Nature's Fury

Human beings have always been at the mercy of Mother Nature and her varied weather patterns. Regardless of the level of preparation for unexpected dangers, there are always those surprise forces of nature that bring tragic consequences. The inhabitants of middle North America know all too well the risks of the winds of Tornado Alley.

The Regina Tornado: On June 30, 1912, two dark and ominous clouds met south of Regina, Canada, resulting in a tornado that raged towards the city. Side-stepping the magnificent new Legislature Buildings, it rampaged through the city's richest neighbourhood, destroyed Regina's three largest churches and many of the beautiful stone buildings in the city's core. Twenty-eight died, among them a newly wed couple who had narrowly missed the maiden voyage of the Titanic, only to have fate catch up with them in Regina. The property damage was $5,000,000, which is more than $120,000,000 by today's standards.

The American Super Outbreak: Between the days of April 3-4,1974, a cluster of tornadoes raged against 13 U.S. states. The outbreak produced a total of 148 tornadoes across Illinois, Indiana and Michigan that moved southward through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys into Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. In just under 16 hours, the twisters stormed through the American mid-west killing 324 people, injuring hundreds and causing damage that ran into the millions.