Tornado Week 2005 Delivers Real-Life Twister Tales on The Weather Channel

Tornado Week 2005 Delivers Real-Life Twister Tales on The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel(R) Spotlights Survival Stories, Suspense, and Ultimate Chaos Caused by Terrible Twisters During Special "Storm Stories" Theme Week

ATLANTA, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The sky has a greenish hue. A deafening roar builds, rapidly approaching. The wail of warning sirens pierces the air.

Dust, papers, lumber, and debris swirl about in the sky overhead. Shelter should be sought immediately. In 2004, the busiest tornado year on record, these experiences occurred more than ever. Now, with the active tornado season just a month away, The Weather Channel will serve up plenty of historically wicked tornadic activity as part of its upcoming "Storm Stories: Tornado Week."

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050304/LAFRU9 )

Scheduled to air March 6-12 at 8 p.m. ET on the popular all-weather network, a tornado-themed week of primetime programming will be the focus of fourteen "Storm Stories" episodes; real life experiences will put a spotlight on the chaos caused by these twisters and on the people whose lives were changed forever as a result. Additionally, the special episodes will serve to heighten public awareness to the dangerous conditions that accompany severe weather frequently seen in the spring and summer.

In addition to each night's "Storm Stories" episodes, special reports further investigating certain shows will air Monday through Thursday during Evening Edition, the network's popular primetime program which runs from 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET.

Sunday, March 6 - 8:00 p.m. - "Hallam, Nebraska Tornado" PREMIERE - After an F-4 tornado strikes Hallam, Nebraska, a total of 55 dogs, nine cats, and an iguana all make it back to their owners through the extraordinary efforts made by Lincoln Animal Control and the Humane Society.

8:30 p.m. - "Storm Chasing Rescue" PREMIERE - Two storm chasers rescue the victim of a tornado just outside of Wichita, Kansas.

Monday, March 7 - 8:00 p.m. - "White Snake Tornado" - Veteran storm chasers are put to the test as they encounter a series of dangerous tornadoes.

8:30 p.m. - "Utica Tornado" - April 20, 2004. An F-3 tornado rips through the small town of Utica, Illinois, as a tornado outbreak spawns twisters across the north, northeast, and central parts of the state.

Tuesday, March 8 - 8:00 p.m. - "Nashville Tornado" - April 16, 1998. A rare F-2 tornado hits Nashville, Tennessee, leaving the downtown area resembling a war zone.

8:30 p.m. - "Manchester Tornado" - The small town of Manchester, SD, is nearly wiped off the map by an F-4 tornado. Many families lose everything they own to the awesome power of the tornado, but fortunately no one loses their life.

Wednesday, March 9 - 8:00 p.m. - "Roanoke Tornado" PREMIERE - Four dramatic accounts of an F-4 tornado which rips through the town of Roanoke, Illinois.

8:30 p.m. - "Without Warning" - June 18th, 2001 - Siren, WI, is struck with an F-3 Tornado and city officials had no way to warn the townspeople.

Thursday, March 10 - 8:00 p.m. - "'74 Super Outbreak" - As one hundred and forty-eight tornadoes rip through thirteen states, tornado alarms sound in the tiny town of Xenia, Ohio, warning residents of the upcoming danger and bringing experts as close to F-6 damage as they may ever get.

8:30 p.m. - "Too Far From Shelter" - May 4th, 2003 - During an F-2 tornado a man loses his girlfriend while they try to save her horses.

Friday, March 11 - 8:00 p.m. - "Shelter From The Storm" - Pierce City, MO, is devastated by an F-3 tornado. Most residents take shelter in the Armory since it's thought to be one of the sturdiest structures in the area. More than 12,000 homes were lost and 45 people died in the area between Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.

8:30 p.m. - "Blown From Her Arms" - A 10-month-old and her mother are snatched up into the funnel as a tornado tears across Oklahoma in 1999.

Saturday, March 12 - 8:00 p.m. - "The Deafening Sound" - A family survives not one but two tornadoes in November, 2002.

8:30 p.m. - "Salt Lake City Tornado" - August 11, 1999 - A rare event occurs as an F-2 tornado rolls through a major downtown area.

Airing in conjunction with the "Storm Stories: Tornado Week" episodes, The Weather Channel will also present special on-air segments that present further information on some of the most devastating tornadoes of 2004 during its popular primetime program "Evening Edition" (9-11 p.m. ET). These reports will shed further insight into the tornadoes that struck Utica and Roanoke in Illinois and Hallam, NE, and how they affected these towns and their residents.

"Within a matter of seconds, a tornado can change people's lives forever," said Patrick Scott, president of The Weather Channel Networks. "By recognizing the warning signs of tornadic activity and by taking to heart the valuable safety lessons provided throughout the series, we hope that viewers will be increasingly aware of the dangers associated with tornadoes and how to protect themselves and their families in advance of the upcoming severe weather season."

"Storm Stories" is hosted by Storm Tracker Jim Cantore, a veteran field reporter and on-camera meteorologist at The Weather Channel. Viewers are encouraged to find out more about these suspense-filled episodes by visiting www.weather.com/stormstories .

The Weather Channel viewers can also be alerted to tornado warnings and the latest hazardous weather conditions by signing up for Notify! by The Weather Channel. Notify! automatically delivers severe weather watches and warnings, from the National Weather Service, for any U.S. zip code or city name specified by the subscriber. In addition to tornado watches and warnings, these alerts also include watches and warnings for severe thunderstorms, flash floods, hurricanes and more. Subscribers can elect to have this information delivered via voice, wireless text, email or a combination of all three. For additional information or to subscribe today, visit www.weather.com/notify .

For an interview with Jim Cantore or for additional information on any of the "Storm Stories: Tornado Week" featured episodes, contact Kathy Lane at 770-226-2102 or Matt Boyter at 770-226-2191.

BACKGROUND

The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in over 88 million U.S. households. Its Web site, weather.com, is consistently ranked among the Top 10 of all Web sites by Nielsen//NetRatings. The Weather Channel also operates Weatherscan, a 24-hour, all-local weather network distributed to 8 million households, The Weather Channel Radio Network, The Weather Channel Newspaper Services and is the leading weather information provider for emerging technologies. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, VA-based, privately held media company.

Contact: Kathy Lane Matt Boyter 770-226-2102 770-226-2191 klane@weather.commboyter@weather.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050304/LAFRU9 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: The Weather Channel

CONTACT: Kathy Lane, +1-770-226-2102, or klane@weather.com , or Matt Boyter, +1-770-226-2191, or mboyter@weather.com , both of The Weather Channel

Web site: http://www.weather.com/ http://www.weather.com/stormstories http://www.weather.com/notify

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