IN PHOTOS: A look back at the Pine Lake tornado 20 years later

It’s been 20 years since a devastating tornado ripped through central Alberta, killing 12 people and injuring 100 others.

On July 14, 2000, a deadly F3 tornado tore through approximately 10 kilometres of the Green Acres Campground on Pine Lake.

The tornado began as a thunderstorm west of Pine Lake, a community about 50 kilometres southeast of Red Deer. It quickly grew into the Category 3 tornado, hitting the Green Acres Campground with wind speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.

1:47 A look back at the Pine Lake tornado 20 years later

The tornado uprooted trees, flattened vehicles and hurled RVs into the water.

Weather warnings were issued by Environment Canada that day, but at the time, the provincial warning system only covered Calgary and Edmonton. Central Alberta and other regions have since been added and other improvements have been made.

Insurance covered much of the cost of the massive cleanup, but removing the debris took months for the community.

3:11 ‘I remember it clearly, but it still seems like a very surreal event’: Andrew Schultz on Pine Lake tornado

Over the years, the Pine Lake campground was redesigned with the impact of the disaster in mind.

The campground also built a memorial park surrounded by 12 trees to commemorate those who lost their lives that day.

Below are images of the devastation caused by the tornado and the days that followed.