BLOG: Go see ‘Twisters,’ but remain tornado-aware

The big-budget film “Twisters” opens this weekend in theaters across the nation. The film was made right here in Oklahoma and focuses on storm chasers during a dangerous tornado outbreak.

The film was directed by Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”), who grew up in Arkansas near the Oklahoma border. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos and Brandon Perea, and features a storm chaser who returns to Oklahoma five years after a storm tragedy.

While events in the film are more extreme than a typical Oklahoma day, tornado season in Oklahoma can be very dangerous and even deadly. It’s important to keep a safety plan in mind on days when storms could hit. 

Kiel Pepper is the director of safety and security at OSU-OKC and is responsible for keeping the campus appraised during inclement weather. He provides a seminar each year to educate staff and faculty on proper steps.

He shared a few short tips for anyone concerned about Oklahoma’s often-dangerous weather.

“Be weather-ready, sign up for emergency alert notifications, know your shelter location, watch (tornado is possible) vs. warning (tornado has been sighted), and help your neighbor,” he said.

One of the topics Pepper covers in his class is as he mentioned – the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning.

A watch simply means the atmosphere contains the correct ingredients to possibly form a tornado.

A warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. When there is a tornado warning, the National Weather Service indicates there is imminent danger to life and property. At that point, you should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a shelter and avoid windows.

Pepper recommends checking over the tornado safety information from the National Weather Service at weather.gov/safety/tornado.

Find out more about the film “Twisters,” see a trailer, and find showtimes at universalpictures.com/movies/twisters.