The seniors at Joplin High School had just enjoyed their commencement ceremony at Missouri Southern State University when the ominous clouds rolled in. Everyone in the small city of Joplin, Missouri, is familiar with the cloud-type known as a “wall.” Located just a few miles from the Kansas and Oklahoma borders, the town serves as yet another stop in tornado alley.
As the sun split the clouds in the early evening, a massive tornado tore a path through the town of 50,000-plus, six miles in length and nearly a mile wide at many points. The storm ravaged the most prominent hospital in the area, forcing officials to transfer over 100 patients to nearby hospitals in Springfield, MO, approximately 70 miles east. It destroyed over 2,000 local structures and completely thrashed neighborhoods.
To offer some scope to the size and awful power of this tornado, the debris field, including insulation and documents from the hospital, have been found in Greene County Missouri, in the Springfield area, 50-70 miles from their point of origin.
As the tornado returned to the sky, and people emerged, it was obvious to the residents of Joplin that they just lost a war against nature. Things turned even more tragic as the death toll was released only a couple hours after the storm–24. Since then, the toll has tripled and is rapidly approaching 100.
My heart is heavy. I have many friends in Joplin, and from Joplin. My brother, who works at one of the largest hospitals in the region, stated that their facility was getting several transfers, as well as minors who were without parents, and unaware of their whereabouts.
Storms also ravaged Minneapolis yesterday, killing one and injuring several others. The immediate forecast calls for the potential of more violent storms this week throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.
You can assist the people of Joplin through the Red Cross, and a recovery page has been started on Facebook, if interested in more information.
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