I spent my weekend surfing around YouTube looking at Tornado videos.  Everything from storm chaser footage, to recorded broadcasts of live coverage from US television stations.

But of all the videos I came across, this one has to be the most interesting.  It is from May of this year on a night when over a dozen confirmed tornadoes touched down across the state of Kansas.  

The city of Ellis, Kansas is home to about 1900 people.   One of those people is 17 year old Kerry who works at a lumber yard by day, and in his spare time is a budding cinematographer.  When he heard the sirens start wailing - calling out another potential tornado - he grabbed his camcorder and documented the hours to come.  He later posted his edited work on YouTube.

It really is captivating stuff... the video really makes you feel like you're there.  In some ways, you can't help but wonder if it is a movie you're watching... but indeed - as he says in his video - these tornadoes are part of everyday life for folks in the American midwest.

Enjoy.

Part 1 :

Part 2 :

John Himpe is Program Director of News Talk Radio.