"With the hail coming down hard and the tornado so wide you could see it, you feel hopeless in its path and know there is nothing you can do, " said Ms. Jones, a 27-year-old employee of the Federal Aviation Administration.

WSJ: Oklahoma Grapples With Tornadoes' Toll

Lady Thatcher's performance at European summits could sometimes inspire the sort of awe you feel when an enraged terrier mounts a hopeless attack on a doberman.

ECONOMIST: Blair of Arabia