In October 1954 an unexpected weather system hurls Hurricane Hazel out of the Caribbean via a low pressure system to re-energize over Lake Ontario, slamming into Toronto and causing 80 deaths. Swollen river systems flooded city streets and forced the city to re-engineer waterways and parks to avoid unnecessary fatalities.
In a wealthy enclave of Texas, the Consolidated School has illegally tapped into a 'wet' natural gas line to save the cost of heating. When contractors maintaining the school puncture the gas line, odorless gas fills the building, and a spark sets off an explosion that kills 455 people. Local hospitals run out of bandages, undertakers can't meet the demand for coffins and the community is forever changed. Legislation is passed that introduces mercaptan into natural gas, giving it the telltale odor we recognize today.