Topeka ? It’s been nearly 37 years since television newsman Bill Kurtis shouted his urgent on-air appeal, “For God’s sake, take cover.”

Now, Kurtis’ memories of the June 8, 1966, tornado that touched down in the heart of Topeka — killing 16 people, injuring 500 and destroying 820 homes — will become part of a local historical collection.

Historians at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library are working to archive people’s memories of the storm, which caused $100 million in damages, making it the costliest tornado in U.S. history at the time.

Kurtis agreed to add his memories to the file by participating in an interview with The Topeka Capital-Journal.

“It was almost a pivot point for my life and my career,” Kurtis said during a telephone interview from his Chicago office. “Maybe that’s the most important moment of my life.”

The then-26-year-old Kurtis had just graduated from Washburn Law School, was studying to take the Kansas bar exam and was working at WIBW, Topeka’s CBS affiliate.

At 6:30 p.m., Kurtis had just wrapped up the evening newscast when the first weather bulletin alerted the staff that a storm was approaching from Manhattan, where wind had torn roofs off garages. Kurtis decided to stay at the studio rather than head to a study class.

About 6:45 p.m., WIBW cut in with its first weather advisory. Kurtis initially thought the twister would hit Burnett’s Mound and bounce back into the atmosphere.

A WIBW cameraman went to Burnett’s Mound to observe the storm. He radioed in to report that a relatively new luxury apartment complex had been destroyed. Kurtis then realized the tornado was much more powerful — and was headed straight through town toward the Capitol.

“That’s when I knew that I had to say something to get people into the basement and convince them that this was the real thing,” he said. “I felt like crying on the one hand, a kind of hysteria. I thought about cussing. All this in a split second. That’s when I blurted out, ‘For God’s sake, take cover!'”

Kurtis said the effect he had on Topeka residents — many of whom have since said he saved their lives — encouraged him to remain in broadcasting, rather than pursue a job offer at a Wichita law firm.

“I had to reach down inside and kind of face the beast there and choke back the emotion, to override my emotions and actually give a warning,” he said. “That was, for me, a very personal challenge. From that moment, the rest of my life was dictated, which was a decision to stay in broadcasting and pursue that career instead of practicing law in Kansas.”

Three months later, he moved on to Chicago and a career with CBS that lasted 30 years, including a stint as the national morning news anchor in New York in 1982-85.

He later started his own production company, Kurtis Productions. He now anchors three shows on the Arts and Entertainment cable network.

The memories of Kurtis and other residents will bolster an already rich collection of local history in the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, said Jeanne Mithen, a special collections librarian.

The tornado collection will be used during a special program June 8.