JoMo

Thanks so much. It has been a year I'll never forget. I never thought I'd see something like this. I thought I'd share it with all.

It's been a year since the tornado. It doesn't seem like it's been that long at all though. I still remember everything like it happened yesterday. I remember the feelings I got and I remember how I reacted. I frequently hear the loud rumble of the tornado in my head, rolling thunder will make my heart race a little if it doesn't stop within a few seconds. Even if I know there is no chance of a tornado, my mind will tell me there is one. Pretty much everyone in the area still freaks out when we have thunderstorms. I know of several people that start crying hysterically when it thunders. They say it's PTSD. I remember the devastation, thinking how everything just looked like a giant landfill as far as the eye could see. The debris was everywhere but thanks to AmeriCorps, FEMA, and the volunteers that came, they were able to get it cleaned up pretty quickly. Most of the loose debris was cleaned up within 3 months. Volunteers were still coming to Joplin and they helped by cleaning up/raking the loose debris out of people's yards. Rebuilding is still going pretty strong. I count new houses going up every day in the tornado zone. It's just going to take time for the entire tornado area to fill in. A large section of housing was rental housing or housing that didn't have insurance. Some people moved away, some moved to other houses in Joplin since starting over on a patch of dirt isn't for everyone. I think we all miss the trees. The only problem and pretty much the only thing that has held Joplin back, has been the lack of up-to-date residential zoning codes. People don't want to take the risk of building an expensive house then having someone build a less expensive house next to it, thus ruining the property value. It has been a wait and see game which has kept some areas barren. The business recovery has been astounding. There are a couple of reasons for that. The City of Joplin had a hands-off approach when it came to rebuilding, while this has hurt residental rebuilding, it has caused businesses to rebuild in record time. Joplin is also the largest city in the area and it swells from it's 50,000 population to 270,000 during the day as people from nearby communities come to shop and work. Joplin's success comes from the local/state/federal governments, the community response and the volunteers who are still coming to Joplin. The government agencies worked really well together. We have many many churches in Joplin and they used their resources and outreach to pull in volunteers from across the country. Other volunteers simply came because they felt the need to help. There are many heroes in Joplin who pulled others from rubble that night. They did it on instinct. I'll always remember that a FEMA official said “Does everyone in Joplin own a chainsaw?" when he first arrived. I'm proud of my community. I'm proud of the citizens of Joplin and the neighboring communities. I'm proud of our city leaders. May the 161 people that died rest in peace, may their families find comfort and tranquility. Taken from Pres. Obama's commencement speech to Joplin High School: "Some of life's strongest bonds are the ones we forge when everything around us seems broken. And even though I expect some of you will ultimately end up leaving Joplin, I'm convinced that Joplin will never leave you. The people who went through this with you; the people you once thought of as simply neighbors or acquaintances; classmates or even friends - the people in this auditorium tonight - they are family now."

Quinton Anderson graduated with honors tonight. He lost his mother and father in the tornado. http://www.cbsnews.c...a-year-of-loss/ From rubble to rebuilding: A year in Joplin, Mo http://www.foxnews.c...r-in-joplin-mo/

Pres. Obama will speak at the Joplin High School graduation tonight. It should start around 7 PM (central) tonight. You can catch it on: http://fourstateshomepage.com/ Also, tonight... The National Geographic Channel will have "Witness: Joplin tornado" at 9 PM I believe. There should be a lot of footage of the tornado/aftermath on there. Mike Bettes from The Weather Channel wrote a reflection back to the tornado: http://www.weather.c...bettes-20120517 CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2...ater/index.html Joplin Globe sports writer remembers going through the tornado at his house: http://www.joplinglo...uickly-last-May EDIT: 11:54 AM. Time Photojournalist pics of Joplin http://newsfeed.time...-home-in-joplin Guardian.uk article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/21/joplin-tornado-anniversary-town-rebuilds

Another day, more articles and vids. An update on Mason Lillard and Lage Grisgsby. Two youngsters that are doing well despite nearly dying on the Home Depot parking lot. Lage had a severe skull injury and it was thought he would die. Mason was pierced by a metal rod going through her body pinning her in her grandparents truck. http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x915984592/Young-cousins-still-healing-from-tornado-injuries This was on CBS News on Sunday? About Lantz Hare, a teenager killed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jivw3cLHU8 Part 2 of the 3 part story from the KC Star about the Jasper County Coroner, including the mistake that was made with the identity of a victim. http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/20/3619904/joplin-coroner-its-about-being.html Part 1 is here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/19/3618823/the-hardest-call-the-joplin-tornado.html Wall Street Journal article I don't have access to. I'm assuming it has to do with the rebuilding problems in neighborhoods. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303879604577412443106857810.html#articleTabs%3Darticle News story from OK about a couple of the people in St. Johns. http://www.newson6.com/story/18567621/hospital-workers-share-harrowing-accounts-of-joplin-tornado

This is an article by the Joplin Globe. It is an extremely long article that describes in great detail a lot that happened at St. Johns, Freeman hospital and surrounding areas that night. I'm pretty sure they will probably win an award. I copied the first part of it below because the entire thing is much too long to copy on here, the rest can be found at: http://www.joplinglo...-time-of-crisis In addition to this, Tulsa World has an entire section dedicated to the tornado today: Joplin One Year Later: Revisiting the ruins he used to call home http://www.tulsaworl...11_ULNSal387946 Joplin One Year Later: A new beginning after the death of his wife and infant son http://www.tulsaworl...11_CUTLIN219483 Joplin One Year Later: Tulsans build a little blue house ... and hope http://www.tulsaworl...11_CUTLIN819002 Joplin One Year Later: Joplin Globe staff persevered and kept delivering the news http://www.tulsaworl...10_CUTLIN839410 Destroyed hospital helped lead Joplin recovery with optimism http://www.tulsaworl...837336&allcom=1 Joplin Pastor Remembers Year Since Tornado: http://newsok.com/jo...article/3676963 LA Times also has an article: http://www.latimes.c...0,3927701.story EDIT: 12:48 PM.. A "Then and Now" photo comparison has been posted by stltoday. http://www.stltoday....1a4bcf6878.html EDIT: In tornado-weary Joplin, graduates eager to move on despite Obama visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/20/us-tornado-joplin-anniversary-idUSBRE84J0AW20120520

There's going to be a bazillion articles about Joplin over the next few days. I'm not sure I can find them all. This one was really interesting though: http://www.google.co...29fca66e53896a3 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The cost of 30 manhole covers that got sucked away: $5,800. A new concession stand at the destroyed high school: $228,600. Shelter and care for more than 1,300 homeless pets: $372,000. The tornado that tore through Joplin a year ago already ranks as the deadliest twister in six decades. Now it carries another distinction -- the costliest since at least 1950. * During the cleanup, 14 fire hydrants and curbs and gutters at 111 locations were damaged by heavy equipment. And tires were punctured on about 125 vehicles, costing almost $57,300. *The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it spent $1.2 million providing shelter and veterinary care for 1,300 homeless pets after the tornado. EDIT 10:41 PM : The county coroner tells his story for the first time...... The hardest call: The Joplin tornado through a coroner’s eyes *A pickup truck wheels into the lot. A woman’s body lies in the truck bed. “We found her at the house,” the middle-age man says calmly. “In the window.” She is his mother. When he went to check on her after the storm, he found her folded over a window sill. Looks like the tornado sucked her halfway out of the house, he tells the coroner. http://www.kansascit...in-tornado.html EDIT 11:30 PM: Graduating Senior Lydia McAllister writes about twhat she learned after the tornado: http://schoolsofthou...-after-tornado/ EDIT: 12:30 AM USATODAY article I believe: http://www.usatoday....sary/55085962/1

Incredible footage of inside St. John's hospital as the tornado hit. This is from the Emergency room waiting area. The doors to outside are located in the top right. All hell breaks loose at 50 seconds. United Arab Emirates has donated $5 million to Mercy (St. Johns) for a NICU at the new hospital. http://www.koamtv.co...-mercy-hospital Also an excellent look back at May 22nd 2011 by Jim Morgan D.O. EMS Medical Director http://www.emsworld.com/article/10649563/a-state-of-chaos-the-joplin-tornado

We're getting close to the 1 year mark. I've noticed a lot of people being more emotional the closer we get. Pres. Obama will be at JHS graduation on May 21st. Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr's new book looks like it's been released on Amazon.com. He wrote it on his days off and vacation. He talks about his experience with saving people after the disaster and having to take the leadership role and make a plan on how to deal with the disaster. http://www.amazon.com/Joplin-Miracle-Spirit-Mark-Rohr/dp/1620247038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337223982&sr=1-1 Joplin School District has released the FEMA report on the schools: http://joplin.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/2035746/File/Announcements%202012/JoplinHighDraftEAFinalVersionWithCover05-10-2012.pdf Joplin Chamber of Commerce has reported that 80% of the businesses have returned so far: http://www.newstalkkzrg.com/Joplin-Chamber--80-Percent-Of-Businesses-Have-Retu/13144138 Lots of people now buying storm shelters: http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x41012220/Local-demand-driving-sales-of-storm-shelters Eight people have been indicted for fraudulently receiving federal disaster benefits, there will probably be more: http://www.koamtv.com/story/18438460/eight-defendants-indicted-for-disaster-fraud-related-to-joplin-tornado-benefits A group decided to paint the remains of a tree near the old Dillons Supermarket location http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x41013144/-Spirit-tree-new-landmark-in-tornado-zone Desiree Morris, the pregnant woman trapped under rubble at Dillons Supermarket wants to thank the people that helped save her life. She also wants people do be weather aware.

Heads-up... The documentary... "Witness: Joplin tornado" will premiere Monday, May 21st at 9 PM (central?) on the National Geographic Channel. I think this is the series that uses actual footage from people for most of, if not, all the show. The Gov. of Missouri is giving Joplin Schools $2.8 million for the construction of safe rooms. http://www.koamtv.com/story/18380476/28-million-to-construct-safe-rooms-at-joplin-schools Still trying to cut through all the red tape in order to get new street signs: http://www.koamtv.com/story/18388407/street-signs-will-soon-be-replaced-in-tornado-damaged-areas The local hospitals learned some important lessons from the tornado about where to store supplies, to have generators in storm hardened buildings and the new Mercy hospital (St. Johns) sounds like it will be so much more prepared: http://www.koamtv.com/story/18382274/lessons-learned

This aired on CBS News this Morning I believe. Interview with some of the people in the gas station video, a year after the tornado. http://www.cbsnews.c...ch/?id=7408388n EDIT: Also the new Mercy (St. John's) modular hospital:

This is an awesome story. 3 years ago (2008), Joplin came together and had a fundraiser and donations so a local rescue dog ('Unsinkable' Molly Brown) could get a much needed pacemaker. Medtronic donated the pacemaker and the rest of the money went towards vet bills and the surgery itself. Molly Brown paid Joplin back doing search and rescue for 8 days after the tornado. http://fourstateshom...t?nxd_id=279932 I mentioned Mike Smith's new book on a previous post. This article or blog entry or whatever explains how the system failed Joplin. It mentions that the tornado was rain-wrapped, that Springfield NWS misreported the tornado location 3 times, the siren policy, and Springfield NWS issuing too many tornado warnings. According to Smith..... over the last 4 years, the county just SW of Joplin has been hit by 2 tornadoes and had 7 tornado warnings (from Tulsa NWS), but Jasper county (the county Joplin is in) has had 2 tornadoes but 34 tornado warnings (Springfield NWS) http://blogs.kansas....oplin-last-may/

I think Heartland and Joplin, Missouri hope to have DVD's available sometime in the future. Not sure about Deadline as that one really didn't interest me that much.

Joplin is Jeopardy! famous as this aired last Monday: Story about how fast the businesses have come back on Rangeline: http://www.koamtv.com/story/18168724/nearly-a-year-after-tornado-range-line-road-businesses-make-remarkable-recovery Story about how hard it is to find affordable rental property in Joplin after the tornado: http://fourstateshomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=279402 Around 800 students from 60 Missouri High Schools came and planted trees in Joplin. They replaced an estimated 1,200 trees or 10% of what was lost in the tornado. http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x1720503022/Rooting-for-Joplin-plants-trees-throughout-city 3 Joplin tornado documentaries are finished and will be shown soon.The trailers can be found at this link: http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x1720499162/VIDEO-Joplin-tornado-focus-of-three-documentaries

I was on the edge of it, like this video was. Never thought the rumble would stop, it sounded just like it did on that vid....Was just waiting to hear windows break and the house to start ripping apart but knew that once the sound started getting quieter it was passing over (had no idea 3 blocks away was completely destroyed). The sound is still very fresh in my head. And no, too far away to hear any of that.

I think you've nailed my search for what the Joplin tornado sounded like from where I was. The roar sounded a lot like that. Dull, then getting louder, than dull again. Just stick in some high-pitched squeal from air being sucked in through the garage door and you have it.

Continuation from above: This was a heavy residential area. Old South Middle school is visible in the upper left portion, Irving Elementary on the bottom left and Joplin High School on the upper right. The tornado continued to produce EF-5 winds. This area had a lot of apartments, most of what is on here is apartments. Hampshire Terrace apartments can be seen just left of center with the "V" shape parking area, to the left of that was Dillions supermarket. Still producing EF-5 winds.

I decided I'd go ahead and put together the 3 different aerial images of some areas since I found an easy way to do it. Each animated image is around 1 meg. You can get a better view by going to the Jasper County GIS, 2 posts above. The images are 2009, right after the tornado (last May-June), and 2012 (Feb-March). On the left side of this image you can see the pond where Will Norton was discovered. On the far right center, the Elk's Lodge is visible. The tornado was producing EF-4 winds in this area. This image shows St. Johns hospital in the lower left, Greenbiar Nursing home is the green roofed building(s) on the right in the center. The new EMHE houses can be seen on the last image at the top center. The tornado was producing EF-5 winds.

Mike Smith has a new book coming out about the Joplin tornado, or that has already came out called: "When the sirens were silent: How the warning system failed a community." http://www.amazon.com/When-Sirens-Were-Silent-Smith/dp/0692017437/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335975689&sr=8-1 I hope this is just a play on words as there were 2 siren activations before the tornado, one when the first tornado warning was issued and one when the tornado was on the ground. I expect him to mention siren 'misuse'. Joplin's siren policy was/is winds greater than 75 MPH, or a tornado warning for the Joplin area. I can't remember a time (although I'm sure it happened, just not a lot), other than May 24th of last year that the sirens were sounded for 75 MPH winds though. Joplin receives a lot of tornado warnings per year. According to this graphic from Patrick Marsh, we average 3 tornado warnings per year since 2002. http://www.patricktmarsh.com/wp-content/gallery/2012images/tor_poly.png When you get that many tornado warnings per year, many of which don't produce a tornado, people don't take the sirens as seriously as they should. -- Joplin has put up a website about the 1 year anniversary that shows events, etc. http://www.joplintornadoanniversary.com/ Included is a really cool (pdf) fact sheet with a ton of information about the tornado and the response. http://www.joplintornadoanniversary.com/factsheet.php

A couple of hours ago I discovered that the Jasper County GIS website has updated aerial imagery of Joplin. Based on the level of demolition at the High School, I'd say this new imagery is about 1 1/2- 2 months or so old. The website has 2009 imagery, post-tornado imagery and now 2012 imagery. You can see the new construction with the 2012 imagery and toggle all 3 levels so you can see what it looked like before, right after, and now nearly a year after the tornado. I thought about screenshotting before and after pics but you lose a lot of detail when you do that and that sounds like a lot of work. Instead, I wrote up some instructions on how to get on the website and how to view it like you would on Google Maps or Bing maps. Step 1: Go to http://beacon.schneidercorp.com/ Step 2: Select "Missouri" in the "All States" box and then select "Jasper County, MO" in the other box on the next screen. Step 3: Keep "Property Search" checked and press the "Enter" button. Step 4: On this screen, Go to the "Address Search" section and type in "2426 Porter" and then the "Search>>" button right beside it. (This is city owned property right by Cunningham Park) Step 5: Now you should see a Summary of this property, in the upper center of the screen right under the logo is a "Map" tab, click on that to take you to the map screen. Step 6: This will take you to a zoomed in view of the address above. I would UNCHECK everything on the left except maybe "Major roads" and "Local Roads" and of course leave "2012 Aerial Photography" checked. (optionally you can check the "Tornado Destruction path" to see the path of the tornado but it puts a red film over everything) Step 7: Zoom out a bit, and on the top of the map itself is a toolbar. The 4th button from the right says "Toggle Map Size" when you put your mouse over it. This will make the map fullscreen so you can see everything easier. Step 8: On the fullscreen map, you can click on the ">>" on the bottom left of the screen to pull out the "Overview" which is where you unchecked mostly everything. From here you can check/uncheck the various aerial photography on the bottom of the Overview to see the before/during/after the tornado. Personally, I check 2009 Aerial Photography, then check/uncheck 2012 aerial photography to compare what it looks like now vs what it looked like in 2009. You can scroll left or right on the map until you stop seeing damage or until you see no change in the imagery. If you get lost, you can check "Tornado Aerials" to see the damage.

That facility was actually hit by a tornado on March 2nd of this year.

St. Paul's started rebuilding earlier this month or maybe it was last month. Here's St. Paul's 2 days after the tornado: Taken Oct 21st 2011 after it was torn down: And today: Got to end this update with the geese. We were headed for the same area, they stopped and were acting all casual and after I crossed, they decided they'd cross behind me.

NBC Nightly News report on the Joplin Prom. (little known fact, Brian Williams lived in Joplin and worked at KOAM, which is Joplinmet's station) http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/47150686#47150686 The house of the cupcake woman featured in the above video is being rebuilt. She no longer lives there though. The tornado changed the landscape forever. Before: And today:

It's a lot more costly (due to the rocky soil) and prone to flooding but there are houses with basements being built. I've seen a few basements with storm shelters built inside them as well. Also, a lot of the houses that are being built back do have storm shelters inside them if they don't have basements. It does increase the value of the house.

There have been numerous tornadoes in the area over the years, they were even noted in the late 1800's and early 1900's as well. The Picher, OK tornado in 2008 passed just south of Joplin and would have probably been headed for Joplin if it wasn't turning right. I remember a gustnado in the late 90's that hit south Rangeline, destroyed a gas station but left the 2 liters in tact on the shelf and damaged the roof of one of the hotels. We get a lot of the overnight MCS activity from western Kansas, which typically results in a spin-up tornado threat but mostly just straight-line winds. May 22nd was by far the strongest to ever hit Joplin other than the F3 back in the 70's I believe. The damage from the May 22nd storm was just so incredible and widespread.