Occurrence Regina Cyclone

damage ymca on 12th avenue north of victoria park.

the tornado hit regina @ approximately 5:00 p.m. on june 30, 1912. tornado formed 18 km south of city , 150 metres wide time reached regina. worst damage in residential area north of wascana lake , central business district. many buildings, both brick , wood, entirely destroyed. new central library building opened may 11, 1912, , 6 weeks later, new library among many buildings suffered damage.

victoria avenue , smith street west of metropolitan methodist church, across smith street current city hall.

in twenty minutes leveled number of houses, , caused other houses explode pressure inside structures rose when tornado passed overhead. affluent residential area south substantially diminished, tornado left houses untouched here , there adjacent houses flattened. [i]n warehouse district, destroyed many of storage buildings. cpr roundhouse stripped rafters, , boxcars pulled tracks , hurtled air.

such damage appalling see experience since regina had been built on entirely featureless plain, lacking trees or vegetation other natural wild prairie grass , without hills or rivers apart tiny spring runnoff wascana creek, flowed in spring.

cyclone claimed twenty-eight lives , worst in canadian history in terms of deaths. rendered 2,500 persons temporarily homeless, , caused on $1,200,000 in property damage. took city 2 years repair damage , ten years pay off storm debt.