Pampa, Texas Tornado #2 - May 19, 1982

Close range Super 8 footage I shot on the afternoon of May 19, 1982. This classic, white, high-contrast multi-vortex tornado was the second of two tornadoes that formed near Pampa, Texas.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Tornado
• Tornadoes
• Severe
• Weather
• Storms
• Pampa
• Texas
• 1982
• Storm
• Chasing
• Chaser
• Classic
• Super
• Footage
• Jim
• Leonard

[cyclonejimcom]

That was one of the many small satellites forming around the rim of the larger tornadic circulation. This is not uncommon around large tornadoes. As much as I like to get real close to a tornado these satellite vorticies can be a real hazard, sometimes they will form into fully formed tornadoes as far as a half mile from the main tornado then rotate around the larger parent tornado. I saw this occurence on May 3rd 1999 in Oklahoma.

[cyclonejimcom]

I first got a super-8 sound camera in 1980 and used it until I got into video in 1983. I really prefered the film for years afterward but using video was much cheaper to use. As years went on video cameras took better and better quality.

[cyclonejimcom]

This tornado was about 2 miles east of Pampa, the other three were west of town. This was the fourth of six I saw that day out of the same supercell.

[ilovetogofast88]

Jim Leonard is a LEGEND in the tornado chasing field.

[RobertPrentice]

This event was a storm chaser's dream. A slow-moving, highly-visible supercell producing multiple large tornadoes. Jim, you are my hero! ;-)

[talladegajunkie1439]

Jim, you died and went to storm-chaser heaven that day.

[laura20022004]

i love classic old tornadoes.

[gsavagetx]

I lived there when this storm came thru there. I was 11 years old and that was one wicked looking storm. If I remember correctly, that dropped down behind Price Road and lift up just as it was coming towards the city and dropped back down and hit a plant or something.

[jmeier37]

This tornado (or the first one), can't remember which, caused crazy amounts of damage.

[PoppaBlue59]

There is something special about old super 8 films.

[PupuTheClown]

I'm sure the people of Pampa could have used a good pair of Pampers that day !

[geysernut]

Thanks Jim for these Pampa videos. What a great day that was!  This looks just like my phtoos :-)

[rebafan19]

@qwertygnf In fact, it was from The National Weather Service here in Amarillo

[ThePowerWithin34]

The Perfect Tornado. 

[qwertygnf]

This was the day i was born.......... AWESOME