Jake Thorne (Bruce Campbell) is a storm chaser whose friend and former graduate school advisor, Dr. Joe Branson (Ernie Hudson), has developed a machine that may be able to provide earlier tornado warnings. Samantha Callen (Shannon Sturges) is a government auditor who must determine whether Dr. Branson's project warrants more funding. Jake has to try to convince Samantha that the machine is worthwhile. During the process, Jake and Samantha become romantically attracted to each other, but powerful tornadoes threaten the lives of all the major characters. The film ends with Jake's grandfather, Ephram, sacrifices himself to drive machine's disabled leg into soil. The tornado takes Ephram, while everyone in the storm cellar starts to clean up. Jake becomes upset that his grandfather died, but Samantha tells him that he saved their lives by fighting this tornado, and that Jake must never let anything like this happen again.

• Bruce Campbell as Jake Thorne
• Ernie Hudson as Dr. Joe Branson
• Shannon Sturges as Samantha Callen
• Bo Eason as "Tex" Fulton
• L. Q. Jones as Ephram Thorne
• Shannon Woodward as Lucy

Tornado! was filmed primarily in Austin, Texas, including scenes at local Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate KTBC. The film runs 89 minutes, and has been released on VHS, DVD and Netflix. It is rated PG for some perilous weather sequences, mild language, and sensuality.

• Twister, a 1996 theatrical release

• Tornado! at IMDb