Massive tornado hits Joplin, MO.

[MizzouCowboy]

Simply unbelievable destruction. My daughter and her husbands house is completely demolished, as is my mother-in-laws. Somehow none of them are injured.

Never did I dream I would have to walk through mass destruction and try to figure out where and which house is my daughter's, and then walk through the rubble yelling out names.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thankful your family is okay, prayers for all of the stress & strain that lies ahead.

[Lathum]

prayers for your family, thank God they are safe, possessions can be replaced.

[RainMaker]

Friend of mine's parents just lost their home. Very sad news, thankfully everyone is alright.

[Swaggs]

Sorry for their losses, but glad that everyone's health is intact. It has been a frightening few years for natural disasters.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pretty good video of what happens when a tornado hits. Darker, darker, then it sounds like a train rolls through the building. Whole lot of prayin' after that.

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cQnvxJZucds" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[JPhillips]

Thank God your family is safe. Shocking death toll already.

[MizzouRah]

Very sad to hear the death toll this morning, my prayers go out to the people of Joplin. :(

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Bunch of pics on this feed from a citizen......

Flickr: Cloven Life's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/clovenlife/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Two amazing video from the Weather Channel. Reporter talks in first video and runs into guy begging for gloves to dig through rubble to get to people. Second video is where reporter recounts that he has already seen dead lying in the streets and rubble.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/emotional-reaction-to-pure-devastation-20705

[JeeberDMack]

My wife's parents live in Carl Junction, a suburb of Joplin. Their house is about 6 miles from the area that was hardest hit. They and their house are both fine, but my FIL thinks he may have lost some employees...

[RainMaker]

Apparently they lost their house and car. The hospital she works at is essentially destroyed from what they are saying. Extremely lucky to be alive and have a room in their basement with no windows. Here is a photo sent from a phone of their street. It used to be lined with trees.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3194702/jop.jpg

[Butter]

Here is what the Joplin Dillon's store looks like. Astonishingly, everyone in the store was able to crowd into the freezer area and avoid serious injury.

[Logan]

Didn't realize until just a minute ago that my agency has a field office in Joplin. Thankfully everyone and their families are safe.

[MizzouRah]

Death toll at 116.. that picture is unreal. I couldn't imagine what those people were going through while the twister was coming through.

[tarcone]

I was talking to people that lived in the area. Not many basements in Joplin. It is on top of limestone, caves and mines. A friend went to school at SW Baptist in Jolin and worked at the Wal-Mart that was destroyed. He said that the floor would sway when you pulled a pallet across it.
The Cop that works at our school said Joplin sent out a request for 300 more body bags. The death toll could be very high.

Here is a picture of Joplin H.S. 2200 students go to this school.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/304541859.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJF3XCCKACR3QDMOA&Expires=1306194205&Signature=LqwyoO6%2BIu03D1rJwaOz8ZEcJqU%3D

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I was talking to people that lived in the area. Not many basements in Joplin. It is on top of limestone, caves and mines.

Most of southwest Missouri is the same way. Springfield, MO is a large town with a basement being a rarity. A centrally located room is the place to go under that circumstance, but doesn't do much good if the whole house is leveled. I can't imagine living without a basement or in a mobile home in Tornado Alley. I'd certainly invest in a tornado shelter for my backyard if faced with that option.

[Scoobz0202]

Just watching some footage online. Absolutely heartbreaking. I can't imagine the horror of the storm bearing down, and then going outside afterwards.

Just incredible.

[PilotMan]

Just watching some footage online. Absolutely heartbreaking. I can't imagine the horror of the storm bearing down, and then going outside afterwards.

Just incredible.

+1

[kcchief19]

I grew up in Springfield and have made regular visits to Joplin over the years, including a couple of tournaments at the high school. Just an utterly unbelievable tragedy ... thoughts and prayers with everyone in Joplin.

Over the years I lived in Springfield, only 1 in 4 of our houses had basements. Joplin is on the edge of the Ozarks Plateau, so where you don't have limestone ridges you have soft clay soil that are not conducive to basements either. We would always go into an interior bathroom, and pull our mattresses in to cover up.

Our house took a glancing blow from an EF-3 tornado a few years ago, and it was a "lite" version of that video posted from the convenience store. The tornado hit about 2:30 a.m. and there was no advanced warning. The storm woke us up and was ranging on when it started to get loud and scary. We instinctively ran to the basement, and by the time we got down there it was over. Probably only took about 20 seconds for the actual tornado to pass through, but it sounded just like that video.

[rowech]

I wish somehow there was just one picture of this beast. That thing was either so wide or on the ground so long. Just unbelievable looking at pictures/video.

[Scoobz0202]

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NmXAONuL9tM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XT7CtF5ljxY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[rowech]

Wow. That thing's gotta be more than a mile wide. Just unfathomable.

[Mustang]

Doesn't even look like a tornado. Looks like just a large blob.. I can't even imagine having 3/4" of your town just gone.

[JPhillips]

I'm getting really uncomfortable with all of the for profit storm chasers out there.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm getting really uncomfortable with all of the for profit storm chasers out there.

I have an intern that works for me that storm-chases as a hobby. The money in it can be very good. He's affiliated with KCTV here in KC. If his video is telecast on the station, he gets $500/second for the video. Only catch is that they instantly gain full rights to the video once they show it. He can't resell it to another media outlet.

[vex]

I didn't know so many people on the board had connections to Joplin. Cleanup/rebuilding will be a long process obviously, the pictures are horrible.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Going to be a pretty scary day today. Weather service predicting large outbreak of tornadoes through eastern Kansas into western Missouri. Kansas City, Springfield, Joplin, and Tulsa all in the areas of concern.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm getting really uncomfortable with all of the for profit storm chasers out there.

With the possible exception of the ones who've got their own TV show, I doubt there are many (any?) that have crossed into "profit" and instead are just happy if they somehow cover a portion of their expenses.

[JPhillips]

With the possible exception of the ones who've got their own TV show, I doubt there are many (any?) that have crossed into "profit" and instead are just happy if they somehow cover a portion of their expenses.

It's more the idea than any financial success. The whole enterprise is rather gruesome. I have a hard time listening to the excitement in the voices while I'm watching a tornado kill 100 people.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

It's more the idea than any financial success. The whole enterprise is rather gruesome. I have a hard time listening to the excitement in the voices while I'm watching a tornado kill 100 people.

To be fair, 98% of all tornadoes do little more than tear up trees and knock out auxiliary buildings in rural areas. A tornado hitting an urban area is very rare. A F4-F5 hitting an urban area and killing more than even 10-20 people just hardly ever happens. It's amazing that it's happened twice this year in the U.S.

[JonInMiddleGA]

It's more the idea than any financial success. The whole enterprise is rather gruesome. I have a hard time listening to the excitement in the voices while I'm watching a tornado kill 100 people.

I'm going to take a wild guess that you've never chased. That much adrenaline, you're gonna sound that way. No different than what most police chases sound like really, I've actually heard people giggle during those.

Plus, it isn't as though there's anything a chaser can do to prevent what's happening. What they can do however, the good ones anyway, is help people better understand & prepare & respect what those things are capable of.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm going to take a wild guess that you've never chased. That much adrenaline, you're gonna sound that way. No different than what most police chases sound like really, I've actually heard people giggle during those.

Plus, it isn't as though there's anything a chaser can do to prevent what's happening. What they can do however, the good ones anyway, is help people better understand & prepare & respect what those things are capable of.

It should also be noted that the video is all used for research of tornado formation and how to provide earlier warnings for citizens which in turn leads to less deaths. They can take the video of the tornado and sync it up with radar from the same time to see if there was anything on the radar that would help them detect formation of the tornado.

[tarcone]

1500 still missing or unaccounted for.

[gstelmack]

Plus weren't they pulling people out of the rubble in Alabama? It's not like they stick on the sidelines.

[Ksyrup]

I'm going to take a wild guess that you've never chased. That much adrenaline, you're gonna sound that way. No different than what most police chases sound like really, I've actually heard people giggle during those.

Plus, it isn't as though there's anything a chaser can do to prevent what's happening. What they can do however, the good ones anyway, is help people better understand & prepare & respect what those things are capable of.

Actually, it goes way beyond that. If you've ever watched Storm Chasers, you'd know that 99% of the time, they stay away from storms targeting populated areas, both because it's danger for them (in the plains, they can see a tornado coming for miles; in the south, it could be beyond a bunch of trees and they wouldn't know it until it was right on top of them) and because of the risk of damage and loss of life. They prefer to chase in the plains, where there it's easier and less dangerous to track.

That said, even when they do go into populated areas, it isn't to see a tornado damage houses and kill people, it's for the science of it. And when they are in a bad situation, they help out whenever they can. Most of the time, though, there's very little in the way of the tornadoes they chase other than a few power lines, a farm here and there, etc. And those were going to get damaged whether or not a storm chaser was there to film it.

Speaking of which, we were going to watch the Storm Chasers special on the Alabama tornadoes last night, but our local tornado siren went off and we spent the better part of the 8pm hour in our basement.

[DeToxRox]

reedtimmerTVN Reed Timmer
SPC upgraded tornado probabilities to 45%. this rivals the April 27 outbreak. Heading west in D2. Watch out today pleeeaase

[DeToxRox]

Weather.com's TOR:CON rates conditions on a 1-10 scale. Southern central Kansas and Northern central Oklahoma are both at 9's.

[Lathum]

1500 still missing or unaccounted for.

good lord...

[QuikSand]

I grieve for the heartbreaking loss to so many families and communities, and certainly wish that all suitable authority figures focus on every rescue and recovery effort that they can. Our best wishes and aid to all those affected.

At the appropriate time, I hope someone can check in and report to the world on the well-being of Fred and Red's (http://www.yelp.com/biz/fred-and-reds-chili-house-joplin). Hoping for the best, but its location (right downtown) doesn't sound encouraging based on what we're seeing thus far.

[JonInMiddleGA]

At the appropriate time, I hope someone can check in and report to the world on the well-being of Fred and Red's (http://www.yelp.com/biz/fred-and-reds-chili-house-joplin). Hoping for the best, but its location (right downtown) doesn't sound encouraging based on what we're seeing thus far.

From their FB page at
Incompatible Browser | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_38938231611)

My dad owns Fred and Red's and yes it is okay...a broken window I think and no power...devastation just blocks down the street through...keep Joplin in your thoughts!

[QuikSand]

Thanks - first time I felt any actual regret at not using Facebook.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thanks - first time I felt any actual regret at not using Facebook.

Eh, don't feel too bad. A quick Google turned up the page for me, otherwise it wouldn't have crossed my mind (I was thinking I might get a hit on a reference to it in a news story or blog somewhere).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If you want to know what a bow echo looks like, check out the KC radar right now. That curve in the storm is straight-line winds pushing the middle of the storm out in front. Sky is green right now.

[RainMaker]

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this, but it does still amaze me how ruthless mother nature can be. For all the things we can control in this world, that is one that we just can't.

[JPhillips]

I respect the scientists, but there are a growing number of folks that are chasing just for the rush and/or money. Most of the time it's no big deal, but when it hits a highly populated area it just feels wrong to me.

[Ksyrup]

It would be one thing if some people were only chasing storms in highly populated areas for the "money shot," but the fact is, these storms - wherever they are going to hit - are going to hit regardless of who is watching. So as long as someone doesn't get in the way of people trying to flee or rescue operations, etc., I don't really have a problem with it.

Truthfully, from what I've seen on Storm Chasers, the bigger problem is the amateurs who have no clue what they are doing and line busy highways trying to be in position for a tornado sighting.

[JPhillips]

It would be one thing if some people were only chasing storms in highly populated areas for the "money shot," but the fact is, these storms - wherever they are going to hit - are going to hit regardless of who is watching. So as long as someone doesn't get in the way of people trying to flee or rescue operations, etc., I don't really have a problem with it.

Truthfully, from what I've seen on Storm Chasers, the bigger problem is the amateurs who have no clue what they are doing and line busy highways trying to be in position for a tornado sighting.

It's those amateurs, hoping to hit it big I'm mostly talking about.

[Ksyrup]

Maybe. But I get the feeling a lot of them aren't necessarily doing it for the money. More a thrill of the chase thing. They seem to follow the pros around and create problems for everyone. In fact, last season on Storm Chasers there was a story arc involving all the people crowding the roads.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More pictures from Joplin. One of the photos is a before and after comparison. Stunning stuff.

Flickr: Aaron Fuhrman's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeitlosimagery)

[Ksyrup]

Looks like stuff is starting to build just west of OKC and headed that way, too.

[duckman]

Several large wedge tornadoes on the ground in western and central Oklahoma. One of the tornadoes is heading toward the town my son lives.

[duckman]

One of the tornadoes is causing a large "debris ball" on the radar. This is May 3, 1999 all over again.

[Scoobz0202]

Some deaths already confirmed in Oklahoma. Come on summertime already.

[Scarecrow]

Local news just reported that they are evacuating all the volunteers in Reading, KS (the other town flattened by a tornado) due to the potential of additional tornadoes tonight.

[MizzouCowboy]

Best of thoughts to those in Oklahoma and Kansas tonight, it looks like we are in for a long one.

It's been a couple of days here in Joplin and I think the shock of it all is finally starting to wear off for me. It's gonna be one helluva long road to recovery but it has began.

My daughter's house is within a block of the high school. You cannot imagine the fear I had seeing that devastation and trying to make my way to their house. I have no idea how anyone survived, every house in the area is flattened. Luckily my daughter was at work at the hospital that did not get hit, so she didn't have to go through that hell. Her husband jumped into the bathtub when he heard it coming, and walked out without a scratch. Basically the only walls standing on their house are the 4 bathroom walls. Simply amazing.

My mother in laws house is within 6 or 8 blocks north east of the high school. After reinspecting the damage I think it may be salvageable. 1/2 the roof gone, windows and doors blown in/out. Looks like the north wall is bowing in some. It is a brick house with half a basement, although she didn't have time to get to it. There is about 60 million trees down in her yard. Half her back yard was like a forest before the tornado.

Last I heard the death toll is at 122, with countless people still missing. The response to this storm has been amazing, rescue teams from KC, St. Louis, Arkansas, Kansas, and all throughout Missouri are here. Pretty awesome to see total strangers helping out so much.

[kcchief19]

The Joplin tornado is sounding like it may go down in history in more ways than one. It's now been upgraded to an EF-5, and they now also believe it was a multi-vortex tornado. Those are extremely rare. Several of the videos I've seen definitely make it appear that there were multiple vortices in Joplin.

Here's hoping the devastating storms forecast tonight and tomorrow don't materialize ... but so far it's not looking good. Oklahoma and Kansas look like they are going to get blistered with tornadoes during the next 12 to 24 hours.

[Ragone]

the okla city tornados look like they might be heading towards joplin.. dear lord this could be bad

[Lathum]

A girl my wife works with is from there. She told my wife a story today about a friend of a friend who was caught in his car with his son in the back seat. The tornado apparently came through and the father tried to grab the kid and the kid was sucked out of the seatbelt and through the sunroof and lost.

Horrific stuff.

[DeToxRox]

Apparently a tornado is heading towards Arlington Field. There's a Rangers game there tonight.

[DeToxRox]

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg619/scaled.php?tn=0&server=619&filename=564wv.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

[DeToxRox]

They're putting the people underneath the stadium. The Rangers VP of Communications say they have plenty of room to fit everyone.

[MizzouCowboy]

Tornado sirens going off in Joplin... taking cover now.

[DeToxRox]

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg615/scaled.php?tn=0&server=615&filename=88005288.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

[JPhillips]

Weather Channel just u[dated the radar and it looks like it's going to go north of Joplin.

[Lathum]

TWC reporting a tornado spotted just outside of Joplin

[JeeberDMack]

Looks like Carl Junction, where the in-laws live, is in the middle of it tonight...

[JeeberDMack]

A girl my wife works with is from there. She told my wife a story today about a friend of a friend who was caught in his car with his son in the back seat. The tornado apparently came through and the father tried to grab the kid and the kid was sucked out of the seatbelt and through the sunroof and lost.

Horrific stuff.



God, I can't imagine. I so hope it's not true...

[Autumn]

I saw a news article about the son and the sunroof. Some horrifying, horrifying stories coming out of this. I cannot fathom it.

[DeToxRox]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/large/305983531.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJF3XCCKACR3QDMOA&Expires=1306295768&Signature=iznPJu5gGVAZdbV0lXg6euJvNXI%3D

That is apparently hail from Norman.

It looks fake to me but with the way these storms have been, I can believe it being legit.

[JeeberD]

I saw a news article about the son and the sunroof. Some horrifying, horrifying stories coming out of this. I cannot fathom it.

Fuck, I can't get this out of my head. I'm not going to be able to sleep at all tonight...

Edit:

The family has been desperately struggling to find him ever since. They received news that he may have been alive at a hospital in Joplin, but that he was later moved.

"We heard that he was checked into the hospital, he was alive," Presslor told Anderson Cooper on CNN, adding that he was later transferred and they had received no word about him since.

Hopefully there's a happy ending to this story...

[CrimsonFox]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQnvxJZucds

and the guy went back the next day to film the aftermath in daylight....

Beerwall FTW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-P4P68YyNM

[DeToxRox]

Weather reports are saying Denning, Arkansas was just leveled by a tornado.

[BillyPilgrim]

I work for the 911 center in Newton County (our center is about 20 miles south of Joplin) and the thing that is hardest is taking calls from people who can't find family members. People were being sent to Tulsa, to Parsons Kansas and a few others, and there are 12 triage centers set up holding injured people. Finding family is such a logistical nightmare, but the Red Cross is working on getting everyone accounted for. If anyone is looking or knows someone looking for a lost person, they can go to safeandwell.org, the Red Cross is entering names on there as they get them. They aren't all listed by a long shot, but we are getting there.

I don't want to get to personal with this, and I obviously can't disclose any details from work, but I wanted to tell somebody that when I moved away from Joplin when I was 19, I thought I would never come back, and after I came back I hated being here. After seeing the massive response of volunteers from all over the area (and the country) and seeing the men and women in public safety I work with every day spend 16-18 hours a day doing rescue and everything else, I don't think I'll ever leave here. I'm 30 years old and this is the first time I've ever realized what it means to have a sense of community. It's been terrible, but it's been amazing as well.

[Ksyrup]

TWC reporting a tornado spotted just outside of Joplin

I was watching WC when this happened, and I thought it was interesting to see the difference between the "news people" and the "science guy" on this report. The anchors were all over this, as if they were hoping it would happen for the story of it all, and when they threw it to Dr. Forbes to show on radar, he basically said it was 10 miles north and the storm was going NE and it wasn't particularly close and wouldn't hit Joplin. Kinda threw cold water on the storyline.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Really nice gesture by the new Mizzou basketball staff. A game like this would be a huge boost to that community.

Mizzou&#x92;s Haith wants to play benefit exhibition in Joplin - KansasCity.com (http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/24/2901829/mizzous-haith-reaches-out-to-joplin.html)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Goodness. Tornado on the ground in a heavily populated area of KC. No word on size yet.

[DeToxRox]

Pic from Joplin. Unreal.

http://i.imgur.com/HTHoC.jpg

[molson]

The anchors were all over this, as if they were hoping it would happen for the story of it all

I'm getting that vibe a lot from the news and some the commentary.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That was a bit exciting. Just spend the last 1.5 hours in a basement hallway. Tornado touched down briefly about a 1/2 mile from where I was. Needless to say, people paid a bit more attention to this round of tornadoes after the Joplin situation.

[Ksyrup]

Not looking forward to tonight. We are just on the eastern edge of the PDS Tornado Watch issued for western KY, meaning that some form of a watch will be issued further east and it's going to carry well into the night/morning. We are almost certain to see severe weather, and likely after dark.

[JediKooter]

Don't have much to add other than, stay safe and I hope that everything passes with minimal to no damage to people and property.

[Ragone]

I know i'm pretty close to mbbf.. and we barely got any rain at all.. and 0 wind.. very odd storm indeed.. it seems it split in half and rejoined to the north.. kearney got a bad tornado touchdown as well

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Holy geez. This truck driver likely needed a change of pants after this encounter with a tornado.

Tractor-Trailer Destroyed By Tornado (http://news.yahoo.com/video/oklahomacity-koco-18229979/tractor-trailer-destroyed-by-tornado-25339114)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Lots of damage in Sedalia, Missouri from a tornado. Police chief asking citizens to stay off the roads to allow emergency personnel into affected areas.

Edit: Tornado cut a path of damage nearly 1,000 feet wide.

[Thomkal]

Lots of damage in Sedalia, Missouri from a tornado. Police chief asking citizens to stay off the roads to allow emergency personnel into affected areas.

My mother grew up 60 miles to the southwest in Clinton and has mentioned going to Sedalia several times in her youth. So scary stuff for me to see it hit. Hope no one died.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

My mother grew up 60 miles to the southwest in Clinton and has mentioned going to Sedalia several times in her youth. So scary stuff for me to see it hit. Hope no one died.

No deaths thus far, but around 20 injured and in the hospital. Lots more basements in that town, but a trailer park was hit hard. That's going to be the bad spot obviously.

[RainMaker]

Watch the power lines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7FE96PpAjY

[tarcone]

Im SW of St Louis. Lots of stuff happening. We are in a Tornado watch. The urban area is under a warning.
A storm will hit us shortly. Waiting for it now.

[CrimsonFox]

Watch the power lines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7FE96PpAjY


That guy's crazy! :) And when he keeps calling it a maxitornado, I'm somewhat less scared of it. Makes me think "maxipads".

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

St. Louis area currently getting up to 4" hail. That's a big-ass piece of ice! It's even worse when it falls from 30,000 feet.

Pictures: St. Louis May 25 Storms - KTVI (http://www.fox2now.com/ktvi-pictures-st-louis-may-25-storms-tornado-missouri-illinois-hail-wind-damage-052511-pg,0,2544470.ugcphotogallery)

[rowech]

Luckily no touchdown of anything but we just were in our tub with matress ready for the 1st time in 8 years at this house. Wish we had a basement right at that moment. 3" hail like crazy but somehow no tornado. Scary crap.

[tarcone]

Everything fired up east and south of me. Did see a little rotation above my house, but it didnt take. No hail. Mostly turned out to be a rain with some lightning event. Thanks goodness.

[MizzouRah]

They let the kids out an hour early.. thankfully just some rain.

[Butter]

My house, we got tiny hail. My boss, about 7 miles south or so, got hail so bad it cracked his windshield and dented the roof of his car. Luckily no major tornadoes here, but last night it looked like one might hit Xenia which has been the target of the 2 largest tornadoes in the area in the last 40 years.

Tornado sirens did go off, but I think it ended up being just due to what the radar looked like, but there was no touchdown or anything. I am glad we don't live in tornado alley.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Before and after panorama around Mercy Hospital........

http://beta.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/before-after-st-johns-medical-center-joplin_2011-05-23

[rowech]

My house, we got tiny hail. My boss, about 7 miles south or so, got hail so bad it cracked his windshield and dented the roof of his car. Luckily no major tornadoes here, but last night it looked like one might hit Xenia which has been the target of the 2 largest tornadoes in the area in the last 40 years.

Tornado sirens did go off, but I think it ended up being just due to what the radar looked like, but there was no touchdown or anything. I am glad we don't live in tornado alley.

That storm that was towards Xenia was the one that went through where we live. Wasn't a pretty one at all.

[rowech]

My house, we got tiny hail. My boss, about 7 miles south or so, got hail so bad it cracked his windshield and dented the roof of his car. Luckily no major tornadoes here, but last night it looked like one might hit Xenia which has been the target of the 2 largest tornadoes in the area in the last 40 years.

Tornado sirens did go off, but I think it ended up being just due to what the radar looked like, but there was no touchdown or anything. I am glad we don't live in tornado alley.

Weather Service has declared a Tornado in Centerville.

Two things about Xenia...

Not sure whether you watch a local channel during weather but Brian Davis last night, as the strom was heading for Xenia, said "you folks in Xenia know what to do at this point" and I thought to myself how unreal it is that they always get hit by the tornadoes.

Second thing...have you ever heard the legend of how the Indians would not settle in the Xenia area, and instead called it "the land of the Devil's Wind?" Never ceases to amaze me.

[Butter]

A tornado touchdown for 200 yards with max. winds of 65 mph. Pretty wimpy tornado, but a tornado nonetheless.

Luckily it was not at the hospital, just very nearby. I drive that section of I-675 every day.

I was talking with someone about why Xenia always seems to get hit, and I was wondering if it has anything to do with how tornadoes usually form over flatter land, and how the area in Montgomery County is pretty densely populated and hilly, but it gets a bit flatter and the land more open towards Xenia so that it makes it more likely for one to form.

I know, I'm pretty much talking out of my ass there, but I'm with you. I am amazed how Xenia specifically seems to take the brunt of the severe storms. I am glad I don't live there... but I am in Kettering on the very Eastern edge... about a mile from the county line with Greene County, so I guess I like living on the edge.

[rowech]

A tornado touchdown for 200 yards with max. winds of 65 mph. Pretty wimpy tornado, but a tornado nonetheless.

Luckily it was not at the hospital, just very nearby. I drive that section of I-675 every day.

I was talking with someone about why Xenia always seems to get hit, and I was wondering if it has anything to do with how tornadoes usually form over flatter land, and how the area in Montgomery County is pretty densely populated and hilly, but it gets a bit flatter and the land more open towards Xenia so that it makes it more likely for one to form.

I know, I'm pretty much talking out of my ass there, but I'm with you. I am amazed how Xenia specifically seems to take the brunt of the severe storms. I am glad I don't live there... but I am in Kettering on the very Eastern edge... about a mile from the county line with Greene County, so I guess I like living on the edge.

Wow...that really is a wimpy tornado. It was pretty close to where my wife's parents live. They had a broken window, two ripped out trees, and their siding pelted with hail so that it looks like Al Capone went to town on it with a Tommy Gun.

[tarcone]

81 tornadoes yesterday.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Radio interview transcript.......

45 Seconds: Memoirs of an ER Doctor from May 22, 2011

My name is Dr. Kevin Kikta, and I was one of two emergency room doctors who were on duty at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, MO on Sunday May 22,2011.

You never know that it will be the most important day of your life until the day is over. The day started like any other day for me: waking up, eating, going to the gym, showering, and going to my 4 00pm ER shift. As I drove to the hospital I mentally prepared for my shift as I always do, but nothing could ever have prepared me for what was going to happen on this shift. Things were normal for the first hour and half. At approximately 5:30 pm we received a warning that a tornado had been spotted. . Although I work in Joplin and went to medical school in Oklahoma, I live in New Jersey, and I have never seen or been in a tornado. I learned that a "code gray" was being called. We were to start bringing patients to safer spots within the ED and hospital.

At 5: 42pm a security guard yelled to everyone, "Take cover! We are about to get hit by a tornado!" I ran with a pregnant RN, Shilo Cook, while others scattered to various places, to the only place that I was familiar with in the hospital without windows, a small doctor's office in the ED. Together, Shilo and I tremored and huddled under a desk. We heard a loud horrifying sound like a large locomotive ripping through the hospital. The whole hospital shook and vibrated as we heard glass shattering, light bulbs popping, walls collapsing, people screaming, the ceiling caving in above us, and water pipes breaking, showering water down on everything. We suffered this in complete darkness, unaware of anyone else's status, worried, scared. We could feel a tight pressure in our heads as the tornado annihilated the hospital and the surrounding area. The whole process took about 45 seconds, but seemed like eternity. The hospital had just taken a direct hit from a category EF-4 tornado.

Then it was over. Just 45 seconds. 45 long seconds. We looked at each other, terrified, and thanked God that we were alive. We didn't know, but hoped that it was safe enough to go back out to the ED, find the rest of the staff and patients, and assess our loses.

"Like a bomb went off. " That's the only way that I can describe what we saw next. Patients were coming into the ED in droves. It was absolute, utter chaos. They were limping, bleeding, crying, terrified, with debris and glass sticking out of them, just thankful to be alive. The floor was covered with about 3 inches of water, there was no power, not even backup generators, rendering it completely dark and eerie in the ED. The frightening aroma of methane gas leaking from the broken gas lines permeated the air; we knew, but did not dare mention aloud, what that meant. I redoubled my pace.

We had to use flashlights to direct ourselves to the crying and wounded. Where did all the flashlights come from ? I'll never know, but immediately, and thankfully, my years of training in emergency procedures kicked in. There was no power, but our mental generators, were up and running, and on high test adrenaline. We had no cell phone service in the first hour, so we were not even able to call for help and backup in the ED.

I remember a patient in his early 20's gasping for breath, telling me that he was going to die. After a quick exam, I removed the large shard of glass from his back, made the clinical diagnosis of a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and gathered supplies from wherever I could locate them to insert a thoracostomy tube in him. He was a trooper; I'll never forget his courage. He allowed me to do this without any local anesthetic since none could be found. With his life threatening injuries I knew he was running out of time, and it had to be done. Quickly. Imagine my relief when I heard a big rush of air, and breath sounds again; fortunately, I was able to get him transported out. I immediately moved on to the next patient, .an asthmatic in status asthmaticus. We didn't even have the option of trying a nebulizer treatment or steroids, but I was able to get him intubated using a flashlight that I held in my mouth. A small child of approximately 3-4 years of age was crying; he had a large avulsion of skin to his neck and spine. The gaping wound revealed his cervical spine and upper thoracic spine bones. I could actually count his vertebrae with my fingers. This was a child, his whole life ahead of him, suffering life threatening wounds in front of me, his eyes pleading me to help him.. We could not find any pediatric C collars in the darkness, and water from the shattered main pipes was once again showering down upon all of us. Fortunately, we were able to get him immobilized with towels, and start an IV with fluids and pain meds before shipping him out. We felt paralyzed and helpless ourselves. I didn't even know a lot of the RN's I was working with. They were from departments scattered all over the hospital. It didn't matter. We worked as a team, determined to save lives. There were no specialists available-- my orthopedist was trapped in the OR. We were it, and we knew we had to get patients out of the hospital as quickly as possible. As we were shuffling them out, the fire department showed up and helped us to evacuate. Together we worked furiously, motivated by the knowledge and fear that the methane leaks could cause the hospital could blow up at any minute.



Things were no better outside of the ED. I saw a man crushed under a large SUV, still alive, begging for help; another one was dead, impaled by a street sign through his chest. Wounded people were walking, staggering, all over, dazed and shocked. All around us was chaos, reminding me of scenes in a war movie, or newsreels from bombings in Bagdad. Except this was right in front of me and it had happened in just 45 seconds . My own car was blown away. Gone. Seemingly evaporated. We searched within a half mile radius later that night, but never found the car, only the littered, crumpled remains of former cars. And a John Deere tractor that had blown in from miles away.

Tragedy has a way of revealing human goodness. As I worked , surrounded by devastation and suffering , I realized I was not alone. The people of the community of Joplin were absolutely incredible. Within minutes of the horrific event, local residents showed up in pickups and sport utility vehicles, all offering to help transport the wounded to other facilities, including Freeman, the trauma center literally across the street. Ironically, it had sustained only minimal damage and was functioning (although I'm sure overwhelmed). I carried on, grateful for the help of the community. At one point I had placed a conscious intubated patient in the back of a pickup truck with someone, a layman, for transport. The patient was self- ventilating himself, and I gave instructions to someone with absolutely no medical knowledge on how to bag the patient until they got to Freeman.

Within hours I estimated that over 100 EMS units showed up from various towns, counties and four different states. Considering the circumstances, their response time was miraculous. Roads were blocked with downed utility lines, smashed up cars in piles, and they still made it through.

We continued to carry patients out of the hospital on anything that we could find: sheets, stretchers, broken doors, mattresses, wheelchairs* - anything that could be used as a transport mechanism.

As I finished up what I could do at St John's, I walked with two RN's , Shilo Cook and Julie Vandorn, to a makeshift MASH center that was being set up miles away at Memorial Hall. We walked where flourishing neighborhoods once stood, astonished to see only the disastrous remains of flattened homes, body parts, and dead people everywhere. I saw a small dog just whimpering in circles over his master who was dead, unaware that his master would not ever play with him again. At one point we tended to a young woman who just stood crying over her dead mother who was crushed by her own home. The young woman covered her mother up with a blanket and then asked all of us, "What should I do?" We had no answer for her, but silence and tears.

By this time news crews and photographers were starting to swarm around, and we were able to get a ride to Memorial Hall from another RN. The chaos was slightly more controlled at Memorial Hall. I was relieved to see many of my colleagues, doctors from every specialty, helping out. It was amazing to be able to see life again. It was also amazing to see how fast workers mobilized to set up this MASH unit under the circumstances. Supplies, food, drink, generators, exam tables, all were there* except pharmaceutical pain meds. I sutured multiple lacerations, and splinted many fractures, including some open with bone exposed, and then intubated another patient with severe COPD, slightly better controlled conditions this time, but still less than optimal.

But we really needed pain meds. I managed to go back to the St John's with another physician, pharmacist, and a sheriff' s officer. Luckily, security let us in to a highly guarded pharmacy to bring back a garbage bucket sized supply of pain meds.

At about midnight I walked around the parking lot of St. John' s with local law enforcement officers looking for anyone who might be alive or trapped in crushed cars. They spray painted "X"s on the fortunate vehicles that had been searched without finding anyone inside. The unfortunate vehicles wore "X's" and sprayed-on numerals, indicating the number of dead inside, crushed in their cars, cars which now resembled flattened recycled aluminum cans the tornado had crumpled in her iron hands, an EF4 tornado, one of the worst in history, whipping through this quiet town with demonic strength. I continued back to Memorial hall into the early morning hours until my ER colleagues told me it was time for me to go home. I was completely exhausted. I had seen enough of my first tornado.

How can one describe these indescribable scenes of destruction? The next day I saw news coverage of this horrible, deadly tornado. It was excellent coverage, and Mike Bettes from the Weather Channel did a great job, but there is nothing that pictures and video can depict compared to seeing it in person. That video will play forever in my mind.

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved in helping during this nightmarish disaster. My fellow doctors, RN's, techs, and all of the staff from St. John's. I have worked at St John's for approximately 2 years, and I have always been proud to say that I was a physician at St John's in Joplin, MO. The smart, selfless and immediate response of the professionals and the community during this catastrophe proves to me that St John's and the surrounding community are special,. I am beyond proud

To the members of this community, the health care workers from states away, and especially Freeman Medical Center, I commend everyone on unselfishly coming together and giving 110% the way that you all did, even in your own time of need. St John 's Medical Center is gone, but her spirit and goodness lives on in each of you.

EMS, you should be proud of yourselves. You were all excellent, and did a great job despite incredible difficulties and against all odds

For all of the injured who I treated, although I do not remember your names (nor would I expect you to remember mine) I will never forget your faces. I'm glad that I was able to make a difference and help in the best way that I knew how, and hopefully give some of you a chance at rebuilding your lives again. For those whom I was not able to get to or treat, I apologize whole heartedly.

Last, but not least, thank you, and God Bless you, Mercy/St John for providing incredible care in good times and even more so, in times of the unthinkable, and for all the training that enabled us to be a team and treat the people and save lives.

Sincerely,

Kevin J. Kikta, DO

Department of Emergency Medicine

Mercy/St John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, MO

Spalding Schmales

[Autumn]

Wow, thanks for posting that, it really brings it home.

[JediKooter]

Spalding Schmales? Isn't that the judges nephew from Caddy Shack? I'm not trying to be insensitive here, but, that really seems over dramatized and well, fake.

EDIT: Just checked IMDB and it's spelled Smails. Sorry, not trying to be a dick, but, this story smells fishy.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Spalding Schmales? Isn't that the judges nephew from Caddy Shack? I'm not trying to be insensitive here, but, that really seems over dramatized and well, fake.

I'm not sure what S.S. has to do with the story, nor why it's the last line in the quoted post. My guess is that it's a copy & paste deal where that was someone's user name & that's who had posted it.

The source of the story itself (which wasn't easy to find since this seems to largely have been a blog thing) is the hospital's own website (well, the site of the company that owns/runs the hospital.

45 Seconds: Memoirs of an ER Doctor from May 22, 2011 | Mercy (http://www.mercy.net/joplin/stories-of-mercy/45-seconds)

[JediKooter]

Interesting. Good find.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Good to see......

From Missouri Southern

Joplin, Mo. - The One State, One Spirit Classic presented by Leggett & Platt between the University of Missouri and Missouri Southern has completely sold out as the last remaining tickets to the event were sold this morning. The game, taking place on Sunday, October 30, will have all proceeds going toward the Missouri Southern Foundation's Tornado Releif Fund.

Fans can still purchase a virtual ticket for the game, which will get them a commemorative ticket, but will not be good for admission to the event. Cost for a virtual ticket is $10 and can be purchased through University of Missouri Official Athletic Site - Missouri Athletics (www.mutigers.com). A limited number of premium courtside seating remains at a cost of $500 per seat and those interested in purchasing a seat will need to contact the University of Missouri ticket office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS.

[Young Drachma]

<script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=576&height=324&externalId=espn:7102370&thruParam_espn-ui[autoPlay]=false&thruParam_espn-ui[playRelatedExternally]=true"></script>

ESPN Outside the Lines on Joplin HS football. Worth watching.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Scary reminder tonight. Small town of Harveyville, KS was hit hard by a tornado tonight. Roads are closed and multiple medical helicopters sent to high school football field to pick up injured people. Population of city is 236.

Edit: Reports that an entire apartment complex has been leveled.

[Lathum]

Scary reminder tonight. Small town of Harveyville, KS was hit hard by a tornado tonight. Roads are closed and multiple medical helicopters sent to high school football field to pick up injured people. Population of city is 236.

Edit: Reports that an entire apartment complex has been leveled.

I'm sure you are very concerned as evidence by your first post in this thread

Official College Football Thread - Week 13 - Front Office Football Central (http://operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?p=2570367&highlight=tornado#post2570367)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Wow.

https://p.twimg.com/Amy7_xjCQAACSA9.jpg:large