JoMo

Interesting article about the guy that filmed the video of the tornado, Jeff Piotrowski. Also what he did as a first responder on the scene. "Using an Internet card on his laptop, he was finally able to get a call through to his friend Steve Piltz, head meteorologist and director of the National Weather Service station in Tulsa. Steve answered. “We are in a state of emergency, Steve. Joplin needs help. A massive tornado, at least an EF-4, maybe an EF-5 touched down here. Massive damage, massive injuries. Need ambulances. Can Oklahoma send any? Can you send 100 of them?” Piltz looked at the radar and saw the debris cloud. “Oh my God,” he said. The debris clouds on the radar image were enormous. “You got it Jeff. I’m on it,” Piltz replied. Piltz sent the storm chaser report immediately. Within 15 minutes of the call, Task Force I Search and Rescue teams from both Oklahoma and Arkansas were dispatched and on their way to Joplin. Jeff could breathe again, and stop counting. Help was coming, more was on the way." http://www.joplinglo...hed-storm-build

This blog has the garden hose through a tree picture. http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/06/tornado-photo-garden-hose-in-tree.html

I had a chance to talk with my ex-gf again who lived over by Franklin Tech and I got more information from her. After I saw what was left of the house first hand last week, I don't know how her husband, step-daughter and her survived. The center of the tornado passed very near them based on surveys and the description about the fence posts being moved in different directions on the JHS baseball field. She said she thought this would be just like any of the numerous tornado warnings that happen every year. They took shelter in an interior bathroom that is basically in the center of the house. She wanted to take her bird out of the cage and have it sit on her finger in the bathroom while they waited for the tornado warning to be over but her step-daughter hated the bird (as did I) and said she wouldn't go in there if the bird wasn't in it's cage. That probably saved the birds life as it survived. She had just called her mom and her phone was still in her hand. She suffered a broken finger when something hit her hand and knocked the phone out of her hand. She said it didn't really sound like a freight train, it sounded like just wind and a growling/roar type sound. She couldn't really describe it. She also suffered a laceration or something to her head, that now has e-coli in the wound. After the tornado had moved through, they started walking towards the hospital. They were all barefoot. They found someone with a van and got in the van but they didn't think that person was coming back or something so they got out and started walking towards the hospital again when someone passed by and took them to to the hospital. She's getting a new car from somewhere in Arkansas because her car was totaled. As they were test driving cars the other day and stopped somewhere, someone rear-ended them in the car they were test driving. The insurance company has set them up with another house and are going to furnish it for 2 years. EDIT: I forgot to add that when I asked if they had to dig themselves out she said no, they were already outside. It had swept all the debris off of them. EDIT2: At least 5 of her neighbors were not so lucky.

Where would you say the 250 MPH winds were? I know the neighborhood that was around JHS is a strong candidate for 'higher end' EF-5 winds, with Franklin Tech being destroyed and the surrounding neighborhood being pretty much leveled as well as Dillons being destroyed and Hampshire Terrace apartments. Greenbriar took a really big hit and those apartments over there and St. Mary's church, so I'd say it was an EF-5 there as well. It's pretty weird over there by the railroad bridge at 25th and Connecticut or so. On one side of it, not much damage at all, but as soon as you go under it, it's a disaster on the other side.

It's extremely hot out there. I hope the volunteers who aren't from the area and the volunteers in general realize just how hot and humid it is outside. It would be horrible if people had heat strokes. It's 91 outside right now at 1:30 PM, with a heat index of 97.

Thanks for writing that. I've been looking through the radar archive and SPC mesoanalysis. Just looks like everything came together just right.

http://www.riversidemo.com/police/officer-jeff-taylor-passes-away Police officer that was struck by lightning on May 23rd while helping in Joplin died this morning.

NWS team is coming to see how people responded to the warning and how they survived. "Low end EF-5" was described several times in this article. http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1517687342/Joplin-tornado-to-prompt-research

Just found this Emergency Services Audio of the event. I'm fairly certain that this is JASCO (Jasper County) and Newton County. I'm just now listening to it so I don't know what all is said.

One of the last things I remember was you on TV, circling a strong area of rotation on the western side of Joplin. Of course then the power flickered a couple of times and I headed to the closet since I heard the rumbling sound before the power did go out. It was bad because it developed just west of Joplin and had not been on the ground that long. With the Picher, OK tornado or other tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, we usually get reports of the storm on the ground from over in Kansas or Oklahoma. Since this developed just west of Joplin, it was hard to warn people early on since it was just forming when it was entering Joplin. Another thing was just the strength of the tornado. I wasn't expecting that strong of a tornado and I'm pretty sure I may not be here if the tornado had hit 3 blocks closer.

I believe so. They said there were 146 remains but I guess some of those belonged to the same people. There's a memorial page that was started for those that died. http://joplinmemorial.com/

Final death toll is officially 134. Everyone on the missing list has been accounted for.

There's a website that will change as the needs change, it's an informational website if you want to donate, or send stuff etc. It's endorsed by the City of Joplin. http://rebuildjoplin.org/

Yeah, I wasn't even prepared for it. I thought we may have some wind or a weak tornado but I wasn't expecting an EF-5. It was rain wrapped as well so some people would have had a hard time seeing it, although I was 3 blocks away and could definitely hear it inside with the TV on even. The one thing I just remembered now is the power dimming two or three times before I heard the rumbling and the eventual loss of power once it was wiped out about 3 streets away. The people at the news stations weren't taking it that seriously either since the tornado sirens go off all the time. (and they are tested every Monday at 10:00 AM if the weather is sunny). Here's a news story on how the media reacted here: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/05/31/51571/tv-mobilized-as-routine-turned-to-disaster Jeremiah Cook is not a meteorologist as indicated in the story though. He's the weekend weatherman and doesn't seem to know that much about weather. I did not have power when the tornado warned storm came through on Tuesday evening/night. I didn't rely on NOAA Weather radio because their updates are not very timely. Instead I listened to the radio station that did a great job in describing where the rotation was and the direction the storms were moving. They even had the Emergency Manager call in and describe what was happening and why the sirens were sounding. The siren for my neighborhood was lost in the tornado so it was replaced with a mobile siren that performed well. The siren went off a second time and the Emergency Manager was called again and he said it was for straight line winds of 75 MPH. It's policy to sound the sirens when 75 MPH winds are expected in the city.

List of missing is down to 10 names now. 690 pets have been found and some have been reunited with 191 families. Those are the pictures that bring a tear to my eye, seeing people so happy to find their lost pets. Here's another link with before/after pics. http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/before-after-pictures-of-joplin-missouri

Federal Gov't is going to pick up 90% of the tab for expedited debris removal. Some more before/after pictures since those seem to have a lot of impact and help people understand what the area looked like before it was destroyed. It looks so bare without the trees. This isn't my video.

I saw this the other day. A bank was destroyed and all that was left was the vault. Saw this story about a UA student who lives in Joplin and was in Tuscaloosa at college and the tornado missed her by about 3 blocks. She drove home to Joplin and 3 weeks later, the tornado here missed her by 3 blocks as well. http://www.tuscaloos...03/1007?p=1&tc= There was also a local news story on a man who lived in Racine, MO and lost his wife in the Picher, OK storm when it moved into that area. He moved to Joplin with his daughter and rode out this storm in one of those twister safe tornado shelters. His house was destroyed but the shelter survived.

I should add that my ex-gf's house was about 3 houses down from here but the video cut out before it reached where she lived. She's fine but was busy getting a new social security card and a car since hers is gone, so we didn't talk about much the other day. She had a contusion, and some other medical jargon that I didn't catch but I hope to hear what she went through here in a few days if she's willing to talk about it since she was basically right in the exact path according to the NWS track.

It isn't my video, it's one I found online. The video starts in the area Obama toured actually, over by Franklin Tech and Joplin High School. He was on the same street. The guy taking the video turned right on to Missouri street. That entire area is destroyed so he could have taken that video anywhere over there and it would have looked like that. I don't know if people are going to rebuild in some areas or not. All I know is that it won't ever look the same.

They are doing 6 sweeps. The number of missing is down to 29 or so. http://dps.mo.gov/news/template.asp?ID=N01110015

Actually, it's kind of mixed emotions. I'm glad it wasn't 3 blocks closer, but at the same time, I feel bad for those involved. Hearing all the stories is incredibly saddening as is seeing the destruction of places you have known all your life. It's amazing to see the power of mother nature but it's extremely sad to consider that some people lost all they had, and some people lost loved ones. The sheer terror that people must have experienced as they heard windows breaking, wood splintering, and having their houses collapse around them.The stories are just terrible to hear. There are children that they can't identify in other hospitals around the area. There was a 4 year old whose parents were killed and they didn't know who she was. The story of an elderly lady found dead in her closet still clutching her bible. I'm sure you heard it was graduation night for Joplin High Schoolers and many were just starting their lives. I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of Will Norton. The recent graduate was on his way home with his dad and was sucked or thrown out the sunroof of his dad's car, he was found in a pond. I also just saw the story of a mother that was killed when she was going to pick up pizza for her son's graduation party. They had found her car which had been damaged, the roof and seat headrest were missing, the seat belt was still buckled and there was a shoe on the dashboard. They didn't find their mom in the car, but they got a call last night that said she had been found. I mean, could you imagine that? Could you imagine being so happy because you just graduated and then having that all ripped away in a couple of minutes? I don't think I can.... I can't really imagine that.

I don't believe so. The inflow damage is probably marked in the EF-1 area, there may be a bit more surrounding that area but it's probably very minor. They probably received debris falling.

There's still 2 people missing in that area, as well as some deaths, the ones missing may actually be from one of the houses in one of the before/after pictures I've made below even :-\ I'm fairly certain these are the right houses as I've matched them up based on driveway location and the concrete steps in the first picture. The before are from Google a few years ago, and the after were taken from that video I linked. This was just down the street from that one.

This was the video I posted the other day. I'm pretty sure this entire area is in the EF-5 damage swath. The #'s on the building are 2201 Grand Ave. He hangs a right on Missouri Ave. These were all well built wood structures that were probably 30+ years old. There are a couple of the house frames left standing but some were leveled completely.

EF-1, however I'd say it was more like EF-0. I don't think it's a continuous EF-5 damage path, but there are sporadic EF-5 damages in that area. There will be a home still standing out in the middle of a bunch of homes that are flattened. I was looking for a video I saw the other day where the guy drives down the EF-5 area in the residential area by the high school. I'll probably find that in a little bit. I found this one which has EF-4, EF-5 damage. I did not listen to this video with sound so I don't know what was said. This is taken on 26th street around Wall, Joplin, Pearl, heading west. The first building you see is Irving Elementary. A brick building that was built in 1927. After that you see a power substation which has been rebuilt already by the electric company. At around 20 seconds you see the remains of another brick building. I believe this was poorly constructed and also ancient though. This is probably really close to the EF-5 on the map. At around 27 seconds there's another brick building that belong to St. Mary's church which you can see in the back, it's a much newer construction and it was destroyed. Around 32 seconds after the dump trucks, you can see the remains of the Greenbriar nursing home (it's leveled). From there, there are numerous businesses that are destroyed and duplex that I can't seem to find on the video.