JoMo

Almost half of the FEMA housing residents have found places to go. This should increase as more housing/apartments are being built. One that was heavily damaged was just opened a few days ago. http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x1968180907/Almost-half-of-tornado-affected-residents-have-left-FEMA-housing Here's a list of apartments/housing units and when they open (not counting the ones that have already opened)(Hampshire Terrace was the complex you saw on TV a lot): Plaza Seniors, 1501 Rex Ave., 56 units, to be open this summer. Plaza Senior 2, 1501 Rex Ave., 20 units, to be open this summer. Plaza Apartments 1 and 2, 1715 Rex Ave., 174 units, to be open this summer. Plaza Towers, 1631 Rex Ave., 54 units, to be open in September. Bartlett Hills (Joplin Public Housing units), 24th Street and McCoy Avenue, 75 units, to be open this fall. Murdock Apartments, 21 S. Rhode Island Ave., 44 units, to be open in late October. Hope Cottages, 32 scattered single-family homes throughout tornado area, four units available each month beginning in November, low-income tax credit. Delaware Duplex Community, 20th Street and Maryland Avenue, 20 units, four units available each month starting in September. Union City Homes, scattered single-family detached homes throughout tornado area, 38 units, first unit open in October. Eagle Ridge walk-up apartments, 611 W. 25th St., 40 units, open in spring 2013. Parkwood Senior Housing, 1300 N. Range Line, 42 units, open in spring 2013. Hampshire Terrace II, 2100 Hampshire Terrace, 84 units, open first quarter of 2013. Canyon Trails, 1300 W. 17th St., 52 apartments and duplexes, open spring 2013. Forest Park Apartments, 29th Street and McClelland, 32 units, first 12 units open December 2012. Fry Construction, 1800 and 1900 S. Connecticut, 18 units, unknown opening date. Apartments at 2900 S. McClelland, 28 units, unknown opening date. Chelsea Clinton was back in town again for the re-opening of Cupcakes by Liz a few days ago. The piece should air on June 11th on NBC (Nightly News I assume) http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x1968180921/Joplins-story-keeps-captivating El Vaquero has announced they are coming back. Lots of people liked to eat at that Mexican restaurant on Main.

Different areas have different siren policy. Quad City area blows them for 70 MPH winds and hail. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dvn/?n=sirenqcmetro#faq9 OKC area for a lot of stuff: http://city-sentinel.com/?p=835 This Wisconsin area does 3-5 mins as well: http://www.co.chippewa.wi.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=326&Itemid=389 Jasper, IN only activate for tornado warnings: http://www.14news.com/story/16654320/jasper-making-change-to-storm-siren-policy

This is actually the first I've heard of the "Joplin effect", basically talks about how the community came together and how people want to help those that help themselves : http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/05/24/the-joplin-effect/SxylpZvUwFPR1MxF36CdsI/story.html Associated Press video about Insulated Concrete Form houses: Interview with CJ Tate, the young mother who lost her son, Skyular Logsdon in the tornado: Interview with a resident who lost his home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IZUn3n7jGo

Is he still going on about the sirens? I can't recall the last time, other than May 24th of last year (due to the amount of debris and people from outside the area here), that they were activated for 75+ mph severe t-storm winds. Mr. Smith made it seem like they were activating them for every t-storm warning, which wasn't true. I remember back in the 90's, i think it was, they decided that they would activate them for 75+ mph winds due to the city being hit with high winds that did quite a bit of damage and there was no siren activation for that. Joplin's sirens are only activated if part of Joplin is in the tornado warning polygon or a spotter or someone sees an actual tornado. It is a 3 minute activation. There is a discrepancy in the times that the sirens were going off in Joplin. I posted at 5:17 on here that the sirens were going off. The city says they were set off at 5:11 but I think I posted that as they were going off, and the second tornado warning was issued at 5:17. The city also says they set the sirens off a second time at 5:31. The National Weather Service says the tornado didn't touch down until 5:34, and as you can clearly see on Jeff Piotrowski's video, the tornado was crossing Schifferdecker street and was very large by the time the sirens started going off which would give an actual time of the second activation around 5:36-5:37. I would rather the sirens be on constantly when a confirmed tornado is moving into the city because if they were activated for another 3 minutes at 5:36-5:37 then the tornado would have been near the high school when they shut off again which was roughly halfway through the city. The reason people thought the sirens 'went off all the time', was because of the weekly testing at 10 AM every Monday. So, Joplin has changed to testing every 2 weeks, and are upgrading the sirens with silent testing technology.

The "Walk of Unity" was today. Estimates are that 6,000-8,000 participated in the walk and 8,000-10,000 were at Cunningham Park for the ceremony. I saw two hot air balloons today, which is rare around here. There were stops for a steeple raising at a church and groundbreaking at Joplin High School for the new school and a stop for kids where Irving Elementary used to be before going to Cunningham Park for the ceremony. News media from all over was here. I saw the TWC's Tornado Hunt truck, CNN's truck, etc... http://www.joplinglo...ado-anniversary Mercy/St. Johns donated land to Stained Glass theater for a community theater, and the City of Joplin to build a tornado museum. Both of those projects would need to find funding. Mercy has stated they will build a chapel at the former site of St. Johns and maybe an amphitheater. This is in addition to the land they donated to Irving Elementary which also had groundbreaking today. http://www.joplinglo...w-Joplin-museum The first Convoy of Hope house (Insulated Concrete Forms) was given to it's owner today as well: http://www.joplinglo...ornado-survivor CBSNews report on that house actually. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y77Wf5usKP8

I just double checked. It is 6 miles (more east instead of NE though) from the center of Galena to the center of Joplin. You've cracked the case.

The radio was also giving public reports that they were getting in. One report indicated the tornado was at 7th and Rangeline. That report was incorrect and may have resulted in people heading south away from that area towards the Home Depot at 20th and Rangeline which was ultimately destroyed. If the NWS says Galena moving NE, most people in southern Joplin feel safe as it would be moving away from them. Doug Heady (Joplinmet) doesn't pay a lot of attention to the NWS warnings, and he was circling the area of rotation which was nearly over me, so he had the correct location when he went on air on KOAM either a few minutes before, or right as the tornado was touching down. They have a tower cam at 7th and Rangeline but they were unable to see the actual tornado until it was near that location due to it being wrapped in rain. Mr. Smith may have been referring to the KSN telecast. You can clearly see power flashes and the tornado on the ground as the video starts. They don't seem to catch on that it's a tornado on the ground until about 30 seconds or so into the video. Jeremiah Cook (weekend weather guy) and Catilyn McCardel (weekend meteorologist) were the two on the video.

I think that is what happened. If you take off the 6 miles NE of Galena, other than the incorrect heading and speed, it makes more sense.

Yep, that was the mistake. The tornado was not 6 miles NE of Galena and it was not moving NE at 45. The area was in the polygon either way, just the SVS statement was incorrect. I think the next tornado warning was issued at 5:48.

Yes, it was a confusing situation. At around 5:20, there were 3 areas of rotation, although the one north of these two had become really broad and diffuse. By 5:29, the tornado still had not touched down but you can see the couplet really tightening up east of Galena. By 5:38-5:39 the tornado was located in Joplin (Iron Gates is Joplin) The location of it at this time is marked by the pink dot.

I said my only complaint was the messed up SVS statement that put the tornado where there wasn't one. They indicated the tornado was 6 miles NE of Galena, which would have been too far north. You can see Galena on the map and the track was NOT NE of Galena. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_summary I have no idea what Mr. Smith is talking about when they issued the earlier warnings and about Riverton or whatever. I also don't know what he meant about the actual time it touched down. It was pretty much on the western edge of the city when it touched down. There was maybe 1-2 minutes before it started hitting parts of Joplin.

There was no tornado where they indicated. The trained spotters were indicating the tornado that was in the southern box, the actual Joplin tornado. It was quickly corrected.

5:42 AT 538 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR JOPLIN...OR 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF GALENA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. http://www.americanwx.com/bb/index.php/topic/18858-devastating-tornado-strikes-joplin-missouri/page__st__595__p__721723#entry721723

My only complaint was with the SVS that mentioned it being 6 miles NE of Galena. They were keying in on the rotation to the north and they combined the warning to the north and south in that SVS.

Basically this: http://meteorologicalmusings.blogspot.com/2012/05/joplin-was-essentially-blindsided-by.html

Estimated 10,000 people at Cunningham Park. Yes, this is a real Hot Air Balloon.

This is what it looked like about 6 blocks to my SW. Part 3 of the Jasper County Coroners story.... heart breaking towards the end. http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/21/3621640/in-joplin-pain-remains.html Part 1 is here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/19/3618823/the-hardest-call-the-joplin-tornado.html Part 2 is here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/20/3619904/joplin-coroner-its-about-being.html Yahoo takes a look back at some of the photos then, and now. http://news.yahoo.com/photos/joplin-s-tornado-then-and-now-slideshow/ The White House looks back: http://www.whitehouse.gov/joplin "Today" show segment: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47518809#.T7u4i0VSQ9Z CBS article (one of those blue balloon things actually landed in my backyard today, lol) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57439190/joplin-commemorates-anniversary-of-deadly-tornado/ There are a lot of articles and information out there, I'm feeling a bit overloaded and will have to take the rest in on a day by day basis.

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