Nature's fury. (National).

Moviegoers in Van Wert, Ohio, got an unexpected scare last month when a real-life tornado interrupted the action onscreen. Just before the tornado struck, an alert theater manager moved everyone into a safe area inside the building.

Once the winds had died down, more than 60 people came outside to a frightening scene. The tornado had torn the roofs from two theaters and hurled three cars through a movie screen.

"You could feel the walls shaking, and you could feel it raining on you," Jessica Ross, 16, told The New York Times. Fortunately, no one inside the theater was badly hurt.

The damaged movie theater was just one scene of devastation during a weekend of twisters in early November. According to the National Weather Service, about 70 tornadoes swept through cities and towns from Louisiana to Pennsylvania. At least 36 people were killed.

Tornado winds reached speeds of 150 to 200 miles an hour and left tracks of destruction 15 and 20 miles long. The violent storms demolished homes, splintered trees, and left traffic signs bent at right angles. Carbon Hill Junior High School, in Alabama, had its roof blown off.

State government officials are assessing the damage and plan to ask for federal disaster aid. Many survivors have received food, clothing, blankets, and donations from the American Red Cross and local civic groups.

"It's no time for tears," said one Ohio resident. "It's time to rebuild."