What Was The Regina Tornado?
The Regina Tornado was, at the time this article is being written, the deadliest tornado in Canadian history. This means that it killed more people than even the Black Friday tornado and the 2007 Elie tornado. It caught the city of Regina completely off guard, partly due to the lack of tornado knowledge and warnings at the time, and partly because it was extraordinarily sudden. The city was preparing for Dominion Day (now known as Canada Day), and the residents had adorned the city with flags. Despite its small physical size and short duration, it was one of the most damaging tornadoes in the history of the country. At the time, it was commonly referred to as the Regina Cyclone. As with many similar tornadoes, it was accompanied by both heavy rain and hail.
How Powerful Was The Regina Tornado?
Although there was no way to accurately measure the wind speeds of the Regina Tornado at the time, based on the damage caused, it is estimated to have had wind speeds of 400 km/h (250 mph). This means that it would have been considered an F4 tornado on the Fujita Scale, which is the most well-known scale for judging tornado strength. F4 is the second-highest rating on this scale, and only about 1% of tornadoes reach this level of power.
Where Did The Regina Tornado Occur?
The Regina Tornado occurred in the Regina area, starting 18 km south of the city, hitting farms as it travelled north to the city. The parts of Regina that were hit the hardest were the residential area north of Wascana Lake and the central business district of the city.
When Did The Regina Tornado Happen?
The Regina Tornado occurred on June 30, 1912, at around 5:00 pm.
How Long Did The Regina Tornado Last?
There are various claims of how long the tornado lasted, with estimates ranging from only 6 minutes to as long as 20 minutes.
How Much Damage Did The Regina Tornado Do?
The Regina tornado did $4.5 million in damage at the time. That might not sound like much, but that would be significantly higher if that happened today due to inflation, with most estimates coming in at over $100 million in 2025 dollars. Around 500 buildings were destroyed, including the Canadian Pacific Railway Freight Depot, the Metropolitan Methodist Church, the Knox Presbyterian Church, the YMCA and the YWCA. Another building that was especially difficult for the city to lose was the Central Library, which was completed just six weeks prior. Enough homes were destroyed to leave 2500 people homeless.
How Many People Did The Regina Tornado Kill?
The Regina tornado killed 28 people, which is the most of any tornado that has ever occurred in Canada, putting it one ahead of the Black Friday Tornado that hit Edmonton in 1987, killing 27.
How Many People Did The Regina Tornado Injure?
The Regina Tornado injured over 300 people in total.
What Was The Aftermath Of The Regina Tornado?
The city was shocked after the Regina Tornado. The financial impact was immense, as the rebuilding of the city took two years, and paying off the debt for rebuilding the damaged areas took a decade. Given a population of 30,000, the 2,500 people left homeless were immediately noticeable.
What Is The Legacy Of The Regina Tornado?
The Regina Tornado immediately became a large part of the city’s legacy. The next day, The Morning Leader (now the Regina Leader) had the following written:
“The peaceful calm of the Sabbath afternoon had led hundreds to seek comfort at the lake. Hundreds of others wandered about the streets and to and fro in the parks. Others lounged in the comparatively cool shade of their homes, or sweltered in the heat of the sun as it chanced, and all eyed with favour the growing clouds that gathered from the south, bearing a cooling breeze or two in their fore.”
More recent works, such as the 2012 production “Swept off their feet”, by the Regina Summer Stage and the 2009 Novel Euphoria by Connie Gault have the Regina Tornado to thank for their existence.