Night of the Twisters (film)
Night of the Twisters is a 1996 made-for-TV disaster film directed by Timothy Bond. It premiered on The Family Channel on February 11, 1996 as the network’s first original movie. The film is based on Ivy Ruckman’s 1984 novel and is set in the fictional Nebraska town of Blainsworth during a night when a powerful tornado-producing storm strikes.
The story follows Danny Hatch, a teenage aspiring artist who lives with his mother Laura, his stepfather Jack, and his baby half-brother Ryan. As a fierce tornado outbreak moves into town, storm chaser Bob Iverson helps warn the residents. The Hatch home is destroyed, and Danny and his friend Arthur must escape. They soon meet Stacey and Ronnie Vae, and Laura and Laura’s sister Jenny are trapped in the damaged diner. After a series of rescues and close calls, the group finds Belle, Danny’s grandmother, and Jack is saved from an overturned truck. The family is reunited at a shelter as three tornadoes hit nearby. They narrowly escape in a Jeep and take cover under an overpass as dawn breaks. A year later, Danny is dating Stacey; Arthur becomes class president; Bob and Jenny are married with twins on the way; Jack has become a football coach and learns to support Danny; Belle has died after the storm.
Reception and availability: The Family Channel gave the movie strong viewership ratings, but many critics criticized the special effects. The film continued to air on The Family Channel (and its successor brands) until 2004. It aired in Canada on CTV on May 4, 1997. Night of the Twisters was released on VHS by GoodTimes Entertainment and MTM Home Video soon after its TV release, and later on DVD by GT Media in 2006. The film was shot in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada and runs 92 minutes.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:51 (CET).