We've already reported on some rather spellbinding ancillaries that have been wuthering out of the disaster that was the Moore, Oklahoma tornado, which weighed in at an impressive EF5 (the most fierce power rating) and left behind in its destructive wake 24 deaths (including 10 children) and 377 injuries. The Moore tornado that hit on Monday, May 20 was measured at 1.3 miles wide at its peak, with winds spiraling around chaotically at 210 mph.
One of our previous reports brought you engaging footage uploaded by so-called storm chasers who put on display the storm itself (be it, from afar). But we've now uncovered an even more astounding revelation: Video footage from inside the Moore tornado that was taken by a young man who courageously (or perhaps rather irresponsibly, depending on how you want to look at it) held his camcorder out a hole in his storm shelter ... while the Moore tornado passed by.
The young man is Charles Gafford III, and he posted the outrageous video of the true power of nature at its very worst on his Google+ page. The video is nearly three-and-a-half minutes of total carnage wrought by the hellish storm that remained blustering throughout Moore for almost 45 minutes and devastated almost 20 miles of the area's most populated region.
At one point in the video, you can see the true power of the Moore tornado, as the tire of a car shoots across the screen via the torrential force of the powerful winds rushing around Gafford's storm shelter.
"Gafford says the video is vertical due to the simple fact that the tiny hole in his storm shelter was just large enough to stick his phone through vertically," PetaPixel reports. "It was just pure chance that the gap offered a perfect view of the funnel as it passed through the area."
Gafford added that though the tornado merely swept past his house and his neighborhood was "severely damaged" by the twister, nearby streets were "completely wiped out."
Commenters on the video have already responded accordingly.
"I have no words," Max Feldman posted, adding, "the fact it was a silent video made it even more compelling. Destruction."
"This footage is nothing short of legendary," commenter johnsmith8855 says.
"I think you guys are the only ones to be this close to an EF5 and actually film it and live to tell the tale!" quigon87yt says. "Thank you for taking chances & I'm grateful you guys were in a shelter. It's very saddening that a lot of people lost their homes to this."
Footage of Gafford inside of his storm shelter (some time after the tornado, talking about how/why he shot the initial video) can be seen here.
Do you think that Gafford's choice to shoot the tornado from inside his storm shelter was indeed "legendary" or foolishly dangerous? Sounds off via our comments below!
Like what you're reading? Follow @ProfKlickberg.
