A review of ‘Twisters’ by one of our meteorologists

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The movie Twisters debuted in theaters this past Friday and it was well attended by meteorologists all across the country.

I had the chance to catch the movie and it was the perfect sequel to the 1996 original Twister movie. I would recommend going to see the new movie.

What made Twisters unique is so many more meteorological elements were added compared to the original. More complex meteorology terms were incorporated and a significant amount of the movie followed the advice and education given to the producers and actors by the National Weather Service.

If you plan on watching the movie, you will find storm chasers making decisions based on their knowledge of meteorology. You will also get a glimpse into the dynamic life of storm chasers, which includes two groups competing with each other. You will see one group out chasing storms for research and another out live streaming for the thrill of the chase.

It all culminates with a scientific theory that will either doom or save a town as a massive tornado approaches.

The movie is not all sunshine and rainbows, however. It is not a perfect display of advice the public and storm chasers should follow.

First of all, seeking shelter under an overpass is not recommended. There is a scene where the characters try to safely navigate a tornado from here. This is not the safest area because the area becomes a wind tunnel where debris can accelerate through. Parking your car here is also not a good idea, as this can cause traffic backups during a thunderstorm. A better idea is pulling over and getting down into a ditch or low-lying area. You can cover your head here to keep you safe.

The storm chasers in the movie do not follow proper storm chasing guidance either. There is plenty of erratic driving into fields and a blatant disregard to travel laws. If you decide to participate in storm chasing, you need to follow these laws and understand the dangers of the storms you decide to chase. The movie does a good job showing the devastation that tornadoes can cause. The weather service does not condone storm chasing, but rather supports the training of storm spotters that can assist the weather service in safely reporting tornadoes that are occurring. It is also recommended you go with someone with experience in chasing storms when you try it out.

The characters also drive straight into a tornado in the movie. Not only is this not recommended, but it is also unrealistic in the movie for a truck to stay bolted to the ground with space underneath the vehicle. This space needs to be removed in order for the vehicle to not get lofted and damaged. You would need a very specialized vehicle to stay planted to the ground.

Another unrealistic feature of the movie was a tornado happening without any warning. Given the advancements in radar technology, this is highly unlikely to occur in real life. The weather service works to have a lead time of around 13 minutes for a tornado and will issue warnings based on radar data and storm spotter reports.

The movie gets its title from twin tornadoes occurring. This is something that can occur, as happened back in Nebraska in 2014. You can read more about this here .

Some of you may have a fear of tornadoes or severe weather and the movie does a good job reflecting this anxiety with the characters. The best way to combat storm anxiety is to educate yourself, make a safety plan, and monitor trusted forecast sources.

Meteorologist Chris Roller with the National Weather Service Northern Indiana says this about the movie: “You know, when we see these cool-looking clouds outside of our doors and windows, kind of our first response is often wow, let’s go take a look at that…and let’s see it. And also, when it comes to storm chasing, for those that maybe aren’t as experienced or don’t really want to go storm chasing, this might be a way to sort of live vicariously through some of the actors and really feel what they’re feeling in the instance of seeing a tornado moving through an area…through a video instead. And so, if you want that intense, that thrilling feeling, this is a great way to experience that in a safe place.”

Ultimately, this movie is not suited for everyone, especially if you do deal with tornado-related anxiety. However, the meteorology that is incorporated, the plot, and references to the original movie would lead me to recommend this film. I ultimately enjoyed this movie more than the original.

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