Wichita Falls Tornado (1964)

On Friday, April 3, 1964 an F-5 toronado hit Wichita Falls, TX; this film documents its aftermath. The reel, filmed the next day for KRLD-TV news, is composed of unordered clips of raw camera footage, both silent shots of the affected area as well as interviews with citizens who survived the storm. The interviews are conducted by Jim Underwood of KRLD-TV, the Dallas/Fort Worth CBS affiliate in 1964.The tornado made a direct hit on Sheppard Air Force Base, as well as the nearby residential neighborhood of Sunset Terrace where an estimated 200 homes were destroyed. The disaster was one of the first to ever be captured and broadcast on national television when KFDX Channel 3- News moved a camera outside, giving viewers live updates of the tornado's progress. There were seven fatalities.