Sunrise in a Shattered Joplin Missouri
89 deaths are being reported as morning dawns in Joplin, Missouri. A tornado’s six mile path of destruction through the heart of this southwestern Missouri community has taken a toll. Over 2,000 buildings are damaged, many collapsed, and the death toll will rise.
The local newspaper is the Joplin Globe. Their Facebook page has current information.
Statement by President Obama.
Great page for assisting Joplin from State of Missouri.
Missouri Department of Public Safety morning statement May 23:
The Joplin tornado was described as being about one-half mile wide when it touched down just west of 20th and McClellan at about 5:41 p.m. Sunday. It reportedly grew to as much as three-quarters of a mile wide, before returning to about a half-mile in width and lifting up or dissipating at 20th and Prosperity Road. The track was about 4 miles long, heavily damaging residences, businesses, schools and apartment complexes. This is a densely populated section of the central city and estimates are that 10-30 percent of the city of Joplin had been damaged or destroyed, or approximately 2,000 structures.
Missouri National Guard Soldiers with the 294th Engineer Company work search and rescue missions in Joplin, Mo. Photo by Ann Keyes/Missouri National Guard
Gov. Jay Nixon this evening activated the Missouri National Guard in response to tornadoes and severe storms that moved through the state earlier this evening. The storms have caused significant destruction in multiple areas, including Joplin, where a tornado struck St. John’s Regional Medical Center.
The Governor has declared a state of emergency in Missouri and activated the State Emergency Operations Center. State and local law enforcement agencies, including fire mutual aid, are coordinating search and rescue and recovery operations. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also is deploying troopers from other regions to support local officers in southern Missouri. Specialized emergency response teams, including Missouri’s Disaster Medical Assistance Team 1 (MO-1 DMAT) are deploying to the area to provide aid and assistance.
“These storms have caused extensive damage across Missouri, and they continue to pose significant risk to lives and property,” Gov. Nixon said. “As a state, we are deploying every agency and resource available to keep Missouri families safe, search for the missing, provide emergency medical care, and begin to recover. I have ordered the Missouri National Guard to deploy Citizen-Soldiers and assets to support local law enforcement agencies with emergency coordination and recovery, and other state assets have been mobilized to provide emergency support as well. I urge Missourians to keep a close eye on the latest weather information and to follow the instructions and warnings of emergency personnel as these deadly storms continue to move through our state.”
Missourians who need disaster information, shelter information or referrals are urged to call 211. The 211 service number is now available for most areas in Missouri. In areas where the 211 number is not operational, citizens can call 800-427-4626. Weather and emergency information also are available on the state of Missouri’s website, MO.gov.
The Missouri National Guard can be found on Facebook. They have also set up a Facebook page for the Joplin recovery effort.
The Weather Channel had a crew of storm chasers close enough to travel to Joplin. Mike Bettes and his crew were there early in the aftermath and have been reporting ever since. Their videos can be seen on the Weather Channel site.
County Fire, police and EMS radio traffic – Jasper County
Jessica Waldo on Twitter with current photos. Jess Baker on Twitter with more reports and photos.
Table of contents for Joplin Tornado 2011
- Joplin Missouri Struck By Tornado
- Sunrise in a Shattered Joplin Missouri
- Joplin Reels From Yesterday’s Tornado
- Joplin Continues to Dig Out After Record Tornado
- Joplin, Missouri – From Rescue to Recovery
- Marine protects family from Joplin tornado
- Joplin Update – 2 weeks after the tornado
- Corps of Engineers helps Joplin recover
- New Beginning for Joplin After the Tornado
the attachments to this post:
MONGJoplin
