School surveillance video from April 2022 tornado in Andover, KS

Surveillance cameras at Prairie Creek Elementary School in Andover, Kansas, captured an EF-3 tornado as it struck the school and a nearby YMCA on April 29, 2022. No students were in the building when the tornado struck, and no one lost their life in the Andover community. The Prairie Creek building sustained substantial damage in the storm.

[KingKP]

I think the most terrifying display here is the fact that the storm was able to physically drag a car away like it was nothing.

I was expecting to move maybe 5-10 feet, but it got dragged clear off frame and even further beyond that. That's actually crazy.

[blkeclipsel]

Whoever installed the surveillance system should be commended for their equipment and workmanship. We literally witnessed entire vehicles being blown away and yet the cameras remained both in place and operational.

[gracemonoe]

This footage is incredible, I cannot believe how clear it is. I’ve never seen the “inside” of a tornado like that. Seen a lot of car get pushed by strong wind but never ones that have gotten sucked into something that is bananas

[talyar]

1:40 was both breathtakingly beautiful and terrifying. I’ve never seen that angle of a tornado before. It was like a spinning ocean charging through the neighborhood or a giant monster in a long skirt, sweeping through with no more concern than if they were walking in their garden. I’ve never seen a shot of a tornado sweeping along the ground like that. 🤯 I hope everyone was okay.

[delta]

Just like a lot of people here, I've never seen such close-up footage of a tornado.
I didn't realize how destructive the flying debris could be.

[.]

It's not the wind that gets you, it's the debris. The sparks flying everywhere shows how forceful the collisions are.

[Itz_Togatt]

For some reason it's so satisfying how to board just cleanly slides into place at 0:08 and then doesn't move for like 20 seconds amidst the chaos around it.

[TSBJunkie]

There are very few videos that can make my jaw drop anymore, but witnessing this up close is amazing. Whatever caused the image to change to red at 1:15 was a horrific moment.

[sleep-deprivedalien]

as someone who lives in europe, this feels like a scene from a movie to me. it’s truly a haunting sight. hope everyone’s okay out there 👍

[mikescarborough]

Hands down the best tornado footage I've ever seen in terms of up close destruction, the variety of angles, and video resolution. My desire to see one of these in person has been quenched. I don't want to get anywhere near this force. It would be like standing in a food processor and getting cut to shreds by debris.

[LESAM-IAM]

I love how you showed us the window flying away from the building, from the outside cam, and then showed it leaving its wall, from the inside cam.

[briansimcoe]

Love the progression of this video through all the different cameras, especially after seeing a different one of the same event tearing off roofs, and knowing that was what was strewn all over the school.

[Norogoth]

HUGE shoutout to andover public schools for putting this together, for posting it and for enabling comments on their video. Definitely appreciate it. Most public school districts wouldn't do all that, especially allowing comments.

Glad no one was hurt.

[jnb]

As someone that installs security cameras I have to say "Great Job" to whoever put those cameras up. Only one loss after going through a pretty powerful tornado like that is a sign of a great install tech!

[LAHockeyMaxx]

The power of nature and natural disasters never cease to amaze me. Truly incredible footage

[aramahsann]

I have to give kudos to the makers of the playground equipment! The school as well.
I know the damage was bad and people lost loved ones and their homes. Im so sorry for your loss.

[miscottw]

I never really thought about the wind direction of a tornado before, but seeing this footage made me realize that the motion is towards the tornado instead of away from it. Probably was obvious to a lot of people, but I had never seen footage this close and clear before to see things being sucked in to the vortex. Scary stuff to see that car in the parking lot moved like it was nothing.

[rapidrotation]

What's insane to me is that the vortex is so clearly defined even at ground level, this thing was insanely tight-wrapped compared to a lot of tornadoes. I don't think I've ever seen footage like this before, where you can physically see it sweep across the camera's field of view.

[bikotheanimator]

What lesson was learned here today, kids? The spirit of the cameraman ALWAYS survives. Always have your cameras recording during moments of disaster.

[tristmist]

I don't know why I'm just now seeing this as I watched this thing go across my hometown from my back porch and helped clean up behind our Dillon's in view of this school and our Y. It's insane the damage that this caused and the fact no lives were lost.