Movie - Into the Storm (2014)

 

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Plot

In the town of Silverton, Oklahoma, the local high school senior class prepares for graduation. The high school's vice-principal, Gary Fuller, has asked his two sons, Trey and Donnie, to record messages from the seniors for a time capsule to be opened in 25 years. Elsewhere, Pete, a veteran storm chaser, has been attempting to intercept and film tornadoes using a Tornado Intercept Vehicle nicknamed Titus, but has come up short all year long. Upon learning of a major line of developing storms, the chasers decide to head for Silverton in hopes of filming tornadoes. After arriving in Silverton, the team discovers that the cell they had been chasing has dissipated, but the Silverton cell abruptly strengthens, resulting in a hailstorm and tornado. As the team films, the funnel shifts course and heads for the high school.

At the high school, the weather suddenly sours. The students are marshaled into the school building. In the aftermath of the tornado, shaken students emerge from the damaged building to view the destruction, while Gary sets out to rescue his eldest son Donnie, who had gone to an abandoned paper mill to help his friend Kaitlyn with a project; both were subsequently trapped when the tornado brought the building down on them.

As Pete's storm chase team stops in a small part of town, a tornado takes shape just as Gary and Trey arrive, destroying several buildings. Before the tornado dissipates Gary must save Pete's meteorologist, Allison Stone. Then, Pete's team agree to help Gary get to the paper mill. While en route, another round of tornadoes form and encircle Pete's team, in the process destroying a residential neighborhood and a car lot. An explosion turns one of the tornadoes into a firenado, which Jacob the cameraman tries to film, only to be caught up in the storm and killed. This causes friction in the team, as Pete's concern seems to be more on collecting data than ensuring his team's safety, until Daryl admits that he pressured Jacob into filming, causing his death. After recovering their vehicles, Allison leaves with Gary to continue their trip to the paper mill.

At the mill, a water pipe abruptly breaks and begins to flood the hole in which Donnie and Kaitlyn are trapped. Injured and at risk of drowning, the two record messages for their loved ones, then prepare for the worst. At the last minute, Gary and Allison arrive and successfully free them.

In the skies above Silverton, a convergence of two large tornadoes results in a colossal EF-5 tornado that threatens to level the town. The town's citizens have taken shelter at the school, but Pete's team determines that the school's storm shelter will be inadequate. Unable to alert the school's staff with mobile devices, Pete's team rushes to the school. While citizens rush to board school buses, Pete and his team follow the storm, but the last school bus and a handful of cars are cut off from the retreat due to a downed transmission tower.

The storm chasers and school refugees take cover in a storm drain at a construction site, but a truck from the airport that the tornado struck damages one of the storm grates, compromising the shelter. In an attempt to save lives, Pete hands over his research hard drives to Gary, then sacrifices himself by leaving the shelter to move Titus down to the storm grate, to use the vehicle to anchor the storm grate to the concrete face and has the others tie its towline to the crashed truck for support. Titus's equipment proves unable to anchor the vehicle to the ground, and the tornado picks up the vehicle. From the camera turret aboard Titus, Pete observes the funnel of the tornado as the vehicle is lifted above the clouds, fulfilling his dream, before then crashing to the ground, killing him and wrecking Titus. Shortly thereafter, the EF-5 tornado dissipates.

In the aftermath of the tornado outbreak, the townspeople begin to clean up and rebuild. As Gary's sons complete their time capsule film, many of those they interview express newfound appreciations for their lives. Allison praises Pete's sacrifice and dedication to science. The last footage shows two local daredevils Donk and Reevis, who were sucked up by the tornado, have survived the storm.