These dudes are so much calmer than I would’ve been.

On April 3, 1964, the day known as Black Friday, Wichita Falls’ own KAUZ-TV made history by broadcasting live footage of the violent F5 tornado that struck Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base.

YouTube
YouTube
loading...

Even though the station had broadcast live footage of a smaller tornado in 1959, the footage wasn’t preserved on videotape, making the 1964 tornado the first to be broadcast live and preserved on tape.

The footage of a program that documented the tornado and its aftermath was recently remastered in 1080p HD by cinematographer/storm chaser Blake Naftel.

Get our free mobile app

The weather team at the time did an outstanding job of tracking the tornado from start to finish. They were on the scene as the tornado formed just north of F.M. 369 and Seymour Highway at around 2:35 that afternoon.

YouTube
YouTube
loading...

The team then changed their position, where they were able to capture the tornado as it carved a path of destruction through the north side of town.

YouTube
YouTube
loading...

The footage eventually turns to the aftermath of the tornado, focusing on the heavily damaged Sunset Terrace housing development.

Johnny Thrash
Johnny Thrash
loading...

The slow-moving tornado cut a path that was several hundred yards wide and 5.6 miles long. The storm claimed the lives of 7 people.

YouTube
YouTube
loading...

While the Terrible Tuesday tornado that hit Wichita Falls on April 10, 1979 is probably the most well-known tornado to hit the city, it was rated an F4, making the Black Friday tornado the only F5 to ever hit the Wichita Falls.

Watch the newly remastered footage here.

KEEP READING: What to do after a tornado strikes

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

More From 106.3 The Buzz