‘Heck yeah, let’s go!’: How ‘Twister’ in 1996 inspired these North Texans to chase storms

Jesse Hawila still remembers saddling up to the TV as a kid to watch tornadoes twist, turn and rip across Oklahoma.

The future WFAA meteorologist wasn’t watching news footage; he was booting up his latest Hollywood Video VHS rental, “Twister.”

“I watched it over and over again,” Hawila told the Star-Telegram. “Not only did it foster that love for weather that I had, it also helped grow my interest in storm chasing.”

It’s been just over 28 years since “Twister” crashed into movie theaters on May 10, 1996.

The disaster film starred Helen Hunt as meteorologist Jo Harding, who wanted to study tornadoes in hopes of developing an advanced warning system. Fort Worth native Bill Paxton , who died in 2017 at age 61 after complications with heart surgery, co-starred as Jo’s estranged husband, Bill Harding, himself a former storm chaser turned weatherman.

For 113 minutes, the duo, along with a ragtag group of storm chasers, battled the elements in the pursuit of science and love. The summer blockbuster was a huge hit for Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Pictures, grossing $495 million worldwide.

Nearly three decades later, the much anticipated next chapter in the franchise, the new “Twisters” movie, opens in theaters Friday.

Ahead of the film’s release, the Star-Telegram spoke with three North Texas-based meteorologists and storm chasers about the 1996 original’s enduring legacy, plus their thoughts on the 2024 “Twisters” movie.

“I think there’s a lot of people in our generation that are more fascinated than most with weather because of that movie,” Hawila said. “It was a big deal.”

The real power of a fictional tornado

Living in southeast Oklahoma, Amanda Schroeder had already seen a tornado or two before she watched “Twister” years ago.

Schroeder, 43, a senior service hydrologist at the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office , already had an interest in weather and said the film helped personify what meteorology was.

Although fictional, Schroeder said “Twister” made everything feel real because how inherently cinematic tornadoes look. Combined with a strong visual language and lovable characters, the film struck a nerve.

Schroeder’s fondness for the film lasted throughout her studies at the University of Oklahoma and eventually into storm chasing itself.

“Admittedly, my storm chases were never that exciting,” Schroeder said. “Thank goodness.”

Having gone through college and still working in meteorology, Schroeder admits there’s a few nit picks when she watches “Twister” now.

For example, the scene where the National Severe Storms Laboratory says an F-5 tornado is on the way. In the real deal, a tornado is rated on the Fujita Scale only after it makes impact and the damage is assessed, Schroeder said.

While maybe not 100% accurate, Schroeder said, “Twister” always has a place in her heart.

“It’s kind of like when medical professionals will watch various medical shows,” Schroeder said. “You can hear the comments like, ‘Yeah, that’s not how that really happens,’”

Since watching “Twister” in high school back in 1996, Schroeder said she’s seen the film dozens of times.

That’s why when she saw the first trailer for “Twisters” several months ago, there was a feeling of curiosity. She immediately clocked that the cinematography and visual effects were much improved.

Still, Schroeder said she’s “cautiously optimistic” about the new flick. Watching “Twisters” will be different from when she watched the 1996 original, since she knows way more about meteorology now.

“I’m like, ‘Okay, I can’t be super critical. This is a movie, it’s supposed to be entertaining,’” Schroeder said. “But yeah, I think it’ll be good.”

The chase of a lifetime

Chelsea Burnett recalls spending hours in front of the television screen watching and rewinding her “Twister” VHS tape.

Burnett, 38, is a storm chaser with Texas Storm Chasers . She was already a weather-obsessed kid before ever being aware of the film. In 1996, a then 10-year-old Burnett was gifted by her family the soon-to-be-worn out “Twister” VHS tape.

In hindsight, Burnett said her family may have regretted the gift since it was the only movie in the rotation.

“It just bored everybody to death,” Burnett said. “But me, I just couldn’t get enough of it.”

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Mirroring her own storm-chasing experience, Burnett said there’s one scene in the film that still gets her amped after hundreds of viewings.

After a pit stop for steak and eggs at Aunt Meg’s house in Wakita, Okahoma, the crew hears the news that a storm is brewing. Boot up the radar, unroll the maps and strap in. It’s time to chase.

Burnett said that sprint into action is accurate and a boost of adrenaline like no other.

“It’s like, ‘Heck yeah, let’s go,’” Burnett said. “It makes me want to go out and chase.”

Any ballpark estimate for how many times Burnett has seen “Twister” is off the board, but somewhere in the hundreds.

When she heard rumblings of a sequel, Burnett’s first reaction was mixed. Typically, follow-ups are never on par with the original, she said, especially to a movie near and dear to her.

However, Burnett’s feelings changed when she learned “Twisters” isn’t a direct sequel but more so the next chapter in the franchise. There’s some connective tissue between both films, but viewers shouldn’t expect to see any legacy characters hanging around.

Burnett’s viewing plans for “Twisters” include a screening in Grand Prairie, with a panel discussion with real-life storm chasers afterwards. She’s also planning to see the film again in Moore, Oklahoma.

“It has an added significance by seeing it in one of the most hardest hit places in the United States,” Burnett said.

A communal storm

Hawila, the WFAA meteorologist, doesn’t know how many times he’s seen “Twister,” but its at least over 100 viewings.

The 34-year-old Houston native has been fascinated with weather as long as he can remember, with meteorology only ever being the sole profession on his radar. As a child, Hawila witnessed a tornado blow through his neighborhood, leaving debris everywhere.

“Twister” released around that same time, and that combination of real-life and fictional weather always stuck with him.

“Bill Paxton loved the weather just as much as I loved the weather,” Hawila said. “That’s the thing I remember most about it, it was cool to see someone else like the weather like I did.”

Hawila’s fascination and love for “Twister” has stuck with him ever since, and even inspired him to give storm chasing a go.

Every spring for the past decade, Hawila and his college meteorology buddies take a couple weeks off from work to chase storms. Without fail, the group’s first order of business is rewatching “Twister” on the first day of the hunt.

Another callback is cranking up the Deep Purple’s “Child in Time,” when they get their first tornado warning on the road. The 1970 rock song is the same tune Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character plays in the movie on the group’s first big chase.

“It’s all straight from the movie,” Hawila said. “We quote it all the time.”

Hawila and his same group of storm-chasing buddies are planning on seeing “Twisters” around the same time and reporting back.

It will be a tall task for the new iteration to top the old, but Hawila said he’s going into it with an open mind.

“I’ll give it a fair chance and just hope that I like it,” Hawila said. “I want to.”