Tornado Talk Podcast Episode 7: The 1966 Topeka Tornado
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- “For God’s Sake! Take Cover!” - Some of the most powerful words spoken on television by news anchor Bill Kurtis on June 8, 1966! He was broadcasting live on WIBW-TV in Topeka, KS as a massive tornado was heading through the city. This week on Tornado Talk: A look back at the 1966 Topeka Tornado. Bill Kurtis tells the story of how things unfolded that day. Carol Yoho was only 16 when the tornado hit. She reflects back on how she survived that day. Chad Omitt from the National Weather Service in Topeka takes us back to the weather situation on June 8. Zach Ahrens president of the Topeka Capital Journal tells us how the paper was instrumental in keeping folks informed in the aftermath.
We lived right behind Washburn University and were sitting at the dinner table when we heard this noise increasing in volume which sounded just like a railroad. A friend of mine who had stayed for dinner said: "That sounds like a tornado." My parents, my brother, my friend Pete (who is today a prominent lawyer in Topeka) watched the news on the TV and Bill Curtiss, anchorman was saying: "For God's sake take cover." We ran to the basement, grabbed our dog and at that moment the tornado was going over over our house. It lasted a minute or less. The noise was horrific, the house was shaking and some weird light was coming through cracks in the wall. Finally the sound began to indicate that it was going away. When it was quiet we were able to push an exit door by pushing very hard because a tree had fallen on it. When we came out we couldn't believe the devastation. Two houses away from ours all that was left was a toilet where the house stood before. Some yards away a pick up truck was wrapped around a tree like a ring around a finger. There were trees lying all over the street and electrical wires on the ground, many still live. My father was a doctor at the VA Hospital and he said: "I have to go to the hospital." We ran to the nearest main street and my dad flagged down an army ambulance-there were sirens all over the city by now- and he told them he was a doctor. Two soldiers told him: "Jump in doctor, we'll take you there," My brother, friend and I went back home. Some weeks later, a farmer, some 20 miles away called my dad and told him he had one of his medical books -it had the name and phone number-The tornado had dropped it there. Washburn University, which both my brother and I were attending was half destroyed. It was a day impossible to forget. Twenty six later I went througha similar experience with Hurricane Andrew in Miami Florida. Gabe Meruelo.
Gabriel Meruelo WOW! Thank you so much for sharing!
A night I will never forget and think of often. I was 8 years old. Thank you for the conversation. You have encouraged me to write my own memoir of the event.
I was watching my favorite TV show, "Lost in Space" I was eleven, and annoyed because they kept having interruptions for weather updates. Then, just before 7:00PM, the sirens went off and all hell broke loose. Mom got me and my sisters downstairs, and it passed about a mile to the south of us, over Burnett's Mound.
Nover forget it. I was six and me and my sister were sitting down to watch what I think was a Peanuts special. We lived at the base of Burnett's Mound and often played up there. We had a babysitter from Chicago that night, funny how much a six year old learns about what to do when you live there.
Are you ok, from that tornado?
Anyone else think it’s a damn shame this tornado didn’t wipe out the Westboro Baptist Church and all of its members?🤔
Kind of a shame you have the time to spew such hatred. What was your goal? I hope people who don't disagree with you don't lash out like that against you.
@Boat Lover This is an old comment and while I’m not one to wish death onto people; I don’t know if that organization in perticualr is one you want to defend.
no video is this a joke???????????????
It is not a joke. Our podcasts were originally audio only. When we stopped creating them, I archived them on TH-cam as audio only. Someday, a video or slideshow may be created but that is not a priority as it is tedious to do. For now, enjoy the story in audio form!
@@TornadoTalk Audio form is great for background doing other stuff :)
@@questionablebackyardmeows Thank you! We agree! 😊
@@TornadoTalk Hopefully you'll have some more longform content up here soon! I've binged all of these twice :)
@@TornadoTalk I happen to like listening to the longform podcasts when I'm doing something like playing a game or such because I don't have to stop to find a new video for a while, etc