Man films monster tornado which kill wife

Clarence 'Clem' Schultz was lucky to escape with his life when an EF-4 tornado took a direct hit on his house in Fairdale, Illinois, on April 9, 2015.

All he could do was watch and record the terrifying winds take over his home as it tore apart power lines and destroyed the house where he and wife, Geri, once lived.

As the twister approaches, the roar of the tornado grows, going from a discomforting silence to a loud roar, punctuated by the sound of breaking glass.

The house was completely destroyed, burying him in rubble.

Though injured, he survived. But his wife, Geri, was killed, as was a neighbour, with 20 others injured.

Now, almost a year later, footage he shot of the tornado has emerged on Vimeo, showing the massive twister slowly edge toward his home, first engulfing a neighbour's house before falling upon him with full force.

Schultz told the Daily Herald he was upstairs getting lanterns when he spied the tornado. It seemed as though it would stay south of the community, so he pulled out his phone and hit record.

As for the video, Schultz eventually shared it with a meteorology student, who included it in his studies.

It was uploaded to Vimeo this week, and the Herald reports it will shortly be shown at an international atmospheric science convention in California.

He realised his video could help save people through research.

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