u/ForwardClimate780

Wendel Josepher (Haynes) and Sean Whalen (Sanders)!!

These are pictures of me and the museum! Such a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Visiting rural Oklahoma for the first time was something that I can't fully explain. Being from North Florida, I have never seen land so flat and expansive. The sky was so big, I couldn't see where it ended. The wind was much stronger, and now I know what it means to be in the middle of two conflicting masses of air along the dry line. If you don't know what a "dry line" is, it's a meteorology term to describe the boundary between moist and dry air. Whenever a cold front, or a trough, passes through (accompanied by a low pressure disturbance) can produce severe weather. These storms can form ahead of the line.

It was an ominous, yet humble feeling. Standing on Elm St. in Wakita and looking out west. This was the filming location from the film "Twister" where Aunt Meg's home once stood. I may have described this in a previous post, but I'm still trying to put into words how beautiful it all was. Sorry if all my posts are about the movie and tornadoes in general, but since I went to the 30th anniversary of Twister, my fascination with tornadoes has come back with a passion. I even got to see a classic tornado siren (ones with the yellow horns) on top of a building in Caldwell, Kansas. It looked like something completely out of the movies. Like a cartoon.

Believe me, TORNADOS ARE NOTHING TO MESS WITH!!! Here in Tallahassee (where I was born and where I currently live) , we had an EF-2 hit our town back in May 2024 and I followed the tragedy outside of Enid a few weeks ago before my visit. I even say the development of a very weak funnel cloud here in North Florida back in 2009. Just because I find them fascinating doesn't mean they are something to take lightly.

I want to come back one day. This time, to storm chase. Not for the clout or the views, but with the experience of connecting with a much powerful force and being enamored with its complexity, horror, and beauty.

In Wakita, Oklahoma.

This used to be the space where Aunt Meg's home used to be from the movie "Twister".

When I stood in this very spot, I felt something. The roiling clouds above me mixed with the wind. Mark Mancina's score begins to play in my head- the one with the thunder and the wind chimes. I was channeling my inner Bill, the only thing that I didn't do was pick up the dirt and let it trail from my hand (😜).

I then looked up and up above the water tower with a look similar to Michelangelo's David.

I then walked further down the road, paused, and let the universe talk once more. I looked back overhead...

The wind sounded like thunder in my ear.

"Going blue. Get ready to saddle up."

I visited rural Oklahoma last Friday for the 30th anniversary of the movie " "Twister". Couldn't help but hum "American Teenager" while being at the event.

Wakita, Oklahoma.

Me (male) and a fellow autistic (female) both like the 1996 movie "Twister". (Although, I honestly think I'm more of a bigger fan since I went to where the movie was filmed and watched the movie three times since I got back.) I bought a lot of souvenirs, including two keychains with the trucks from the movie. In the film, Helen Hunt's character (named Joe Harding) uses her ex's (Bill Harding played by Bill Paxton) red Dodge Ram as the chase and later hero vehicle at the end. Joe's first vehicle (the yellow 1988 Jeep) was used up to the first tornado when it was destroyed by the first tornado.

I bought the two originally thinking about keeping both to myself, but then I began to ask myself if I wanted to give up one to my friend to keep as a dedication to our friendship. I immediately decided to part with the red one because in the movie, Bill gives up his new wife (the Jami Gertz character, Melissa, who can't handle storm chasing, and his Dodge Ram-it being the anchor for the DORTHEY instrument sensor package for the final tornado at the end. The message being that the two, Jo and Bill, are meant for each other. Hell, that part of the story is even mentioned after the hill tornado scene. I decided on the red one because the whole thing was Jo's idea and she should be the one to lead the mission. Having a female science lead in a major Hollywood movie back then was almost unheard of.

Before my trip, I asked her if she wanted any momentos from the trip. She said "No thank you", but now that I know she likes the film also, I bought two just in case.

As a man, I am aware of "no means no" and boundaries, so I'm still under the impression that she still doesn't want anything. But, will it hurt to ask again? Especially if I show what I bought? I mean, I can easily just keep both myself, but I wanted to see how far our friendship can go. Could it develop into something "romantic" later down the road?

I'm asking all the autistic ladies out there!

I just wanted to share some sky pictures of my trip. Picture 7 has some Mammatus clouds, indicating that a large anvil thunderhead was nearby.

"Respect The Wind"- Van Halen

These were taken with my Sony digital camera. I then put a filter on a few from my computer.

I'm still grappling with the emotions of attending the event. Twister is one of my all time favorite movies!

I'm on the autism spectrum, so please be patient on how I describe my visit.

A few weeks ago, I posted that I was going to Oklahoma to attend the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the 1996 film Twister. A few locals in the comments were a bit "apprehensive" at the fact that people were taking what are usually incredibly dangerous and scary situations very trivial-or even jovial. I'm, of course, referring to tornadoes.

I'm from Florida (Tallahassee), and while hurricanes are a common place. Tornadoes not so much. I have always been fascinated by them, and Twister has always been one of my all-time favorites.

When I went to Wakita, I visited the location of what used to be Aunt Meg's home. Then, I felt a weird swell of energy come across my body, call it a power or a presence, but the experience brought me back to the film. The darkening skies overhead and the increase in the winds. While no severe weather was forecast for the area, I couldn't help but notice the building tension at the possible idea that a thunderstorm could develop. Looking out over the flat plains beyond me, Lisa Leobe's "How" began to play in my head. Off in the distance, I saw the familiar twinkle of a Zenon white airplane collision avoidance beacon attached to a radio antenna anticipating Ms. Leobe to be interrupted mid sentence for a tornado warning (the sound mixing in the film with the news and radio broadcasts is perfectly paced to give you the feeling of a prolific tornado outbreak). Especially at the Galaxy Drive-In scene.

It could just be me, but I felt something very powerful when I visited. Like I was in direct contact with the power of weather and nature at large.

I'm still trying to come to my senses and process what I've experienced. Forgive me.

Sorry for the atrocious image quality. It appears to have a large rectangular housing and four smokestack structures on the side.

Everyone LOVED my jacket!!!!

It's become a part of lore to me even if it's not nuclear.

The hits just keep coming!

I took this picture with my phone flying out of Tampa northward to Chicago on Thursday afternoon.

"Twister" is one of my favorite movies and meteorology is a hobby special interest of mine.

The 30th anniversary of the movie "Twister", Wakita, Oklahoma, May 15, 2026.

At the Tampa International Airport.

United Boeing 737 (probably 800 class) .