Joplin MO Tornado – May 22, 2011

ByNicole
The tornado spanned 6 miles long and was guessed to be 1/2 mile across.  So far the death toll is at 89 people.  Homes are gone, businesses are gone, and the real kicker, we have another line of sever weather headed our way right now.  In fact we are in a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and it is following the same path as the tornado last night.  These tornadoes seem to be getting closer and closer and it’s scary.  This, this is close.  From my house to where my {step}daughter lives it takes 25-30 minutes (due to winding through the city).
This appears to be the forming of the tornado

Sadly, I don’t even know where this is.  Nothing is left for landmarks.

This is what is left of the St. John’s building.

Again, there’s nothing left to even know where this is, but you can see it’s a parking lot due to the lines on the concrete.

25-30% of Joplin is just in rubble.

This looks to be an apartment building.

What’s left….

I didn’t take any of these photos.  I pulled them from news stations.  I figure still it’s best to stay out of the way, however I brought old clothes with me today because I have some friends I still haven’t gotten ahold of.  I’m not afraid to go hunting them down!

I was watching the Today Show this morning and I found it crazy, Al Roker is in Joplin, Missouri.  You know how he does the weather (usually for NYC) and then says, “…now here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods.”  And I yelled through the house, “That is my neck of the woods!”  Then I looked at my husband and said, “Man that’s not a line I ever expected to yell at the tv toward Al Roker.”

This has made both national and apparently international news because my mom is in Germany at the moment for work and I guess she found out around 1am our time this morning.  I started to contact her but it would have been around 3am her time and I hated to wake her up to that news.  So she woke my dad up at 1am.

The building I work in has around 600 employees.  I’ve heard of one death and many lost houses.  One lady lost her husband about 7 months ago and during the tornado last night she lost her house.  Please keep her and all the people affected by this in your prayers and thoughts!

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15 Comments

  3. I did think of you this morning when I turned on the news and saw the devastation and loss in Missouri. It's beyond tragic. We prayed for y'all this morning for sure. I will keep good thoughts and prayers headed your way. Good luck, sweet friend. Stay safe.

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  6. This is unreal. Ever since reading your blog last night, we have been following this on the news — so yes, it is national news for sure. My thoughts are with you, your family, your friends and co-workers, and everyone affected. I can't even imagine… Is it just me, or are there more deadlier tornadoes this year?

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  9. Glad to read you and yours are still ok and staying safe. As to the rest, prayers and healing to all that have been affected .Let us know when the recovery efforts are set up and if we can send funds.I was so amazed and humbled to here how mush support came to Albertans after the big fires of last week from the USA .I would love to help if I can

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  10. Oh wow, Nicole, I had no idea you were so close to the tornado – we've been hearing lots about it up here. Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers…so glad you're okay. xo

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  12. I can't even imagine…..this is worse than the ones we had here just a month ago. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone there.

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