A book about when the west began again
TORNADO
AT THE TOWER
At the turn of the century, a HISTORIC tornado slammed the skyscraper at the heart of DOWNTOWN Fort Worth.
Jim Eagle was on the top floor when it struck, not realizing his home had already been decimated by the storm. Tornado at the Tower is a true story of a man who lost everything, and vied to rebuild not only his home, but also his city along with it.
Anchored in meticulous research, oral histories, and interviews with real Fort Worth figures, Tornado at the Tower is a cinematic, character‑driven “based on a true story” novel that turns one regional weather event into an epic tale of faith, resilience, and the high cost of doing the right thing when everyone’s looking for someone to blame.
Written by Fort Worth native Rob Smat, the book is a love letter to the challenges faced both during and after the North Texas tornado swarm of March 28th, 2000.
“[Smat’s] experience as a filmmaker gives him a unique eye...for finding stories that need to be told.”
– Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“A made-for-TV drama…about the first skyscraper to encounter a twister.”
– Matt Houston, WFAA
Where the west began again
WFAA’s coverage of THE BOOK on the storm’s 25th anniversary
FROM THE BOOK
“Barely a mile away, a tornado a half‑mile wide was swirling, almost totally suspended.”
“A tower that had never lost a single pane was now in danger of losing every single one.”
“It was the first major tornado to strike a population center in almost a hundred years.”
Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rob Smat moved to Fort Worth as a child in the immediate aftermath of the tornado, and would spend his next two decades there, until attending USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
He directed the 2019 indie film THE LAST WHISTLE, which made him one of Netflix’s youngest licensed filmmakers at the time, and established Fort Worth as a production hotspot for film and television.
TORNADO AT THE TOWER is Smat’s third book after POWER TO THE PLAYERS and THE WEDDING MARCH. His debut novel, THE EARLY MAN, will sign with a publisher shortly.
He currently splits time between Phoenix, Southern California, and Benbrook, where he writes screenplays, and continues to develop stories in whatever form may be best.
