The Killing Wind - The F5 Tornado in Flint Michigan

The Killing Wind takes you back to 1953, before weather sirens, doppler radar, and tornado warnings. On that fateful night in June of 1953, an incomprehensible F5 tornado, the most powerful of its kind in the world, descended during the dinner hour on a main east/west road in the northern section of Flint, Michigan. Go back and hear the story of one Buick nurse as she struggles to comprehend the total destruction of homes, schools, and -- lives.

Today, the tornado ranks as the ninth deadliest of all time, and the deadliest of the last 50 years.

When you see the destruction of the vehicles, remind yourself those are 1940's and 1950's Buicks, which were several thousands of pounds of solid steel, iron, and metal not like the flimsy plastic cars of today.

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  Travel & Events

[ChevyRiderAMP]

born in the 80's right here in Flint....never even knew of this. Crazy!!! Great video, thanks for the knowledge.

One thing I noticed was the newspaper that said it caused 10 million dollars in damage........ I wonder how much that would be in today's world. That is alot of stuff that twister had to destroy.

[flintmi]

Got the number for you from the US Govt CPI Inflation Calculator.

It's $80 million in today's dollars.

[ellesstee]

I knew one of the Medical Examiners in Flint at that time and he told me he never seen so many people with limbs ripped off - some of them even survived . One of the immediate dilemmas though was a shortage of morphine. Many survivors were very severely injured and in shock from the pain - testimony, incidently, to the terrific power of that tornado. The anvils from that storm, lit up pink by the setting sun, were plainly visible in Ann Arbor and Detroit - 60 miles away.

[flintmi]

It was the "Katrina of the 1950's." I say that in quotes because Katrina was much deadlier, but an F5 in 1953 in a northern state? Just as shocking and horrific.

You really sent chills down my spine with your description of the scene, those comments bring new potency of how bad this was to the audience. Thank you.

[ChristopherSaindon]

Last tornado to kill over 100 people...to this day. Let's pray it stays

that way!! :-)

[Forrest Packer]

I am 61 now and I still remember June 8 53. The sky was black and green through

my grand mothers basement window. I did'nt understand what was hapening. In

1956 I lived in Lincoln Park MI and I saw first hand a tornado it damaged our home.

and distroyed a church accross the street. I'll never forget the noise and the terror!

[Doug19752533]

my father was 6 when this storm hit. he still has the newspaper (60 years later!!!!) from the next day (june 9, 1953)

[mario casale]

My grandmother was in this storm. it picked up my great grandmothers car while she was in it thank god she lived. said to say shes gone right now though.

[David Lyle Strong]

HaleLand3.. We moved from Flint in 1961, just before I would have started 7th grade at Emerson. I went to Merrill Elementary and had we not moved I probably would have know you. I was born in 1949. Oh yeah, I also remember the "duck and cover" drills at school. And the fire and tornado drills. Do they still do them?? Probably not the atomic bomb drills. Whew!

[David Lyle Strong]

You are a sociopath. Get some help.

[David Lyle Strong]

I was 4 years old when the Tornado hit the Beecher area. I remember we lived 2 1/2 miles south of the path and I still remember the horror. We all went to the basement and I remember the strange orange color of the sky. I didn't even know what a tornado was and it still scares me thinking of my fear at the time.

[Tarron3]

Suck dick you little bitch and may you rest in peace

[Jerry Cox]

You would care if you had an ouch of sense! or if your children had been killed. Oh I forgot you probably don't have any kids, if you did they would be Idiots!

[MaqAttaq]

Spoke too soon :(... when Joplin occurred... even before they had a death toll my mind suddenly thought of the Flint/Beecher Tornado -- having spent half of my life in Flint (and experiencing the F1 that hit 50 years (to the day) later. Because of Joplin, this is now the 10th deadliest.

[Lil Duckie]

Born and raised in Flint, MI. Never knew all this bruh!

[TrillCoop]

Ummm tornadoes are common in the midwest and michigan is considered a midwestern state.