Calamity The beating down of standing corn by wind or storm. The word is derived from the Latin
calamus (a stalk of corn). Hence, Cicero calls a storm Calamitosa tempestas (a corn-levelling tempest).

“Another ill accident is drought, and the spoiling of the corn; inasmuch as the word `calamity'
was first derived from calamus (stalk), when the corn could not get out of the ear.”- Bacon.