As the vast chain of wildfires known as the Big Burn spread across the northern Rockies in 1910, teams of Forest Rangers, firefighters, and normal citizens alike fought tooth and nail to protect their towns. But in the face of such overwhelming force, there was little they could do to fight the power of Mother Nature.

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It was the largest natural blaze in U.S. history—the result of human agricultural inexperience, a freak climate, and unbridled westward expansion by American corporations and homesteaders. The catastrophic wildfire of 1910 incinerated over 4,000 miles of the western United States and came to be known as the “Big Burn.” 

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From November 7th through the 10th, 1913, the Great Lakes of North America experienced one of the worst storms on record for the region. The inland cyclone came to be known as the “White Hurricane,” and cost hundreds of lives and millions of dollars in damages.

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In 1913, an inland cyclone struck Lake Superior and Lake Huron and buried the city of Cleveland in snow. Several freighters went to the bottom of the lakes, and the storm set new records for snowfall and wind speed.

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During the last week of January 1910, the citizens of Paris fought to survive a deluge of freezing water and raw sewage that covered their city. Police and fire departments were stretched to their limits rescuing trapped and injured citizens. 

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For the six months leading up to January 1910, France experienced record-setting rainfall that predicated one of the worst floods in history. By the time the rain stopped falling, the Seine River had risen almost thirty feet and inundated the city of Paris.

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The majority of Pompeiians traveled south to other villages, or escaped by boat on the Bay of Naples. However, some 2000 residents chose to remain in the city, believing it was wiser to batten down the hatches. It was a decision that proved fatal.

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In 79 CE, the Roman citizens of Pompeii and Herculaneum believed that Mount Vesuvius was an extinct volcano. That is, until the mountain exploded—filling the sky with debris. Meanwhile, a military commander embarked on a daring rescue mission to the volcano’s shores.

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