JoMo

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

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.