<p>Flyover damage video now up on Youtube. Maybe not 70% of town but could be 50% gone or heavily damaged. WOW.</p>
<p>My prayers go out to them. This has got to be one of the worst years for natural disasters. How devastating.</p>
<p>[Stow</a> Family ‘emotional’ after suspect’s arrest](<a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/video#video=25317783]Stow”>http://news.yahoo.com/video#video=25317783)
Not sure if I can post this, but at about 1:30 in this news clip there is a video from inside a convenience store as the tornado hit. This whole clip is amazing.</p>
<p>^^ I just watched that clip shot from the convenience store on Youtube, and it’s truly horrific. The employees at that store did a very good job controlling the situation and getting everyone into the cooler after the glass blew out.</p>
<p>Perhaps we have all become a bit complacent about the storm sirens and warnings. I have read that Joplin had 17-20 minutes of warning, with sirens activated. When I hear the tornado sirens, I head for the basement (if I’m home) for a maximum of ten minutes, then I decide it must be over, and I return to whatever I was doing. That would have been a mistake in this case.</p>
<p>A few weeks ago, at the beginning of this wave of tornados, we were driving from Dallas back to our home (mid-Missouri). We stopped for gas in Tushka, OK. The sky looked nasty and the wind was picking up, so we looked at the weather map on H’s phone. The forecast was threatening, and the town didn’t appear to have many substantial buildings, so we just kept driving. Thirty minutes later a tornado flattened that poor town, killed several people and closed the highway. In that case, I don’t think most people had anywhere safe to go.</p>
<p>As for Joplin, we saw the big red storm front on the satellite weather maps about 6 pm last night, as we debated going out for some ice cream. Our weather was already stormy, and I told H he was nuts. He looked at the map and said, it looks pretty bad in Joplin right now, but it will be over by the time it gets here. I vetoed the outing anyway.</p>
<p>Oops, sorry–I just noticed that I accidentally posted a link to the wrong news clip (it appeared as a clip number–must have been the one before/after)</p>
<p>Joplin H.S. is totally destroyed. The damage to the medical center is significant. Such devastation. The only time I saw damage this significant was when I visited Homestead FL after hurricane Andrew. The devastation is numbing.</p>
<p>Yes, Homestead was basically gone. That was amazing.</p>
<p>It’s just terrible. My heart breaks for those suffering now.</p>
<p>My college roommate is from Joplin and he said his house is fine, but 4 blocks away there’s total destruction.</p>
<p>It’s amazing that there wasn’t worse loss of life. The aftermath videos make it seem like no one in the affected areas should have survived.</p>
<p>I’m not sure it’s complacency about the sirens (although we stayed upstairs Saturday night while they were going…) but someone said the wind was so bad in Joplin you couldn’t hear the sirens. Also, it was a time people were out and about which is why people were stuck in the convenient store, Home Depot, under parking garages et. It’s a horrible devastation. As I said with the hurricanes a few years ago- when it’s just your house that is damaged, you’re still going to work and have neighbors to go to. When it’s the whole city/neighborhood, you have no where to go, no one to lean on and no car/house clothes with no job or school to go to during the day.</p>
<p>My heart breaks for this town. Sending my donation to the red cross trying to help.</p>
<p>[How</a> to help the victims of the Joplin tornado](<a href=“http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/state/missouri/how-to-help-the-victims-of-the-joplin-tornado]How”>http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/state/missouri/how-to-help-the-victims-of-the-joplin-tornado)</p>
<p>Ok, I know this is a long shot…but…did any of you hear a story of a family in Joplin who were returning from the son’s HS graduation? They were in separate cars. I guess the sirens went off enroute. The mom & daughter grabbed the dog and got into the basement, but the dad/son didn’t make it. Their car was thrown around and the kid’s seatbelt snapped and he was missing. The Dad was hurt, but not too badly. </p>
<p>I was just praying that the kid would be ok, but I haven’t heard anything either way. I’ve been scouring the news reports. If anyone else read that story and has an update please post!</p>
<p>[Several</a> online efforts focus on Will Norton, missing Joplin teenager - NBCActionNews.com - Kansas City](<a href=“http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/state/missouri/several-online-efforts-focus-on-will-norton-missing-joplin-teenager]Several”>http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/state/missouri/several-online-efforts-focus-on-will-norton-missing-joplin-teenager)</p>
<p>What are the key words to find that video? I’m only able to find videoes of the actual tornado. </p>
<p>It’s amazing that more people were not killed considering how powerful that tornado was. </p>
<p>If anyone hasn’t walked thru a city’s damage after one of these horrific events, I can tell you that the pictures do not show how awful things really are. In the last few weeks, I walked thru the EF5 damage that Huntsville sustained and the EF4 damage that Tuscaloosa sustained. The affected areas truly look like warzones…everything looks so scary and unbelievable. And, the loss of life is just gut-wrenching.</p>
<p>Thanks fourkidsmom. Definitely sounds bleak.</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids-videos would be on news stations In KC at least, nbcactionnews.com (links above then go toother stories),fox4kc.com, kmbc.com, kansascity.com</p>
<p>Just back from Joplin. Worst disaster damage I have seen after St Helens blast zone. Much worse than NOLA post Katrina except area that took direct hit in Miss was similar. Nearly all homes in a half mile by 6 mile area were completely turned to rubble. Up to a mile wide area had heavy damage and was mostly unlivable. Cars were destroyed with roofs ripped off and sitting where a house once sat. Total destruction and it will take a good five years to rebuild. Most homes were smaller older homes circa 1900-1930 and it did not look like an area where people had much above their house and car if they even had good insurance. You come away with absolutely nothing except the dirty clothes on your back. If you lived. I think around 15,000 or solived in the worst area as it was dense with smaller homes and some apts. Only amazing thing is how few actually died. Hurricanes are much more forgiving as you know it’s coming and can get away with your car and some stuff. These folks had maybe 5-15 minutes if they even heard the warnings. Life or death decisions were made that fast. KC Star has good photos and maps</p>
<p>[After</a> the Joplin tornado — 360° view - KansasCity.com](<a href=“http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/28/2910683/after-the-joplin-tornado-360-view.html]After”>http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/28/2910683/after-the-joplin-tornado-360-view.html)</p>