAura]

What was that being demolished at 2:33?

[@26michaeluk]

Yep, I mentioned that a couple pages back on the comments. I remember because it was on a tornado documentary I had watched when I was very young. This was the example of the an F5 tornado and multiple vortex tornado

[@mario927265]

man the roar of the tornado is so loud it hurts my ears

[@CladCoin]

Amazing footage !!!

[@vanni9283]

@TheMightykaz It was beginning to wreak havoc on huge cement factory at that point.

[@26michaeluk]

Awesome to know. Thanks

[@Maryanne247]

So that is what a tornado sounds like

[@deaththekidsgirl1030]

When my mom was in college, she helped clean up Heston

[@kdolo100]

I enjoyed that documentary. Wish somebody would upload it again.

[@26michaeluk]

It is tons and tons of powdered cement.

[@Amanwithoutaface112]

that storm appeared to be several hundred yards wide

[@buzz385]

Great job. Thanks for not yelling and cussing like so many do. Beautiful video and sound.I feel for anyone in it's way. At 3:09 i thought i saw a big four legged animal on the left side but it was too big at that distance. Great video

[@ElGallo32PR]

I think I saw the same thing this guy saw .It look like a COW SLAMMED INTO THE GROUND BY THE TORNADO !

[@bransonlights]

Massive. Totally would not be in the path of that if it could be helped. Trees being plucked off the earth like feathers. Too freaky for me.

[@Jett_thebuilder]

Cool! I like it!

[@DarkSamusMan]

I'm pretty late to this party here, but at 3:06 that is not a animal, if it was a animal it would be nonexistent because of the debris...

[@ELY3M]

No, Andover tornado happened on April 26th 1991.

[@thelunknownl]

What's wrong with a black tornado?

[@CladCoin]

I agree.

[@Amanwithoutaface112]

wow what a Monster !

[@MunchieMcGee97]

epic tornado its really big

[@stupidweirdo1]

wow!!!

[@Mr_Venison]

@gamerman123456789 You know there are tornados that can be more than a mile wide right?

[@TechnoGuy11]

The wind speed and amount of destruction are insane.

[@Beauty4Aspies]

Whoa, I was expecting it 2 sound like a freight train! This one sounds like waterfalls.

[@joeattack847]

impressive :P

[@AdylioMello]

esse ae é o saci vindo! hehehe

[@BigChap64]

yeah, the one in Tuscaloosa was nearly a mile wide!

[@kellywilson-lawson1857]

wait a second 3-13-1990 that was when my brother was born O_O

[@GuravyGurl]

Happy 25th birthday to your brother!

[@Chrtopher19999999]

omg

[@lacilove22]

At about 3:07 if you look very closely you can see either a cow or horse being picked up and at 3:11 it is slammed down. Look closely.

[@deningunaparte4849]

PowerFull😮

[@BarchettaValveAmp]

Now. Invest in a tripod !!!

[@MiddleofNowhereGirl]

Cow? I see no cow

[@MultiAnimalChannel]

Its black cause of the amount of stuff being sucked up into it and thats bad

[@vampireklaus]

ces la main de dieux

[@TheEljash]

Gods power