Hugh Nibley
"According to an eyewitness account, the great earthquake that completely destroyed the old capital of Guatemala on September 11, 1541, was preceded by 'the fury of the wind, the incessant, appalling lightning and dreadful thunder' that were 'indescribable' in their violence. One of the still unexplained phenomena of earthquakes is that 'all types of lights are reported seen. . . . There are flashes, balls of fire, and streamers.' The terrible wind at Guatemala City is matched in the Book of Mormon by high winds with occasional whirlwinds that even carried some people away." (Since Cumorah, p. 233)