Big Valley Jamboree organizers say they were on stage ready to warn concert goers when a fierce storm swept in and caused the stage to collapse, leaving two people in critical condition and killing one woman who was crushed by a speaker Saturday evening.

Organizers of the music festival held a news conference Sunday morning to provide additional updates. Event producer Larry Werner had some difficulty holding back his emotions as he detailed the events of Saturday night.

Werner says staff were monitoring a weather website, which did not update in time to send out a warning. RCMP called organizers at 5:55 about a tornado that reportedly touched down in the Nisku area and warned the storm could be heading to Camrose.

"Billy Currington was in the process of wrapping up his set and we immediately let him know that he had to get off the stage so we can announce to the crowd that we had to clear the concert bowl," said Werner.

Organizers got on stage at 5:57, but by that time the wind had already come in and they say they weren't able to get out the warning to the crowd.

However, many people who were at the event are wondering why organizers didn't see the storm coming.

"We were not given any warning," said Gordey. "The singing was still going on."

Many feel the fatality and multiple injuries could have been prevented.

"The stage should have been evacuated," said Christian Haylett. "It should have been done quickly and it wasn't and there are people here who are responsible for that."

The area around Camrose was under a severe thunderstorm watch, which was issued just before 3 p.m., but Environment Canada didn't issue an actual warning until three minutes after the stage collapsed.

"It's essentially an act of God," said Environment Canada meteorologist Dan Kulak. According the Kulak it was a freak incident in which powerful wind gusts hit Camrose well before the rest of the storm.

"The wind was coming through this region right about the time when the warning was going out...we thought we were actually being more proactive by giving about a 20 minute lead warning," said Kulak.

Werner says the festival has been running 17 years and has been shut down three times before due to weather, using the same procedure that was implemented Saturday evening.

Organizers say their thoughts and prayers go out to the victim's family and families of other people who were sent to hospital with injuries.

The remaining events at the music festival have now been cancelled while investigators look into the cause of the collapse.

With files from Bill Fortier