Watching: Countdown to Survival: Tornado

Overview

Commissioned by the U.S. Government Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, the film describes the elements of a modern tornado warning system as was developed at the Texas Tornado Warning Conferences in 1953 and included radar detection of tornadoes, a spotter network, and improved communications between the U.S. Weather Bureau, spotters, and public officials to better disseminate warnings to the public. In the 1960s TV changed the way tornado safety and preparedness information was disseminated and this film is likely a product of that development. This film opens with vignettes of people in a small town somewhere in America’s suburban midwest. It then goes on to display the moments before and after the onset of a tornado and informs the audience of appropriate safety response measures.