u/pretendthisis_aname

https://youtu.be/qxEq6Aiyu0g?si=oeHZL8tu3VHbvo0t

This is a REALLY rare storm chasing documentary titled “Norman, OK” (filmed in 2003, released in 2009) by John Yost.

During the 2003 tornado season, a film crew from RIT traveled to Norman, Oklahoma to document storm chasing activity. The result is an observational documentary showing life in the field during that period, which ended up being the calmest 2 weeks of the season.

It includes some of the earliest footage of the TIV-1 (Tornado Intercept Vehicle 1) but also recording the Doppler on Wheels (DOW), along with interview and observational segments featuring storm chasers and researchers including Sean Casey.

The documentary was unavailable everywhere, could not find to watch, and I couldn’t find it through normal sources. I contacted the filmmaker, who made it over 20 years ago, and he said he was open to wider sharing due to interest from storm chasing and meteorology communities. I offered to help make it accessible, and he kindly gave permission for it to be shared.

Sharing here for anyone interested in very rare storm chasing history and EARLY TIV-era / DOW documentation.

Hey everyone, I’m trying to find any information about a really obscure documentary called “Norman, OK” from 2009. It’s listed as a short (27 min) low-budget ($3,000) storm chasing film, shot in Norman, Oklahoma.

The only info I can find is the plot summary, which is:

“During the height of the 2003 tornado season, a film crew from RIT travels to Norman, OK to document the exciting life of a tornado chaser. It ended up being the calmest two weeks of the season.”

That’s literally all I’ve been able to find. No clips, no uploads, no discussions, basically NOTHING. I’ve never heard anyone talk about it before, and it almost feels like it barely existed outside of a small release.

It involves real storm chasers or researchers like Joshua Wurman, Sean Casey and Herb Stein.

Has anyone here ever seen this, owns a copy, or knows where it could be found (old DVDs, archives, university collections, etc.)? Even small details would help a lot.

Thanks!