Clem Schultz nearly died filming this tornado. Tragically, his wife was killed.
If you ever wonder how terrifying nature can be up close, watching this video will bring it home. As the massive twister rumbles toward the couple's Fairdale, Illinois, house, fear will grip you.
Although the tragedy occurred last April 9, the footage surfaced on Vimeo Monday with the help of meteorologist storm chaser Walker Ashley. It has amassed hundreds of thousands of viewers.
There isn't a Hollywood disaster movie that could touch what the now 85-year-old Schultz captured from his second-story window. As it becomes clear Schultz's home would take a direct hit from the monster, the rumble becomes louder, the screen darker.
Schultz said in Monday's Daily Herald that he thought the tornado would turn south but it didn't. It was too late for him to run down to the kitchen where his wife Geri was. Too late to take refuge in the cellar.
Schultz was buried under rubble with a broken back and quickly dug out by a neighbor, the paper noted. His wife, Geri, was already dead.
His footage serves as a reminder of that terrible moment -- and now features safety advice to deal with an oncoming tornado.
"I'm proud of it," Schultz told the Daily Herald. "My video is saving lives."
H/T Fark
