Joplin, Missouri Tornado - 2011
Joplin, Missouri Tornado of May 22, 2011
A devastating tornado ripped though the city of Joplin, Missouri in the early evening hours of May 22, 2011. By all accounts this is the worst tornado event ever endured by the State of Missouri. This tornado is another example of the massive destructive power that these storms possess, and yet another deadly tornado occurrence that has ravaged the United States in 2011.
Public domain photo courtesy Wikipedia
The Joplin Tornado
May 22, 2011, is a date that the residents of Joplin , Missouri will not soon forget. In the late afternoon hours of that Sunday, Joplin experienced the single deadliest tornado that the United States has seen since 1947. About 30% of the city of 50,000 people experienced extensive damage, with over 150 people left dead in the storm's wake. The F5 twister, packing winds of over 200 MPH, ripped a 3/4 mile wide path of destruction through the heart of Joplin, with radar signatures detecting debris lifted some 18,000 feet into the air. St. John's Regional Hospital suffered a direct hit, with materials from the building found over 60 miles away.
Joplin Tornado Video
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Fujita Scale is used to rate the relative strength of tornadoes. The scale has been in place since 1971, with the updated, "enhanced" scale implemented in 2006.
- EF0---Winds: 65-85 MPH---Minor or no damage.
- EF1---Winds: 86-110 MPH---Moderate damage.
- EF2---Winds: 111-135 MPH---Considerable damage.
- EF3---Winds: 136-165 MPH---Severe damage.
- EF4---Winds: 166-200 MPH---Extreme damage.
- EF5---Winds: 201+ MPH---Complete destruction of buildings.
Joplin Aftermath Video
Less than one percent of all tornadoes are rated EF4 or EF5, but those twisters account for 70+ percent of tornado-related fatalities.
Joplin Hospital Tornado Damage
Joplin Related Links
- How You Can Help Victims Of The Joplin Missouri Tornado
On Sunday, a massive tornado plowed through southern Missouri, leaving thousands without homes in the densely occupied city of Joplin. - Dozens feared dead in Joplin, Missouri tornado - Telegraph
Dozens of people were feared dead after a massive tornado cut a deadly swath through the town of Joplin, Missouri. - Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery | Facebook
Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery - Find out how to help those suffering from the tornado. To find disaster information, shelter information and referrals, please call 211. - New York Times - Joplin Missouri Tornado
The twister, which touched down Sunday evening in Joplin, Mo., spread its destruction over a wide swath of the town, ripping apart buildings ...
