Tornado Warning (2002) Movie Script

- [Female Reporter]
Again, the power is out.
- [Male Reporter] We have
tornado warnings in effect
throughout Oklahoma.
On the radar now are thunderstorms
in several of the central counties.
These include Cleveland,
Rainey, Kingfisher,
Logan, Lane, and (mumbles)
(piano music)
(thunder rumbling)
(wind rustling)
- Looks like it's about 10 knots.
No sign of any (mumbles)
- This one's moving in
the opposite direction.
- Look mommy, I'm a bird.
- What kind of bird honey?
- Like the bluejays flying overhead.
- Well you just keep the
weather eye out, Captain.
- Don't fly away.
- You know at breakfast this morning,
she told me she wanted to be a scientist,
like her mother.
- Oh (laughs)
- That's right.
Temperature's dropped five degrees.
- Hmm.
- If I'm right, it's gonna
start right over there.
Dee, Dee, you get in the car
right now, get in the car.
- Let's get out of here now.
- Yeah, just give me
another 10 seconds, okay.
- No!
- Get in the car.
(wind howling)
- Mommy.
Mommy!
- Ahhh!
- No!
(screaming)
- Mommy, where are you?
- Careful, Steven,
my jacket's about to
become mocha latte brown.
- Sorry, but if this guy's for
real, it's be well worth it.
- Forget about being real,
just some great storm
footage of folks in distress
pandering to get high ratings.
- There are certain tornadic
supercell signatures
that can be detected
with more accuracy now
but that's just a part
of the Arledge system,
because without new methods
of processing information
the Federal Aviation Administration's
Terminal Doppler Weather Radar,
obviously a step in the right direction
but quite frankly it's not enough.
- It's time.
- Ah, my assistant
informs me that we're now
five minutes away from set down
so let's just cut to the chase.
About 75% of the tornado warnings
issued by the National Weather
Service are false alarms
so people have just gotten in
the habit of ignoring them.
The NWA would like to
have that down to 40%
by the year 2005.
I believe the Arledge system
can cut it to 10%, this year.
Dr Arledge, you actually
believe that an F5
is going to set down here
in just a few minutes.
Aren't we all in danger?
- You're always in danger
when the weather's like this.
Right now that's primarily
because you never know
when the tornado's gonna hit, or where.
Entire streets of homes can be wiped out
in a matter of seconds,
hundreds of people killed,
thousands of people made homeless.
The cost of fixing the damage
can cripple a town for years.
My invention can't do much
about all that property damage
but it can save those lives.
- That's a very ambitious goal, doctor.
- Ah, yesterday I sent
you all a prediction of
the exact time, course
and strength of a tornado
that would set down precisely five miles
beneath our present position.
So ladies and gentlemen if
you will train your cameras
on the plane below us here,
we should see a funnel
begin to form at any moment.
- Maybe it's just a real small tornado.
(laughter)
- Now all wait just a minute.
- Dr Arledge, can you tell
us, what happened here today?
Well folks it looks
like you'll just have to
keep on depending on your local news
for those tornado warnings for a while.
I'm Kirt Reid with Eye of the Storm.
Cut.
- Dee, this is our chance,
are we going for it or what?
- Why bother, he's hanging
himself fine without our help.
(suspenseful music)
- [Kirt] Aren't we all in danger?
- You're always in danger
when the weather's like this.
Right now that's primarily
because you never know when the
tornado's gonna hit or where.
- Yes sir, I have it right here.
As soon as it gets in.
Yes.
(TV chatter)
(keyboard clicking)
We're on again.
- Those vultures picked all
the meat off my old bones.
- Got a couple of messages.
- Yeah, any of them worth returning?
- The Dean, the Board, Kirt Reid.
He wants another interview,
if you can believe it.
- Well this time he'll
probably just offer me a knife
and ask if it wouldn't be
too much trouble for me
to cut my own throat for his audience.
- Jake, I know we can
get the system to work
but right now...
- Look, it's been a long week.
Why don't you just take some time off?
I need to be alone, see if I
can get this thing figured out.
- It's not your only problem.
OAM's frozen your grant.
- Oh my god, did you get your check?
- No, I was too late.
- (sigh) alright, look,
I can get you some cash with my plastic
for the time being.
- Well this month sure,
but what about next month?
My car's in the shop.
- Here.
- Well what's this?
- It's a pink slip to the other van.
- I'll take it,
but only as a form of collateral
until OAM comes through,
and you can pay me real money.
- (laughs) deal.
- This should have worked.
- I know (sigh)
(ringing)
- [Dr Arledge] 75% of the
tornado warnings issues by the
National Weather Service are false alarms
so people have just gotten in
the habit of ignoring them.
- Dr Arledge you actually
believe that an F5
will set down here in just a few minutes.
Aren't we all in danger?
- He didn't predict an F5, you doofus.
- Are you saying that Kirt Reid
doesn't know what he's talkin' about?
- Kirt Reid is a two-bit storm chaser
who wouldn't know an F5 from an F plus.
- What's an F plus?
- The grade he got
in his high school
science classes (laughs)
- You should be watching this Dee.
Kirt Reid may be an
idiot, but he's an idiot
with a local show that's
nationally syndicated.
People love this guy.
- Maybe people watch his show
just to see how ridiculous
he can get from week to week.
- Look Mazur, here's the real scoop.
You keep telling me you don't
just wanna be a weather girl,
that you want to get out in the field
and become a real reporter
but to do that you need to
understand that a reporter's job,
first and foremost is
to serve the station.
- Mm hmm.
- You're a little too long in the tooth
to still be hanging on
to these college ideals.
- I'm idealistic just because I believe
in being accurate Dad?
- It's like this.
Kirt Reid knows what the public
wants, they love disgrace.
And I'm betting Kirt
Reid's out there right now
gettin' the dirt on this Arledge guy.
- Jake Arledge is washed up.
That system of his was never gonna work.
Now the whole world knows it.
- Which is why he's hot right now.
Look, if Kirk wants him, let's
beat him to the punch, okay?
Or I'll get someone else who will.
Is that weather clear enough for you?
- What a beautiful day.
- Did you forget something?
- Dr Arledge?
- Yeah.
- I didn't mean to startle you.
My name's Mark Scott.
- Well please go away,
I'm not doing interviews.
- Uh, do you remember me?
That's okay I think I
was 12 last time we met.
- You knew my daughter.
- Yes, yes, yeah I liked her a lot.
- Yeah I remember,
you were the kid with the torn blue jeans,
used to come by the house and
drive me crazy with questions.
- The very same, but don't worry
I'm not gonna ask you
any dumb questions now.
I'm working with Dr
Fletcher, I'm a grad student
at the UFO's Weather Center.
So I know a little bit more
about tornado's now (laughs)
- Fletcher send you over
here with a knife, a gun
or just a small painful poison?
- Uh, no, no.
Actually Dr Fletcher
doesn't even know that I,
well that I borrowed this from his office.
I saw the news and I think I can help.
Who did the programming on your software?
- We farmed it out, none
of us speaks programming.
- I guessed as much, because if you did,
you would have found the mistake.
You see this?
- Yeah.
- This will help it get
closer, it should work now.
- Well how do you know about this stuff?
- Oh well, I have double major,
climatology and programming.
- Uh huh.
- Thanks to you by the way,
I taught myself basic on the
dinosaur on your old lab.
- Oh, isn't that nice.
- Uh, may I?
- Why not.
(keyboard clicking)
- There see, instead of that,
I'd do this.
- Well, that doesn't make any sense.
See we had almost three successful tests
with that old system.
- Well I think that's
because none of the storms
involving conditions with
these variables were there,
the last one did.
Let's see what we got here.
Okay well, if this is correct
we've got a tornado landing,
70 miles from here, today,
in just over two hours.
- Looks like it's near Reeds,
I wonder if there's a tornado warning out.
- No, they have no idea it's coming.
- Yes I know that there's
no official tornado warning
in the Reeds area yet,
but what you have to understand is
this thing is gonna go
through an old house
like a hot knife through butter.
Now if we can just get
warning to those people,
they can start packing right now and...
Oh shoot.
Think the phone lines went dead.
How long will it take to get to Reeds.
- An hour and twenty.
- That'll put me there about
15 minutes before touch down.
That ought to be enough time
to warn some of those people.
- Well, who in turn will verify
that you warned them about...
- A storm that nobody
thought was going to happen.
Listen, Mr...
- Mark, Mark.
- Mark, well I can't tell you
how much I appreciate what
you've done here but I'm gonna
have to get rolling alright.
- Well, do you mind if I tag along?
- Uh, well I'm gonna need some help.
Start yanking wire.
(engine rumbling)
(car door slams)
- We going in?
- No point, he just left.
- Yeah well, you might wanna
check out what's happening.
- Oh, great.
Kirt Reid.
Okay go, let's join the circus.
(seatbelts click)
(radio music)
- [Radio Host] KRAJ Radio News Talk 1050,
you are listening to
Afternoon Oklahoma Radio
on this Thursday afternoon.
I'm David Brandon for Richard Kelly.
Today we look at cafeteria
foods your kids can love
and we talk to tornado survivor...
- They are greater storms and tempests
than almanacs can report.
Shakespeare said that.
- He did, did he?
(radio chatter)
Mr Scott, have you ever
had to run from a tornado?
- Uh, no, no.
I mean I've read about them,
I've read about what they've done,
the destruction they've caused
but I've never been caught in one.
- Well once you have been caught in one,
lost somebody to one,
all those poetic thoughts will be erased.
- [Ted] Dee I wanna know
Arledge's every move.
- Yeah, we're on to it, Ted, uh huh.
- Don't let Kirt Reid scoop it.
- Right, bye.
- What the hell's he doing out here?
- Well we'll find out won't we.
(radio chatter)
- This may sound kinda paranoid
but I think we're being followed.
- That's not paranoia, that's Kirt Reid.
- What's this?
- Well, some kind of accident.
- [Radio Host] We interrupt
this broadcast to bring you
an urgent weather bulletin.
A tornado has just set down
five miles North-West of Reeds.
Wind speeds over 100 miles
per hour have been reported.
- We were right, the
Arledge system does work.
- Still, nobody's gonna believe
we were able to predict this.
All we woulda needed was some witnesses.
(engine revving)
- [Radio Host] The safest
place to be during a tornado
is in the basement, get under
a sturdy piece of furniture.
If no basement is available,
seek shelter in the lowest
floor of the building
or in an interior hallway or room such...
- Can we get around this?
- Not unless you can grow us some wings.
- Ugh, this is taking forever.
- [Radio Host] Use blankets
or pillows to cover your body
and always stay away from windows.
Do not use your car to
try and outrun a tornado.
- [Steve] Hey now that we've lost Arledge,
let's stop for lunch.
All this driving is making me hungry.
- Look we're on a deadline,
I don't think Ted would
appreciate us stopping for
long leisurely lunches.
- Alright, let me just grab a sandwich.
Where did he go?
- I don't know, just head for downtown.
Even if we can't find Arledge we can still
get some good footage there.
- Okay.
Jeez.
(radio chatter)
- That tornado's gonna be
coming straight through here.
- There's not much time.
(brakes squeaking)
(car doors slam)
- Can I help you gentlemen?
- Yeah, you need to
take shelter right away,
there's a tornado headed this way.
- Yeah, I heard the warnings.
- Didn't you hear what he said?
- I heard him.
They said that twister's
headed the other way.
- Well it's not, it's headed for this spot
we're standing on right now.
- And how'd you know that?
- Who is it, Joe?
I know you, you were on
the news the other night.
- That's right Dr Arledge is a
world renowned meteorologist.
- On the news they said
he didn't know what he was talking about.
- Do you at least have a storm cellar?
- You fellas are trespassing.
- Well they're right
Joe, look at that sky,
the only time it's ever that color green
is right before a twister.
- Now we need to get in
your shelter right now.
- Joe, what about Tammy?
- Who's Tammy?
- Our little girl, she's
out playing behind the barn.
- Dr Arledge!
- [Dr Arledge] Get the shelter ready.
(suspenseful music)
- Tammy, Tammy, go, hurry, hurry.
- Tammy, Tammy.
- Go, go.
- Daddy, daddy.
(dramatic music)
- Get in Tammy.
Get in, hurry.
- Go, go, go.
- [Mother] It's okay honey, it's okay.
- It's gonna be alright
- [Mother] It's gonna be okay.
(wind howling)
Ah, oh my god.
- Get away from the opening.
- Okay, it's gonna be alright.
(door rattling)
(wind whistling)
(banging and rattling)
- Don't be scared sweetheart.
(screeching and rattling)
(gentle music)
- It passed.
- So, Mr Scott, you still feel
like spouting some poetry?
- We're here outside the
small town of Reeds, Missouri,
where a tornado set down earlier today.
- Go again Dee.
- We're here outside the
small town of Reeds...
- Cut.
(chatter and laughter)
- Hey, we were taping here.
- [Kirt] Excuse me folks.
Sorry Dee, we didn't see you.
- Right, I suppose you
didn't see our van either?
When you decided that we were taping here,
there must be something good right?
You don't have an original
idea in your head do you Kirt?
- My offer still stands.
You can make more money
as my on-air assistant
than you can where you are now.
- (scoff)
- My ratings are big.
- So is your ego.
No thanks.
I don't wanna cross the line like you do.
- Karl.
Three, two, one,
Hah, when you've seen as
many tornado's as I have,
I'd say this is a big one.
(cheering)
Come on storm chasers,
is this the adventure
that you signed up for?
- [Storm Chasers] Woo hoo!
- I'm Kirt Reid with Eye of the Storm
and we're off to catch
our next great twister.
- Aren't you afraid you might be
driving your tours into danger?
- I've seen a lot of these storms,
and I've been at it a lot
longer than you have Dee.
I know the safe distance to be at.
Cut.
Karl, get in the truck.
Okay storm chasers, let's
move on out, let's go.
- Why does something inside me say
Kirt Reid is in over his thick head?
- He's more concerned with his ratings
than those people's safety, that's why.
I guess your favorite guy
got the jump on us again.
(engines rumbling)
- Where was he hiding?
- Come on, the man wants something juicy
on that scientist anyway.
We going after him or what?
- Let's go.
- Okay.
(door slams)
- [Radio Host] And that was Meg
Tulip with their self titled
track and as it turns out, we
have them here in the studio.
Welcome Jay, Chris, Meg Tulip.
- [Band] Thanks for having us, thank you.
- We've got trouble makers on our tail.
- Who?
- Kirt Reid and his storm
chasers are right behind.
- Ah that guy is such a fraud.
He's got no qualifications at all.
One time I was investigating
the aftermath of this F2.
He was there with his group,
pointing out this bent up
traffic sign to them, and very
expertly explaining to them
that only an F5 could have
caused that kind of damage.
Meanwhile, about 20 feet right behind it,
there was this tree that
was just plainly snapped
right in two by it's impact
with that sign (scoffs)
- I have an embarrassing
confession to make.
I went on one of his tours once.
- Please tell me that's not why
you wanted to become a meteorologist?
- No, no, no.
Actually you're why I wanted
to be a meteorologist.
- Oh, so it's my fault huh.
- Well to tell you the truth,
we never even got near a tornado.
Which is just as well because
he almost got the group before
me killed, just drove right into one.
- Yeah TV show of his makes
these storms look like
some kind of fun ride at the county fair.
He never talks about all
the people that get hurt.
- We got something forming,
right in front of us.
- How far?
- About 100 yards.
Oh don't worry it's a small one though.
- An F1 could pick up this
truck and spit it out again
at 80 miles an hour, no
such thing as a small one,
you remember that.
- [Radio Host] Mostly sunny
and pleasant, passing (mumbles)
late this afternoon and this evening.
- They don't have a clue.
Not even a tornado watch in effect.
(dramatic music)
- Good Arledge is right in front of him.
- I can see the cell forming
that he must be seeing.
He's on to something.
- How do you know that?
- Arledge taught me a long
time ago how to read the skies.
- So you were a student
of Professor Arledge?
- You could say that.
- Then no problem, he should
want to give you an interview.
- I don't think so.
Let's just say the class didn't end well.
- But sir, if you would just listen to me,
Yes I said Dr Arledge.
Well no it didn't work yesterday
but it does work so if...
Hello?
Hello?
Chief of Police in that
town just hung up on me.
- This things gonna pass
over us any minute now.
- Man called me a kook.
30 years of work, I'm no better
than a crank phone caller.
- Dr Arledge we need to pull over
and prepare for this storm.
- What, oh yeah, you're right.
Let's just hope we can track
it before somebody gets hurt.
Kook.
- What's he doing?
- He's pulling over.
(brakes squeak)
- Ted said he wanted us to catch
this guy in the act, right?
- Yep, so get your camera.
(car doors slam)
- Look at that sky, we got us
another little twister
headed this way folks.
- Alright.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Come on storm chasers.
- Yeah.
- Alright.
- Check it out, look.
- This is no place for a
bunch of tourists to be.
Get outta here.
- You don't need to holler.
You should be nice to me,
think of all the free
publicity I'm giving you.
- There's no time, get
your people in the ditch
and lie flat.
- In the ditch, yeah, come on folks
(mumbles) in the ditch.
- You can't tape here,
there's a tornado coming.
You need to get outta here
and take shelter right now.
- Dr Arledge is this another prediction
on the part of your system.
- Look, as much as you might
want that thing to pick you up
and give you a ride,
I'm afraid my conscience won't allow it.
- Dr Arledge let's talk
about your conscience.
- He's right Dee, we need to take shelter.
- No, I can handle this.
- Okay, but I'm heading for that ditch.
- I can handle it.
- If you won't listen to me at
least use your common sense,
that is if being a TV
reporter left you with any.
- Well there appears to
be two of standing here.
(wind howling)
- Ladies and gentlemen, your very own F3.
(laughter and cheering)
- That was not an F3.
- Hi Dad.
You didn't have to
wrestle me down like that.
- Yeah well one of these days
you're not gonna be so lucky
when a twister changes
it's course without warning
and sucks you about a
hundred feet up into the sky.
- Okay, you do your job and I'll do mine.
- Great, what a time for this to happen.
- Let me take a look.
I think it's just the computer we lost,
I can patch in my laptop.
I'm a computer geek too you know.
- Well, geek or not, I'm
appreciate of whatever you can do.
- Yeah come on.
- Congratulations on being
accurate for the first time.
Of course you're gonna have
to be accurate a lot more.
- Well you're gonna have
to quite being so reckless.
You're gonna get these people killed.
- (laughs) that was just a small one
compared to the one's we've seen.
- A man can drown in
three inches of water.
- Dr Arledge, my group here
would be thrilled if you would
pose for a few photographs,
maybe sign an autograph or two.
- You savage my work to the
world in spite of the lives
that it could save, all
so you can be a big star
and make a lot of money.
I'll tell you son, when
you're sucking up to somebody
it helps if they think
you believe in them.
- I believe in what
you're doing Dr Arledge.
- Thanks for sharing,
both of you.
- I'm gonna be working
on this for a while.
- Great, doctor, can we get you over here
in front of that supercell.
Karl, let's film.
Let's go.
- [Woman] Yeah come on doc, right on.
- [Kirt] Let's move, come on, Karl.
- Dr Arledge...
- [Woman] Cool.
- [Kirt] stand over here
with the storm chasers
while I ask you questions.
Come on guys, let's go.
- [Woman] Oh great.
Make sure you get close up of him.
- Here.
(scraping)
- Oh, thanks.
- Got it.
No problem.
- Watch yourself.
- I can get my cameraman over
here if we need another hand.
- No, no, no, we, we,
we got it, we got it.
- Hey we've met before.
- Don't guys usually use that line?
- No, no, really.
- Okay, yes we have.
- You're the kid who used
to hang around the lab.
- You remembered?
- Sure.
So what brings you back?
- I believe in his work,
and I wanted to help.
- Even after what happened yesterday?
- Oh, we fixed that.
- You fixed it?
- Yeah, the problem was with
the software programming.
Two reverse variables
screwed the whole thing up.
- So the Arledge system works?
- Oh, yeah, we tested on
that F4 that hit Reeds today.
The test was almost a
little too successful.
- Didn't you get there after
the tornado touched down?
- Well, yeah, but we...
- So you can't really
prove anything right?
- Am I being interviews right now (laughs)
- (laughs) no.
I'm sorry, it's just that
I've spent a long time on the
Arledge system myself,
until I finally realized
that it was never going to work.
You can get just as much information off a
SPC MSD.
- But MSD's aren't enough.
The Arledge system works.
You should have stuck with it Dee.
- How's it coming?
- Good, the data's coming in right now.
Let's see, we've got
an F1 tomorrow morning
outside of Tupelo.
We've got a...
holy wind speed Batman, we've
got a tornado with multiple
vortices on tap tomorrow
afternoon at 4:35.
- Looks like Two River Bend.
What's the SPC say?
- Well there's an MSD out on it,
but it'll be a weather
warning by tomorrow.
- Can I take a look?
- Why?
So you can do another
story about the quack
and his tornado predictions?
- I wouldn't exactly phrase it that way.
- We live five miles apart Dee
and I haven't seen you in 10 years
and now you're here to
do nothing but a story
and you expect me to help.
- I don't expect anything from you.
You've wasted 10 years on this system
and don't have a single
shred of proof yet.
- You'd like nothing better
than to see this fail
wouldn't you?
And then you can feel
justified about walking out.
- Oh I don't have to feel
justified about walking out Dad.
You did everything you could
to make my life miserable
in case you'd forgotten.
- Yes, I did, but...
- But what?
You think if you can get this to work
it'll all be okay somehow?
It'll even mean that Mom didn't
die a stupid needless death,
isn't that it?
If it'd stuck around maybe
I would've been next.
- Why do you think I
made it so hard on you?
If you think it's because
I didn't want you around,
you're right, because I
knew you could be next.
I always knew you could be next.
And I wasn't willing to risk you
the way I did...
I wasn't there for your mother.
- Are you saying you
deliberately drove me away Dad?
So you wouldn't lose me?
- Oh I knew I'd lose
ya, but I kept ya alive.
I'm going home.
- But the, the tornado.
- You said they had an MSD out on it,
let somebody else worry about it now.
- This is your chance to prove that the
Arledge system works.
Especially if we get some media coverage.
- And I'm sure Kirk Reid would
appreciate the opportunity.
- (laughs) fine, good luck.
- Yeah she's talking to him now.
- Yeah.
- Let's go.
- Uh, you might wanna take this first.
- (sighs) yes?
- [Ted] Hey.
- Hi Ted.
- Did you get Arledge?
- Yes.
- Good, I want you to stay on him.
- But Ted, it's ridiculous.
He wants to drive us all
up to some little town
that he thinks is gonna be
hit by a tornado tomorrow.
- But what did I tell you?
- But what?
- Do I need to remind you
of our last conversation?
- Look Ted can't you get anyone else?
- Yeah I can get someone to
replace you, permanently.
- Okay.
- Dee, you understand me now?
- Yep, I got it Ted.
Right.
You set that up didn't you?
- Didn't want you to
miss the story partner.
(engines revving)
- Two River Bend is about
six hours from here.
If we leave now we can
be there by this evening.
(door slams)
It's good to see Dee again.
In person I mean, I've
seen her on TV all the time
but I didn't even realize it was her
with the name change and all.
- Oh yeah, well that
happened after the marriage
lasted for seven months.
- Is she divorced?
- Well sometimes she can
let her passion for work
hurt the people she loves.
I don't know where she gets that.
I'll let you in on a
little secret, Mr Scott.
The Arledge system
wouldn't exist without Dee.
See when she was 19 years old, she,
well she wasn't out all night partying
like some of the other girls.
She was helping her old
man out with his work
and she was brilliant.
She was always coming up
with answers for things
I was still trying to form questions for.
- So what happened?
- Alright, that was my fault.
Well she took a lot of risks,
I mean you can see how she is.
But I made things hard on her, too hard.
Never really thought about it but
well after the way, after
the way my wife died I...
- I read about that, I'm sorry.
That wasn't your fault.
Your wife knew she was taking
chances, it was her choice.
- Well maybe so, but in Dee's
mind I'm still the bad guy.
Our last fight was over View Ridge.
- View Ridge?
One of the worst tornadoes ever.
- Yeah.
We had information that
the storm was forming up
three days before it hit.
Dee wanted to go into
the town, do some tests,
I wouldn't let her.
She tried to go anyway but
I canceled her credit card
so she couldn't get there.
She quit right after that.
- Well you did the right thing.
- I don't know about that.
See I wouldn't let her go, so I went.
I was out in the field
and I was certain that
that storm was forming in front of me.
All of a sudden the wind jumped
and it came up from behind.
You have any idea what
it's like to see a vortex
coming right at you and it's
doing 200 miles an hour.
Whole world goes dark.
Anyhow I jumped into
this nearby storm cellar,
under this big old two story house.
It's pitch black in there.
The sound was just deafening.
Everything above me's just
getting torn to shreds.
I can hear people up there screaming,
I couldn't tell where
they were, I couldn't
couldn't do anything.
Then the floor above me just
started to disintegrate,
this great big old hutch
fell right on top of me,
saved my life, kept me pinned down
otherwise I'd have just been swept away.
And then when it's all
over, all that debris
comes crashing down on you.
You're not really
convinced that it is over,
you think that it's just
sitting out there somewhere
waiting for the next time.
- Hundreds of people died in that one.
- 519.
When I made it out of that
cellar, they were all around me,
the injured, the dead, maimed.
I guess that's why I take
this a little more seriously
than some of the others.
(door knocking)
- Hey.
- Hey.
Uh, I'm sorry to bother you but
does your laptop have a
network card by any chance?
- Oh yeah, yeah sure it does.
Come on in.
- Alright.
- Have a seat.
- A small tornado like the one today
can be pretty scary huh.
- Yeah, we were lucky nobody got hurt.
- Yeah.
- So your Dad was telling me
all about the work you did
on the Arledge system.
I'm a little jealous he
called you brilliant (laughs)
- I know what you're trying to do Mark,
but Dad and I have decided not to speak
on mutual consent, okay?
- And you don't believe
in what he's trying to do.
- I believe what he's trying to do
is make up for what he did.
For what happened to Mom.
And he'll never be able
to make up for that.
- I'm sorry I didn't get
a chance to meet her.
The system works Dee.
- Since you fixed it?
- Well, yeah, but all I did was...
- So now can you predict the future?
- Maybe.
- I want it to work, Mark, I really do,
but I don't know.
- Your Dad told me about View Ridge.
- Oh, did he tell you how
he tried to sabotage me?
It was so stupid Mark.
We needed to be there
and he wouldn't let us.
- He went there by himself Dee.
- What?
- He went, barely escaped with his life.
If you would have been there
well you probably wouldn't be here.
That's what your dad did for you.
I just downloaded the last five years
of the Arledge system data,
including the information from yesterday,
which proves that it accurately
predicted the Reeds tornado.
- Oh.
- Happy reading.
- Oh, you, you forgot something.
- Thanks.
Good night.
- Good night.
(thunderclaps)
- Hi there, this is Kirt Reid,
reporting to you live from Two River Bend
where this city is celebrating
100 years of cityhood.
Now I must tell you folks that
the National Weather Service
has issues a tornado watch for the area,
effective from 11:15am to 4:30pm
with a possibility of hail
up to one inch in diameter,
but I tell you folks, the
people here, they're not worried
about that, they don't even
have their catchers mitts out.
Despite the predictions of
winds gusting up to 120 miles
per hour, Two River Bend says
they're not gonna let anything
get in the way of the biggest
doggone party this town
has ever seen.
Now we spoke to the Chief
of Police, Lawn Miller,
who says they're not planning to curtail
any of the activities.
Now who could blame him,
they've got more fun
planned here today than
a runaway rollercoaster.
We've got the pie bake off
contest at noon, followed by,
you guessed it, the pie eating contest,
then the concert at one is
by the Hometown Buffoons,
followed by an autograph
session at two by your truly.
Yes folks, I will be
here signing autographs.
So come on down, we've got a lot planned,
a big big party here and I'll tell ya,
don't mind if I've got a
few pie stains on my jacket
because I plan on winning
that pie eating contest.
So come on down.
Maybe you get a little rain,
a little wind in your hair,
who cares, we're here to
celebrate Two River Bends'
one hundredth anniversary.
I'm Kirt Reid, live, Channel Nine News.
- This is Two River Bend,
where Dr Jake Arledge predicts
a massive tornado will
strike the south edge of town
in just over seven hours
and head straight to where I'm standing.
Dr Arledge, can you tell us
what we might expect here?
- Well, if this thing were an earthquake
it would be an eight on the Richter scale.
We're gonna have winds in
excess of 260 miles an hour,
houses will be ripped
off their foundation,
cars and trucks will be
hurled hundreds of feet.
- Dr Arledge can you tell our viewers
what to look for when a
tornado is approaching?
- I imagine most people around
here are already familiar
with most of the signs are,
the overwhelming darkness,
the thick, dark, sometimes
anvil shaped clouds,
but there is something
to listen for, a hiss.
See, when the funnel or
the trunk begins to descend
it sucks air up into itself
and it makes a hissing sound,
kinda like air escaping from a big tire.
- What can people do to protect
their homes from damage?
Well, is your place is
hit directly by a twister,
you're gonna get some damage.
It can also be damaged by flying debris.
That old story of opening a window
in one corner of the house is partly true.
See the pressure inside a
funnel can be as much as
50% less than the pressure on the outside
and it can cause things to explode
just from rapid decompression.
Now it doesn't really
matter much what corner
of the window is open, it
just causes the equalization
to happen more slowly.
Now remember though, this
is only if you've got
plenty of time that you even
bother with opening a window,
I can't stress enough.
Take an immediate shelter and
if you don't have a legitimate
storm shelter, just get to
the middle of the house,
get to a closet, get in your bathtub,
that can protect you from flying debris.
- People have often described
a freight train sound
with tornadoes, but
you've mentioned a hiss?
- The hiss is just air.
That freight train
sound comes from debris.
That's roofs and houses
and glass, trucks, animals
and all too often people are
getting sucked up into the sky
and blowing around at
over 200 miles an hour.
(police siren)
Trees won't just be uprooted,
they'll be debarked,
I mean this thing's gonna
be closest thing to hell
these people could see in their life time.
- What are the chances of surviving an F5?
- Surviving an F5 is pretty rare.
Immediate evacuation from it's
path is absolutely crucial
which is what I'd recommend
for everybody in this area.
- Miss Dee Mazur?
I'm Dotty McAnders,
mayor of this fair city
of Two River Bend.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- We're still live on air.
- Oh.
- You've heard the tornado
warning, what are you doing
to prepare your folks for the emergency?
- Well, Two River Bend has
been here for a hundred years
and we have never, I repeat
never, had a tornado hit us.
The Osage Indians who lived her before us
believed this place was
protected because it sits near
the juncture of two rivers.
Given that, our plans for
this tornado consists mainly
of inviting it to our party (laughs)
Now we've got a parade
later today and this here is
Miss Consolidated Farms,
who'll be leading it all.
- That's right, Mayor, the
biggest parade in our history.
We're expecting to have folks
from all around these parts
having a good old time at our party.
So y'all come down you here?
- Prettiest queen we ever
had and I'm not partial
just because she happens
to be my daughter.
- The misconception that a
town is somehow protected
can be lethal.
Now there was town about
60 miles south of here
called Emporia and they thought
they were protected too.
That is until a tornado
touches down there in 1974,
killed over 600 people,
thousands of homes were detroyed
in about 30 seconds.
- Oh please, don't believe
those old wives tales.
Come on down, you hear.
- Hey, hey, hey.
- Excuse me.
- Look, I'm as big a believer
as the freedom of the press
as anybody but I've heard
just about enough of this.
This birthday brings much
needed thousands of dollars
into our town economy.
Nobody's gonna believe this
tornado nonsense anyway, do you?
- If your behavior's any sample
of the courtesy of this town
Mayor, I am not impressed.
- Oh come on, no one will ever
be able to predict tornadoes
or earthquakes, never have, never will.
My gut tells me you don't
even believe it'll work.
Well, you think anyone will ever be able
to predict weather accurately?
- I like to hope so,
because of all the lives
that could be saved.
No, I don't believe it'll ever work.
- Too bad you reporters
can't tell everybody
what you really think.
Would be a lot less trouble
everywhere if you did.
- Mom, it's time to go
work with the volunteers.
- Well at least someone here
knows the priorities for this event.
We need this.
Nothing, I repeat nothing,
is going to stop it.
- I'll take it from here.
- Thanks Miller.
- Folks, I'm Chief Miller.
Now you need to listen
to me when I tell you
that we don't want any trouble,
especially from another fortune teller.
- Fortune teller?
Sir are you aware that
there's a tornado watch out
for this entire state?
- I get these warnings all the time.
Until you have some proof
you're just a nuisance.
Now do we understand each other
about what's going on here?
- Loud and clear, Chief.
- Good, I'd hate to have to arrest you
and impound your vans.
- You should...
- It's obvious you don't
believe in the system so
right now I don't know what
either one of us is doing here.
- Dr Arledge.
- I'm going for coffee, I
think better on caffeine.
- Didn't you read the
information I put in your laptop?
- Yeah I read it.
- Well then why are...
- There's nothing there.
Wake up Mark.
He's had nothing but
failure after failure.
There's no proof.
- But Reeds...
- Could have been sheer dumb luck.
Come on Mark, you know better
than to accept the results
from one test, that's
not how science works.
- Well maybe this isn't
just about science.
- Come on.
(bells jingling)
(cheering and chanting)
- In six hours this place
won't be here any more.
There's what about 2500
people in this town,
they could all be dead if we
can't get them to leave this.
- Coffee gentlemen.
- Thank you.
- You guys are with the
news crew aren't you?
You're in town for the big birthday party?
- Not exactly.
- Hey you're the guy on TV.
Is it true about that tornado warning?
- Yes, it's true, we think
an F5's gonna land here.
- It's gonna come right
through the center of town
and wind up here.
In about six hours this
place'll be no more
than a pile of dust.
- We need your help, your
mayor doesn't believe us,
we need to warn these
people to take cover.
- The whole town will be here
setting up for the big party.
- The whole town, how many
people are we talking about?
- Seniors, school kids, all
the farmers, 500 to 700.
- We won't be able to condense them.
This is like the Titanic going down
and the skipper's ordering
icecream and drinks.
- I told you there's no tornado coming.
I've seen him on TV.
Did he tell you how many
time's his machines been wrong?
Why should we cancel our party
based on his bogus predictions?
- Yes it's been wrong in the past
but we've fixed it since
then, the system works.
I mean check the NWS bulletins,
don't they also have a
tornado watch for this state?
- Oh you mean the same one we
get every year at this time?
There's never been a major tornado here.
- Oh yes there has.
You won't admit it but it's true, 1922.
Leveled half the town,
this place aint protected,
800 souls perished.
- Eat your lunch and shut up, Roy,
you've had too much to drink again.
- No, no, no, let him speak,
I think people want to hear
what he has to say.
- I'm not lying, I was
here, it took out my house.
- Come to think of it my
granddad told me about that.
- Listen, this is what you need to do.
You need to take anything you
can and leave now, alright,
you need to leave town now.
Alright, find shelter
in a basement, a cellar,
whatever you need, just get...
- Guess what, you're under arrest.
- What?
- Disturbing the peace.
- People are gonna die.
- Let's go.
- Well you know, this fellow,
he's made claims like this
before about other things,
so I'm not taking him seriously at all,
but you know, the sky seems clear today
and it doesn't, you know, you
wouldn't think that we're,
this was a, a tornado
impending on the area today.
So I think that we're gonna be okay.
- [Interviewer] Yeah,
and you're still gonna go
to the party at the town?
- I'm still gonna go to
the party at the town.
I think we're all gonna
have a good time this year
celebrating this big event and, you know,
I'm looking forward to it.
- I mean I see this guy on
the TV for the first time
and he seemed kinda shady to
me, I've never seen before.
- And then Mayor Dotty comes on and says
everything's gonna be fine.
I mean I don't really
know what to believe,
I'm not scared yet but, I
guess I'll just go downtown,
have a good time, do some
square dancing and meet guys
tonight and just play it by ear.
- The tornadoes gonna be
hitting here at 5 o'clock,
the mayor says no, what are you gonna do?
- Well I'm gonna take my
mother and gather up what I can
and go into the basement.
I'm a little concerned but
just have to ride it out
and see how things are.
- You've never been through a tornado?
- No, I never have, I'm a little concerned
but I'm gonna just
do what I can.
- Are you scared?
- Yeah I am.
- This is Kirt Reid with the
Channel Nine News weather bulletin.
We're here in the small
town of Two River Bend,
where they're celebrating one
hundred years of cityhood.
But about 200 miles north west from here
a tornado watch has been
upgraded to a tornado warning.
The National Weather Service is reporting
severe weather activity.
- I know Ted, but, oh yeah,
I can see him right now,
aha, he is, of course he is.
Right, okay.
He wants coverage on anything that comes
or doesn't come along.
- Well if Dr Arledge is right,
does the phrase hazard pay come to mind?
- You believe that June?
- Oh I put about as much stock in that
as I do alien invasion.
- (laughs) Got a lot of food
here, bed and breakfast biz
must be good these days huh?
- Funny you should ask.
That fella on the TV
checked in earlier today
with a bunch of storm chasers.
- Yep.
- They're even paying
me extra to fill me in.
- See you at the big party tonight.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Can I help you, oh alrighty.
(cash register clicks)
(car doors slam)
- Thanks for bailing
me out, I owe you one.
- Well you owe me 250 but it
might be kind of a moot point.
(drumming)
- I just don't understand
the attitudes in this town.
What about you, Marie, you
told me that you believe
Dr Arledge.
- Well I did but now I don't know.
I mean I don't know who to believe.
- Okay, take care.
- Yeah you too.
- Excuse me.
I watch all the time and was wondering,
would you take a picture with me?
- Sure.
- Do you mind if my brother
gets in on the shot too?
(camera clicks)
Oh thanks so much, I've
never met a celebrity before.
- Oh (laughs) you're welcome, take care.
(loud bang)
(gasps)
- Some ice cold tea Ms Mazur?
- Oh, thanks.
- Not too late to join our parade,
we'd love to have a TV
reporter like you in it.
- I don't know.
- Momma says tornadoes never happen here.
- Really?
- They always happen down by
the river, where the inn is.
Just saw a little twister
there this morning.
Don't worry, they never come in to town.
And they never get big, not here.
- Sarah, we got to get you
into your honorary place
at the head of the parade (laughs)
- If you're not gonna leave
town, at least get in the cellar
of one of these stores
here, there's not much time.
- You're a crazy man, making
all this fuss when the
warning's for 200 miles away.
- I think you should stop
scaring people Mister.
If you're right why don't we
get a warning from the TV?
- What do you think Mr Reid?
Do you believe him?
- I'm waiting for some more proof myself.
And we can't endorse
your system on my show
until it's 100% accurate Dr Arledge.
It wouldn't be responsible
journalism otherwise.
(crowd murmuring agreement)
(piano music)
- [Young Dee] I'm a bird.
- What kind of bird honey?
- Like the bluejays.
- Yeah well you just keep a
weather eye out huh captain.
(drumming)
(clapping)
- Wait a minute, wait
a minute, break it up,
this is getting outta hand.
Alright, now I know that we
all wanna believe in magic
and ESP and anyone that can
tell us what's gonna happen
in the future.
Life would be a heck of a lot easier huh?
And you wanna help people but
you've got no proof doctor
and I can't have you scaring
people based on some hunch.
I'm not gonna tell you
how to run your business
and you're not gonna
tell me how to run mine.
Now let's all enjoy the day
and have some fun, right.
(clapping)
- Lady I don't much care
if you get blown away
but the rest of us...
- Doc, doc...
- What?
- One of us has already
been in jail, alright.
- Karl, let's go get the storm chasers.
- [Dr Arledge] The Mayor
set us up, they arrested him
for disturbing the peace,
I had to go bail him out.
- Doc, doc, we don't have much time.
- Okay, okay
If this thing happens,
how much time do we have?
- Not much, it's gonna set
down, what, about 5 miles
north of town, where the river is.
- That's where the inn is.
Oh my god, that place is gonna be packed.
Kirt Reid has his group staying there.
- And knowing him he'll
just have his people
strap themselves to trees so
they can get a better view.
Look, I'm gonna go see
if I can reach than inn,
give them a heads up,
I want you to double
check that touch down.
- [Mark] I'm on it.
- It's gonna be great.
- This is Kirt Reid, coming
to you from the very, very,
very live Two River Bend,
where we're helping these folks
whoop it up for their
one hundredth anniversary
of this fair city.
Now we do still have that
tornado watch issued by the
National Weather Service
and we definitely have
a small supercell building
up in the sky over there
but I tell ya the people
here are not letting anything
rain on their parade.
Now so far today we've had
the pie eating contest,
I lost by one slice,
but I'm a happy loser.
We've got music, dancing
and later on starting at 4pm
is the parade and I don't know
about you but I'm definitely
looking forward to posing
with Miss Consolidated Farms
for a snapshot or two.
Now I know that Dr Jake Arledge
has predicted a massive F5
tornado to set down here
later today, ah, I've had the
upmost respect for Dr Arledge and his work
but when I look at that supercell overhead
all I see hitting this
town is a whole lot of fun.
In my experience as a weather
caster and chasing storms
for so many years, that
supercell maybe will drop
a few puddles down here on
the parade, and then move on,
right on outta here.
So stay tuned, if you wanna
come on down, please do so,
if you wanna stay at home,
we're gonna be coming
live from you, live from
here, from Two River Bends,
all day long, and we've got
that exclusive interview with
Miss Consolidated Farms coming up
and I know you won't want to miss that.
So in the meantime sit
back, enjoy the parade
and maybe we'll have a
little twister one or two
join the parade.
This is Kirt Reid, Channel Nine News.
(keyboard clicking)
(beeping)
- I almost feel helpless
just standing here.
- But you don't think this
tornado's gonna hit right, so...
- It's not that I don't believe,
I mean there's a tornado
warning for the whole area
now so of course there's
a really good chance it'll happen.
I mean I really don't want to be here
but these people made me.
- Well they've just had
one warning too many,
but your dad's system can fix that.
Is trying to talk to him
completely out of the question?
I mean I know how you feel
about your mom's death
but yesterday I saw him
risk his life for some girl
he didn't even know.
- Well that's dad, he's
so interested in saving
everyone else that he
forgets about the people
closest to him.
- Well, see I remember how
you guys used to be, you know?
Like that time we all
went out for your birthday
and you accidentally sucked
up root beer through your nose
and then you and your dad,
you were laughing so hard
you were crying.
- (laughs) I can't
believe you remember that.
- You kidding me, I had the
worlds biggest crush on you.
- And what about now?
- If we get out of this town in one piece
will you promise me
you'll try to talk to him?
- There's your promise.
- I couldn't raise anybody at that end
but Reid's got to have a cellphone,
you reckon you can find a number for me?
- Ah he must have a website.
- Arledge?
You know, I got near about
a dozen phone calls now
from folks wanting to know if it's true
that there's a tornado going to hit here.
- Well what did you tell them?
- You see this file?
I put some proof together to
show them that you're about as
good as predicting tornadoes
as turkeys are at flying.
- Well maybe you ought to
talk to the people in Reeds.
- I did, they told me you
got there after the tornado.
- Alright look Chief, since
a tornado is about to hit us
any time now, why don't we
just cut to the chase alright.
- Fine, we got a parade
about to start here,
I don't need you getting in the way
so you just get in your van
and hit the road, comprhende?
- What I comprehend is
a twister about the hit
an inn full of people.
- What, June Ricket's place,
that's a half hour out of town.
- Oh good then we can get
there before the tornado.
- No we can't.
They want us to leave
town we're gonna leave,
I don't want you in any more trouble.
- Dee and I'll go in the
van, you take the truck.
You know where you gotta
go, there on the plan.
- I think I can manage.
- Good, we won't trouble you any more,
thanks for your hospitality.
- Glad to see you're
finally being reasonable.
Miss Mazur, I do hope we'll see you again.
- You better hope you'll
see anybody again.
(car doors slam)
(marching band music)
(engine starts)
- Glad that nonsense is over,
keep an eye on them alright.
Go.
(marching band music)
- Here goes.
(beeping)
(marching band music)
- Do you think he can do it?
- Mr Scott's a pretty bright young man.
Anyway he's got a map
to June Ricket's place.
- Turn left.
(beeping)
(marching band music)
(police siren)
(tires screeching)
(suspenseful music)
- Main to Wilcox, left,
left on county road 47.
(brakes and tires squeal)
(police siren)
- You're not gonna have
a jail to put me in.
(tires screeching)
(police siren)
- He's just barely gonna
beat that tornado touchdown,
it's now.
- [Radio Host] We interrupt
this broadcast to bring you
an urgent weather bulletin.
Doppler radar shows a massive tornado
just north of Two River Bend.
I repeat we are reporting a major tornado
just north of Two River Bend.
- Kirt Reid coming to you
once again from Two River Bend
where we're celebrating one
hundred years of their cityhood.
Now the temperatures
dropped just a little bit
so my storm chasers have
all put on their special
jackets, along with myself,
but don't worry about that.
The only thing you need
to worry about is bring
your appetite and maybe a credit card.
Now we're just a few minutes
away from the beginning
of the parade and I tell ya folks,
it's going to be a humdinger.
I've seen a lot of the
floats and marching bands
and glimpsed a few of the
prettiest girls I've seen
this side of the Rockies.
But it's all going to
culminate real soon right here
with the beginning of the parade.
Now after the parade we're
looking forward to some more fun,
some square dancing
and as much as I really don't
want to mention it, more food.
It's just so good I can't
keep myself away from it.
Tonight we're gonna have the
barbecue that's sponsored
by Hank's Roundup, and
tomorrow for you early riser's
is the pancake breakfast
as Delson Park at 8am.
And at that point I plan to be in bed,
sleeping off all this barbecue.
Now the National Weather
Service does still have that
tornado watch in effect
but I tell ya folks
a few blasts of wind and
drops of rain aren't going to
dampen anyone's spirits here.
It's going to be a
terrific, terrific time.
Come on down, I'm Kirt
Reid, Channel Nine News.
(police siren)
(dramatic music)
- [Chief Miller] This is Chief Miller,
pull over to the side of the road.
You're under arrest, pull over.
(dramatic music)
- [Dee] What's wrong with
these people, they've got a
tornado on the edge of town
and they're still out here.
- [Steve] They must
not know it's here yet.
- They're gonna find out quite quick.
- What are we doing now?
- All these buildings are
(mumbles) or brick veneer,
tornado will take them
down before you can blink.
- Well there must be some kind of shelter.
I'm gonna go talk to the fire department.
(police siren)
(dramatic music)
- The fire department does
take the warnings seriously
but we've got a problem.
The mayor's been using the
designated shelter for storage
for years now, couldn't
fit a fly in there.
- Well how about the High School.
- Yeah, we're setting up
the gymnasium right now.
Just out of curiosity Miss Mazur,
do you think this one's gonna hit?
- Oh I wish I knew.
(suspenseful music)
- [Kirt] Come on storm
chasers, we're gonna go out
and find a tornado.
We're gonna get in the vans,
the beautiful storm chaser vans
and we're gonna find a tornado.
- You can't leave, you can't leave,
the tornadoes heading right here.
- I know, we're heading
out looking for it.
- I mean any second, you cannot...
- Get down on the ground, get
your hands behind your head.
- Open your eyes,
we need to get in to
the shelter right now.
- Chief Miller?
- I told you to get down.
- We have to take shelter now.
- [Man] Look, look.
(thunder)
(wind whistling)
- Is there a shelter in this place?
- I'll have to get the key.
- There's no time.
- You put that axe down or
I swear to God I'll shoot.
- We need to get in that cellar.
If you'd rather shoot
the lock I'm all for it.
- Mr Reid.
- I'll do it.
(banging)
- Go, go come on.
- Alright, go.
- [Woman] Go, go, come on.
- [Mark] Go, go, go.
- [Man] Where do we go?
- [Mark] Quickly.
(confused chatter)
- [June] There.
- [Mark] Keep moving back.
- [June] Everyone.
- [Mark] Brace yourself.
Touchdown.
Hang on to something.
(wind howling)
- Get under the table.
- [Kirt] You'll be alright.
Here we go, here we go.
(wind howling)
(banging and crashing)
(wind rattling and howling)
(yelling and screaming)
(banging and crashing)
(suspenseful music)
(nervous chatter)
- [Kirt] Everybody, is everybody alright?
- [Woman] What do we do now, I don't know.
- [Mark] It's over.
- [Woman] I was so scared (cries)
(suspenseful music)
- [Kirt] Careful.
Where's, where's my van?
- Forget about your van Kirt,
you just survived an F5.
(excited chatter)
(marching band music)
(bells jingling)
- Hello, Mark?
Mark is that you?
Hello?
- [Steve] Hey Dee, check it out.
Woo hoo.
- Get down.
Dad, I saw it.
The F5 I saw it, it's coming
Dad, I'm so sorry, oh my God.
- Yeah we'll talk about this later,
I think I may have found us a shelter.
- Looks like new, maybe
it's steel reinforced.
- It's gonna have to
be, we're out of time.
(engine)
(wind howling)
(thunder)
(marching band music)
- Step back.
- Isn't that breaking and entering?
(glass breaking)
- What do you think?
- I think it's underground
and I think it's empty.
Ready to start.
- Marie,
Marie,
we need your help.
I just saw the tornado and
it'll be here any second.
- Are you sure?
- Absolutely positive.
Now we think the storage building is safe.
Can you help us get these folks in there?
- It's not gonna be easy.
Ladies and gentleman come
on, we've gotta get inside,
there's a tornado coming.
Right in there, alright.
(crowd chatter)
Comeone, in there, it's safe.
Right in there, right in that door.
(suspenseful music)
- Hold it, shut it down.
A tornadoes already on the ground,
it's on the edge of town,
it'll be here any minute.
We need to take shelter right now.
Now.
- I'm real sorry but you could
help save a lot of lives.
- I've never seen the sky look like this.
- [Dr Arledge] Come on.
- [Dee] Come on.
(thunder crashing)
- [Sheriff McAnders]
Alright folks, listen up.
There is no need to panic.
The tornado is not headed this way.
I repeat there is no... ugh (mumbles)
The tornado is not heading,
unreal, wait a minute...
where are you going? (mumbles)
(emergency siren wails)
(car engine)
There is no...
- [Steve] It's getting
pretty crowded in there.
I don't know how many more we can pack in.
- Okay Steve, I think we've
got just about everyone.
- It's time for us to
go to, come on let's go.
- No.
- What do you mean no?
- I mean you should
but I've gotta get
coverage on that tornado.
- You wait just a
minute, that is suicidal.
- No it isn't.
We know it's path right?
I'm sorry Dad, I'm sorry I doubted you.
Your system works and I'm
gonna tape that tornado
at a safe vantage point.
- No you are not.
No I am not gonna put you at
risk the way I did your mother.
I can't do that Dee.
- Dad it wasn't your fault.
Mom made her own decision
and now I am making mine.
And you've gotta stay here
to take care of these people.
I'm sorry.
Daddy I love you and I am so
proud to be your daughter.
- I'm very proud of my little girl.
Love you.
(siren wailing in distance)
- Still okay for some hazard pay.
- Wouldn't miss it partner.
(tires screeching)
(wind howling)
- Is that the mayor?
- Unbelievable, did you see that?
- Get out of here.
(crashing)
(brakes screeching)
What are you doing?
Don't back up Steve, keep going.
Keep going, keep going.
- I'm going, I'm going.
- Okay I think we've beat it.
- As long as it doesn't
decide to pull a big surprise
and follow us.
- It won't, I know it won't.
(suspenseful music)
(doors slam)
You on?
- Five, four, three, two...
- This is Dee Mazur, coming
to you live from the town
of Two River Bend where
right behind me you can see
an F5 tornado at work.
Now this tornado has exactly
matched the time and path
predicted by Dr Jake Arledge,
who's currently in the town
taking shelter with the local residents.
(siren wails in distance)
(wind howling)
(crashing and banging)
- Excuse me, excuse me please, excuse me,
coming through, excuse me, excuse me.
- Hey, what are you doing?
- I'm getting out of here,
this building isn't gonna hold.
(scream)
(murmuring and scared chatter)
(wind howling and gusting)
(screaming)
(dramatic music)
- Did we actually make it through that?
- Yes ma'am it would appear
that we actually did.
- Ohh.
(piano music)
- Sir, keep all these
people back a little while.
Check, see if anybody's injured okay.
- Alright.
- Alright, you okay hun?
- Uh huh.
- Okay.
(coughing)
- Well I see you kept a
weather eye out, Captain.
- Thanks for trusting me.
Let's go find Mark.
- Yeah.
- This is Dee Mazur reporting live
from just outside of Two River bend,
in the aftermath of the
largest tornado to hit
in the last hundred years.
There are estimates of
$500 million in damage
and only one building remains standing
in downtown Two River
River, a storage building,
built of steel reinforced concrete.
In fact this building served
as the towns main shelter.
Although there were
miraculously no fatalities
there were a few casualties,
including town mayor Dotty McAnders.
- Folks listen up, this is Mayor McAnders
and we had a little duster
and it got a little windy here
as you can see, oh my lord,
all my clothes all over the...
Alright the parade will be starting,
it's just gonna be a minute or two late.
I want y'all in your starting positions.
Move it pal, what are you doing here,
what is going on?
I'm telling you, I'm
still gonna do this parade
and y'all gotta vote for
me because this September
I'm coming up for re-election.
- Apparently Mayor McAnders
who was actually airborne
for a few terrifying moments,
was saved by her own vehicle
when she was pinned down beneath it.
Although local firefighters
and boyscouts are being praised
for helping to escort the
people into the town shelter,
authorities are singling out one other man
who's the real hero of the
Two River Bend tornado,
Dr Jake Arledge, who's
system of tornado prediction
is now being credited as the
single biggest leap forward
in the history of severe tornado warning.
This is Dee Mazur, reporting
live from just outside
of Two River Bend.
(piano music)
- It's great, full of surprise material.
- (laughs) Oh come on
Ted, it's good but...
- I mean it Dee, and you're
in for a big pay raise.
Hell, your story beat Kirt
Reid, we're number one.
And being number one means you
get a whole lot more clout.
- Well I hope that
means I'll have more say
over the stories I get to follow.
- Dee, call for you on line two.
It's a producer from that new TV show,
Network Prime Time News.
- Tell him I'll call him back later.
- Alright.
- Now I'm serious Ted,
I want more control over story content.
- Didn't I already say that?
Yes alright, yes.
- Yes, yes, yes, give her
everything and anything she wants.
If you need someone to
speak up about your heroism
you can count on me.
- Hey Kirt, you know I never
thought I'd say this but
it sure helps to have
someone wishing you along.
- You really showed you had guts out there
and I admire that quality in a competitor.
So I thought I'd stop
by to congratulate you
and personally thank you
for saving our lives.
You're one brave reporter.
- I only did what I thought was right.
- And with that outta the way,
I'm here to tell you that
I'm going to continue
to work even harder to get
my number one news spot back.
And I'm gonna be chasing
your back from now on.
- Okay.
- You'll see it's very lonely at the top.
Seeya on the news.
- You bet.
- Take more than a tornado
to put that guy down in size.
- Well you know something life
changing happened out there.
- Yeah, maybe.
- Hey, is this a bad time?
- Hey (laughs) hi, no,
did you see my piece?
- Of course I did, yeah you were great.
Your dad's not gonna have
to look for grant money
any time soon.
- And what about you?
- Well I have to finish my
studies and then after that
I have a standing job
offer at Arledge Systems.
- No I meant before that.
- Oh you mean right now?
- Yeah, the Arledge's owe you big time.
Come on, lunch is on me.
- Here at Channel Nine
News you've seen me report
the weather as it happens.
Whether it's windy, rainy,
stormy or just plain sunny,
you've come to know and trust
me with the most accurate
weather casts in the region.
Now you've heard me report
the weather, now how about
you come experience the
weather with me, Kirt Reid,
up close and in person.
Join my storm chasers tour
and I'll take you right into
the fury and terror of
a real live tornado.
- Kirt was a lot of fun,
the food was excellent,
you know really you could
have gone for the food alone,
the food was that good,
definitely made it more enjoyable
when you had good food to eat.
- And I just thought seeing
all those tornadoes form,
the little ones, the
big ones, I just thought
it was a very exciting trip.
What did you think hun?
- Oh definitely, definitely.
You know I know there were some
kids there, they enjoyed it,
the drinks were plentiful, food was good,
hey what more can you ask for?
- Well then it was a great
second honeymoon trip, wasn't it.
- Definitely.
- It's safe, friendly and fun.
You'll tour the countryside
with gourmet meals,
with an assortment of beverages,
at night you'll stay at
the finest motor inns
along the interstate with
your fellow storm chasers.
The four day package includes
a special storm chasers
jacket, cap, special
tornado tracking materials
and all the complementary
video tape you need
to record those freaks of nature.
Show it to your friends
and family to show them
that you survived, along with Kirt Reid,
a real live tornado.
- It was really cool aboard the
storm chaser with Kirt Reid.
- And also, seeing a tornado
just touch down on the ground
was more amazing than
seeing an amazing park
for the first time.
And also, just, we saw a barn,
just like on the side of the
road, being blown away
by that powerful tornado.
And a lot of the games were
really fun for me and my sister
and a lot of the food was great too,
better than my mom's home cooking.
- Well I don't know about
that but it was very good.
- Yeah.
- I've reserved the last seat for you,
so come on down and let's
go chase some storms.
(gentle music)