KAUZ Was First to Broadcast Tornado Live

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In Warnings, I tell the story of WKY-TV's (now KFOR) live broadcast of a tornado June 8, 1974. I state it was the first-ever live broadcast of a tornado.

Turns out I was incorrect. The first live broadcast was by KAUZ-TV of Wichita Falls, Texas. Here is the video. The tornado is visible about six minutes in.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycxQnTNWheI

I had watched a different version of the tape when researching Warnings that showed the dust from the rear flank downdraft but cut off before the tornado is seen.

Thanks to John Cameron for giving me the information needed to correct the record.

Comments

  1. Shaun MichaelsJune 5, 2013 at 10:34 AM

    Mike, is the 1974 footage located online anywhere?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike SmithJune 5, 2013 at 10:42 AM

    Shaun, it is not. WKY -- incredibly -- did not save the tape! In "Warnings" there is a photo, taken by Steve Tegtmeier of the that tornado in the funnel cloud stage about the time the report first began to air. But, to my knowledge, there is no photo or video of it when it was a tornado since the tape was not saved.

    ReplyDelete

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