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.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• flint
• michigan
• tornado
• F5
• history
• buick
• beecher
• coldwater
• weather
• storm
• deadly
• hurley
• hospital

[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.

[LilDuckie3]

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.

[Tarron3]

Who cares! old ass shit. R.IP

[HaleLand3]

@YouDummy wasn't too many years later (early 60's), we were elem grade kids going into Emerson Elem/JrHi basement practicing raid drills with those sirens due to Bay of Pigs with our dog tag necklaces. Those days of seeing loaded tanks crossing 7 + 8 Mile Roads!

[HaleLand3]

I was born in 1956 in Mich. but Mom+Dad went to a Demolition Derby outside Detroit that night; rain began; their car water-logged. Dad wanted to taxi home, but mom couldn't see losing the car; he finally started it. 15 minutes into the Derby, it disbanned w/ tornado warnings. They raced home to a relative watching my sibs, 4 and 2 1/2. The PD were there: the huge front yard oak crashed in the house's 2nd story window. Both kids, sound asleep in bed! Still prickles 85 yr old Mom's neck! Us too!

[chittlenyc]

@radicalgarbage02 You are right to point that out, yah, I guess I shouldn't have put that siren in there, in retrospect, but I wanted to create the feeling of a coming tornado, and the siren is what people associate with today.

[chittlenyc]

@coldbluerain The original IMA was built in the 1930's I think. They imploded it in 1997 I think. They built a new one in 1969, which is still standing.

[crocks2871]

@coldbluerain  I'm pretty sure He was refering to the national guard armory on cesar chavez which was set up as a temporary morgue for the victims..

[crocks2871]

@coldbluerain I'm pretty sure He was refering to the national guard armory on cesar chavez which was set up as a temporary morgue for the victims..

[xXAllThatRemainsxXx]

Its crazy to see my homestate having such a horrific tornado that it would be the 9th worst ever. I live in East Lansing, Michigan and last year a tornado came through my neighborhood and destroyed my uncles house and thankfully him and my cousin was at their friends otherwise they would not be hear today and the tornado just ripped apart my neighborhood it was crazy but thankfully there was no deaths