Twister!

Duration: 26:59:00

Year Published: ca 1970

Format: 16mm

Sound: sound

Description: On May 11, 1970, Lubbock, Texas was struck by an F-5 tornado, until that time the only tornado to hit the highly populated downtown area. Produced by the federal Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, this film recreates the events of that evening and includes interviews with citizens during the aftermath and footage of the tornado’s destruction. All major city officials including Civil Defense Director Bill Payne, Fire Chief Herschel Sharp, and Chief of Police J.T. Alley are involved in the recreated scenes.The federal Office of Civil Defense selected Lubbock as one of three cities nationwide to develop an Emergency Operations Plan, a project that was completed in November 1969, only months before the May 1970 tornado struck. This film served to show the importance of municipal emergency planning and response, as evident from a message by Johnny Davis, Director of the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, at the film’s conclusion.