KARE-TV Tornado Coverage July 18, 1986 - Newscast Part 2

[kaboompoop]

Hard to believe in a few days this will have happened exactly 25 years ago. It seems like yesterday. I lived in Coon Rapids not far from the Dam, and I remember it was a HOT day. The sky got very dark around 5 pm. My Mom and I saw that famous black funnel across the Mississippi, which thankfully didn't cross over and hit Coon Rapids dead on, but instead followed the river downstream and nailed Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley instead. Nobody was hurt and hundreds of homes were spared!

[toeazy34]

I remember this day vividly. Living in Blaine at the time (ie; close by) I remember my mom, brother, and me in the basement with my dad calling us from work. As a kid, I was too dumb to be scared but yes this was the first time I remember the helicopter being used chasing the storm. We were in awe thinking how crazy are the pilots being that close to the storm.

[jvbentley070770]

i am a stormchaser in the usa known as "SKYWARN" and that tornado to me was multipule vortexed! thank god everybody was okay! (then in 1986)

[gamealarm]

Is this the same Paul Douglas that was on WBBM CBS2 Chicago in the mid 90's?

[daveo1538]

Indeed it is.

[paulsonj72]

@gamealarm

Yes

[Strandysmommy]

I was 6 when that happened. I live in St. Paul, but I remember the Sirens went off in St. Paul too- watching it on TV I was sure that monster was coming to get me. Oh, and I love the classic 80's shirts on the two girls reporting. What a trip!

[Kuahmel]

Pun intended @ 0:13 mark?: He speaks of "nature's fury" as there's a Plymouth Fury parked in the foreground of the shot.

[ryoushii]

I remember that, I was working at a Seven Eleven at 40th and Lyndale Ave S while that tornado went thru the northern suburbs.  I saw those clips on the news and man EVERYBODY in the Cities were talking about those shots from the helicopter and I went up to see the damage myself on my motorcycle about fifteen minutes after the store went thru. Oh, and KARE was still WUSA when this happened, it wouldn't change to the KARE call letters until 1987.

[nakamichiguy]

Great clip and some great coverage by KARE back in the day. Amazing helicopter shots! Those guys were much braver than I'd ever be.

[jrinn11]

KARE 11 was the first tv station EVER to use a helicopter to track a tornado. In addition this was also the first time that traffic managment cameras were used to track a tornado.

[AlyssaJeane]

Oh wow I was only 6 weeks old when that happened and I lived in Plymouth (well I still do).

[GopherItMN2]

I recall that tornado right by my house.

[johnwarman54]

i'm waiting to see an NES any minute now

[strassburgs]

Paul Douglas came back to Minnesota, was was just fired by WCCO a CBS affiliate.

[TBirdSCIL]

great quality video! I vividly remember seeing this on the 10 o'clock NBC news in Chicago that night. It still remains one of the most amazing tornado videos ever. A few years later Jesse "The Body" Ventura became mayor of Brooklyn Park..:)

[niquejoy]

that tornado looks like smoke

[bradyclaire]

21 years later, Paul Magers is in LA at KCBS, Paul Douglas went to Chicago then returned to the Twin Cities and is currently at WCCO-TV, Diana Pierce is still at KARE-11.

The tornado knocked down concrete walls being constructed for a "Wholesale Club" (now Sam's Club) in Fridley. It was simply amazing coverage by KARE-11.

[miker555]

I was watching the coverage live as it happened, thanks for adding this.