Within 24 hours of the tornado, more than 800 police cars, 300 ambulances, 400 fire trucks, and 1,100 emergency responders arrived to assist with the tornado response. Jay Nixon also took swift action, activating the Missouri National Guard for debris removal and signing several executive orders to support Joplin’s recovery efforts. On May 23, 2011, one day after the storm, FEMA issued an amendment to offer critical emergency needs for Jasper and Newton counties, including emergency protective measures funding. “All night, we heard loud sirens, search dogs barking and people screaming while they combed through the rubble in hopes of finding their loved ones. “It was so dark when night fell,” said KY3 On Your Side reporter Ashley Reynolds, who had the initial on-air report for KY3 on May 22, 2011. “When you talked to survivors, you could feel the heartbreak they shouldered for those hurt and those who didn’t survive.” Adler says the devastation reminded him of what he witnessed in 2005 when covering Hurricane Katrina for his previous station.
The first time in Joplin, I couldn’t believe it,” said KY3 News Anchor Paul Adler. “I’ve seen damage from many tornadoes throughout the Midwest. “It was extraordinarily difficult to find all the right words.” “I still cannot wrap my mind around the absolute devastation,” said KY3 News Anchor Steve Grant. I was glad to see that thing weaken, and the tornado it was producing was sporadic but no larger than EF2.”Īs survivors slowly returned from their shelter, they came back to see their community devastated by miles upon miles of tornado damage. “By the time I reached the office, the storm had turned right and was headed for Galena. “On the current track, that tornado was headed straight for Springfield,” said Hearst. NWS reports the tornado dissipated around 6:12 p.m. Generations braved the monster storm for more than half an hour before it weakened. It intensified to catastrophic levels when it officially reached Joplin city limits at 5:41 p.m. The twister formed near the junction of State Highway JJ and West 32nd Street. NWS reports the tornado initially hit at 5:34 p.m. This provided most residents with at least 17 minutes of lead time in advance of the tornado, according to an NWS Story Map. After communicating with emergency officials, the NWS Forecast Office in Springfield issued a tornado warning for Joplin and neighboring communities at 5:17 p.m. “Two thunderstorms eventually merged just west of Joplin and began producing the mega tornado.”įast-forward several hours, storm chasers and spotters reported multiple vortices just west of Joplin city limits. “At one point there were five or six storms all capable of producing, or ones that produced a tornado over in southeast Kansas,” recalls KY3 Chief Meteorologist Ron Hearst. Meteorologists tracked a supercell thunderstorm forming between southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri, though it wasn’t exactly clear what the storm system would bring into the early evening. CT, indicating conditions were favorable for tornadoes in Missouri and three neighboring states.Ĭold fronts clashed with warm fronts throughout the afternoon. Two days later, NWS issued a tornado watch around 1:30 p.m. The National Weather Service projected the potential for a severe weather system two days in advance, issuing an alert for a hazardous weather outlook on May 20, 2011. Fewer than one percent of all tornadoes reach EF5 status, while even fewer of those strike populated areas, like Joplin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Furthermore, because of the large number of fatalities that resulted from a warned tornado event, this Service Assessment will provide additional focus on dissemination, preparedness, and warning response within the community as they relate to NWS services"-Preface.The 2011 twister not only embodied characteristics of the “Tornado Alley” region but carried them out to an extent rarely seen in the Midwest. Because of the rarity and historical significance of this event, a regional Service Assessment team was formed to examine warning and forecast services provided by the National Weather Service. As a result, the Joplin tornado was the first single tornado in the United States to result in over 100 fatalities since the Flint, Michigan, tornado of June 8, 1953. The tornado, rated EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum winds over 200 mph, affected a significant part of a city with a population of more than 50,000 and a population density near 1,500 people per square mile. "On May 22, 2011, one of the deadliest tornadoes in United States history struck Joplin, Missouri, directly killing 158 people and injuring over 1,000.
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