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2011 Joplin tornado

Coordinates: 37°03′38″N 94°31′51″W / 37.060554°N 94.530938°W / 37.060554; -94.530938
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2011 Joplin tornado
EF5 tornado
Radar image of the Joplin thunderstorm as the tornado was moving through the city.
Max. rating1EF5 tornado
Fatalities158 (+4 indirect)[1][2][3][4]
Damage$2.8 billion (2011 USD)
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale

The 2011 Joplin tornado was a catastrophic EF5 multiple-vortex tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri in the late afternoon of Sunday, May 22, 2011. It was part of a larger late-May tornado outbreak sequence and reached a maximum width in excess of 1 mile (1.6 km) during its path through the southern part of the city.[5] It rapidly intensified and tracked eastward across the city, and then continued eastward across Interstate 44 into rural portions of Jasper County and Newton County.[6] This was the third tornado to strike Joplin since May 1971.[7]

158 people were killed by the tornado and around 1,000 injured. It was the deadliest tornado in America since 1947.

The insurance payout is expected to be $2.2 billion—the highest insurance payout in Missouri history and higher than the previous record of $2 billion in the April 10, 2001 hail storm (which has been billed as the costliest hail storm in history as it swept along the I-70 corridor from Kansas to Illinois).[8] Estimates earlier stated Joplin damage could be $3 billion. By July 15, 2011, there had been 16,656 insurance claims.[9]

Meteorological synopsis

The tornado initially touched down just east of the Kansas state line near the end of 32nd Street at 5:34 pm CDT (22:34 UTC) and tracked just north of due east.[10] Damage was minor in the rural areas southwest of Joplin, with only minor tree damage. As the tornado tracked into the southwest corner of Joplin near Twin Hills Country Club, damage was generally moderate but some was severe. Many houses sustained significant damage in the area, including total roof loss. Damage in that area was rated EF2 to EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.[10]

Damage to St. John's hospital
Aerial view of the St. John's hospital Campus
Destroyed area in tornado path.

The tornado intensified greatly as it entered a more densely populated portion of the city at about 5:41 pm CDT (22:41 UTC) and damage became very widespread and catastrophic as it entered residential subdivisions in southwest Joplin. In addition, St. John's Regional Medical Center in the same area was heavily damaged with many windows and the exterior walls damaged and the upper floors destroyed. Several fatalities were reported there. While it has been reported that the entire St. John's building was shifted 4 inches (100 mm) off its foundation,[11] the hospital's president has been unable to confirm this as fact.[12] Virtually every house in that area near McClelland Boulevard and 26th Street was flattened, and some were swept completely off their foundation. Trees sustained severe debarking, a nursing home and a church school in southwest Joplin were also flattened and several other schools were heavily damaged. EF5 damage began at and just north of St. John's, with EF4 damage elsewhere in the area.[10]

As the tornado tracked eastward, it intensified even more as it crossed Main Street between 20th and 26th Streets. Virtually every business along that stretch was heavily damaged or destroyed, and several institutional buildings were destroyed. It tracked just south of downtown, narrowly missing it. More houses were flattened or blown away and trees were stripped of bark. Two large apartment buildings were destroyed, as well as Franklin Technology Center and Joplin High School. No one was in the high school at the time; the high school graduation ceremonies held about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north at Missouri Southern State University had concluded shortly before the storm.[13] It approached Range Line Road, the main commercial strip in the eastern part of Joplin, near 20th Street. Damage in that area was rated as a low-end EF5.[10]

The tornado peaked in intensity as it crossed Range Line Road. In that corridor between about 13th and 32nd Streets, the damage continued to be intense and the tornado was at its widest at this point, being nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. As the tornado hit the Pizza Hut at 1901 South Range Line Road, store manager Christopher Lucas herded four employees and 15 customers into a walk-in freezer. Since the door could not be shut Lucas wrapped a bungee cable holding the door shut around his arm until he was sucked into the tornado, where he died.[14][15] Some of the many severely affected buildings include Walmart Supercenter No. 59, a Home Depot store, and numerous other restaurants, all of which were flattened. Asphalt was scoured from the Walmart parking lot and many vehicles were piled on top of each other. Heavy objects, including anchored concrete bumpers and large trucks, were tossed a significant distance, as far as 1⁄8 mile (0.20 km) away from the parking lots along Range Line Road. One semi-truck was found wrapped around a debarked tree. Many fatalities occurred in this area. Damage in this area was rated as high-end EF5.[10][16]

Extreme damage continued in the area of Duquesne Road in southeast Joplin. Many houses and industrial and commercial buildings were flattened in this area as well. The industrial park near the corner of 20th and Duquesne was especially hard hit with nearly every building flattened. Several steel frame warehouses structures were swept cleanly from their foundations, with anchoring pulled from the ground and steel beams twisted and snapped. Multiple homes were completely swept from their foundations nearby. One of the many warehouses affected was a Cummins warehouse, a concrete block and steel building which was destroyed. Damage in this area was mostly rated EF4, with the EF5 damage area ending in the western part of the industrial park.[10]

It then continued on an east to east-southeast trajectory towards Interstate 44 where it weakened; nonetheless, vehicles were flipped and mangled near the U.S. Route 71 (Exit 11) interchange. The weakened tornado continued to track into the rural areas of southeastern Jasper County and northeastern Newton County where damage was generally minor to moderate. The tornado lifted east of Diamond at 6:12 pm CDT (23:12 UTC) according to aerial surveys. The tornado's total track length was at least 22.1 miles (35.6 km) long.[5] A separate EF2 tornado touched down near Wentworth from the same supercell about 25 miles (40 km) east-southeast of Joplin.[10]

Aftermath and impact

US Army Corps of Engineers map showing the extent of damage.

A preliminary survey of the tornado damage by the National Weather Service office in Springfield, Missouri, began on May 23. The initial survey confirmed a violent tornado rated as a high-end EF4. Subsequent damage surveys, however, found evidence of more intense damage, and so the tornado was upgraded to an EF5[5] with estimated winds over 200 mph (320 km/h), peaking at 225 to 250 mph (362 to 402 km/h).[16]

According to the local branch of the American Red Cross, about 25% of Joplin was destroyed, but the town's emergency manager stated that the number was between 10 and 20%, with roughly 2,000 buildings destroyed.[17][18] According to the National Weather Service, emergency managers reported damage to 75% of Joplin.[19] In total, nearly 7,000 houses were destroyed (most of which were flattened or blown away) and over 850 others were damaged.[10] Communications were lost in the community and power was knocked out to many areas.[20][21] With communications down, temporary cell towers had to be constructed. By May 24, three towers owned by AT&T and Sprint had been restored.[22]

East of Joplin, a Risk Management Plan facility released 3,000 to 5,000 pounds (1,400 to 2,300 kg) of anhydrous ammonia; it was contained within two days.[22]

The catastrophe and risk modeling firm Eqecat, Inc. has estimated the damage at one billion to three billion USD, but noted that the true damage is not yet known, since the firm does not have access to data on uninsured losses.[23] More than 17,000 insurance claims had been filed by mid-June. The impact on the insurance industry is not so much the number of claims, but the cumulative effect of such a large number of total losses. More than 2500 local people employed in insurance have been involved in some capacity. It is assumed that State Farm will assume the largest share of these losses, having market share of 27% for homeowners insurance and 21% for automobile insurance.[24]

The $2.8 billion in damage is the largest amount for a tornado since 1950.[25]

Casualties

Damage in Joplin one day after the tornado.

As of May 2012, the official death toll from the tornado is 158 deaths directly linked to the tornado, including two people who died from injuries in September. The toll was up to 161 in September, until it was discovered that others died of indirect causes.[3][26][27] In one indirect fatality,[27] a policeman was struck by lightning and killed while assisting with recovery and cleanup efforts the day after the storm.[28][29] Shortly after the tornado, authorities had listed 1,300 people as missing, but the number quickly dwindled as they were accounted for.[30][31][32] Many people were reported to have been trapped in destroyed houses. Seventeen people were rescued from the rubble the day after the tornado struck.[33]

The Missouri Emergency Management Agency reported more than 990 injured.[22][34] Out of 146 sets of remains recovered from the rubble, 134 victims had been positively identified by June 1.[31] Due to the horrific injuries suffered by some victims, some different sets of remains were from a single person.[34] On June 2 it was announced that four more victims had died.[35]

Six people were killed when St. John's was struck by the tornado. Five of those deaths were patients on ventilators who died after the building lost power and a backup generator did not work.[36] The sixth fatality was a hospital visitor.[37]

The Joplin Globe reported that 54 percent of the people died in their residences, 32 percent died in non-residential areas and 14 percent died in vehicles or outdoors. Joplin officials after the tornado announced plans to require hurricane ties or other fasteners between the houses and their foundation (devices add about $600 US to the construction costs). Officials rejected a proposal to require concrete basements in new houses. Officials noted that only 28 percent of Joplin's new homes had basements as of 2009 compared with 38 percent two decades before.[38]

Officials said they rescued 944 pets and reunited 292 with owners.[39]

On June 10, 2011, it was announced that a rare fungal infection, Zygomycosis, had been noted to cause at least eight serious cases of wound infection among the injured survivors, confirmed by reports to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.[40]

Response

President Obama calls Gov. Jay Nixon.
President Obama greets a tornado survivor on May 29, 2011.

Immediately following the disaster, emergency responders were deployed within and to the city to undertake search and rescue efforts. Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency for the Joplin area shortly after the tornado hit, and ordered Missouri National Guard troops to the city.[20] By May 23, Missouri Task Force One (consisting of 85 personnel, four dogs, and heavy equipment) arrived and began searching for missing persons. Five heavy rescue teams were also sent to the city a day later. Within two days, numerous agencies arrived to assist residents in the recovery process. The National Guard deployed 191 personnel and placed 2,000 more on standby to be deployed if needed. In addition, the Missouri State Highway Patrol provided 180 troopers to assist the Joplin Police Department and other local agencies with law enforcement, rescue, and recovery efforts which also included the deployment of five ambulance strike teams, and a total of 25 ambulances in the affected area on May 24 as well as well over 75 Marines from the Ft. Leonard Wood Army Base.[22]

President Barack Obama toured the community on May 29, flying into Joplin Regional Airport and speaking at a memorial at the Taylor Performing Arts Center at Missouri Southern State University about two miles (3 km) north of the worst of the devastation.[41] Obama had been on a state visit to Europe at the time of the storm. Members of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church were also scheduled to protest the same day in Joplin, but they did not show up. There was a massive counter protest that was organized in response to the Westboro protest, in which thousands of protesters showed up holding signs saying, "God Loves Joplin" and "We Support You Joplin."[42]

Engineers have criticized the tilt up construction of the Home Depot in which all but two of its walls collapsed in a domino effect after the tornado lifted the roof, killing seven people in the front of the store (although 28 people in the back of the store survived when those walls collapsed outwards). Home Depot officials said they disagreed with the study published by The Kansas City Star and said they would use the tilt up practice when they rebuild the Joplin store.[43] On June 1, The Home Depot said it would have a new temporary 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) building built and operational within two weeks. In the meantime, it opened for business in the parking lot of its demolished building.[44] On June 20, The Home Depot opened a temporary 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) building constructed by the company's disaster recovery team.[45]

In May 2012 the Missouri National Guard released documents indicating that four of its members had, during cleanup efforts, looted items from a destroyed Walmart store. All four members were disciplined.[46]

Significance

Along with the Tri-State Tornado and the 1896 St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado, it ranks as one of Missouri's and America's deadliest tornadoes and is also the costliest single tornado in US history; the cost to rebuild Joplin could reach $3 billion.[47][48] It was the first F5 or EF5 tornado in Missouri since the Ruskin Heights tornado struck south of Kansas City in 1957. It is also only the second F5 or EF5 tornado in Missouri history dating back to 1950.[49] As of November 12, officials reported that at least 160, and possibly as many as 161 people died from the tornado, with another killed by a lightning strike during cleanup operations the next day.[3][28][50] It was the deadliest U.S. tornado since that of April 9, 1947 in Woodward, Oklahoma and surrounding locations, the seventh deadliest tornado in U.S. history[51] and 26th-deadliest in World history.[citation needed] It was also the first single tornado since the June 8, 1953 tornado in Flint, Michigan, to have 100 or more associated fatalities.[52]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2011 Joplin tornado.

References

  1. ^ "Storm Event Survey". National Weather Service, Springfield, Missouri. September 15, 2011.
  2. ^ "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center.
  3. ^ a b c McCune, Greg. "Joplin tornado death toll revised down to 161". Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  4. ^ "NWS Central Region Service Assessment Joplin, Missouri, Tornado – May 22, 2011" (PDF). Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "CRG.noaa.gov". Crh.noaa.gov. Retrieved March 12, 2012. Cite error: The named reference "crh.noaa.gov" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ "CRH.noaa.gov". CRH.noaa.gov. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  7. ^ Belk, Brad. "Joplinglobe.com". Joplinglobe.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  8. ^ "April 10th 2001". Crh.noaa.gov. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  9. ^ "Missouri Department of Insurance says Joplin disaster will be the most costly insurance payout in state history « Live Insurance News". Liveinsurancenews.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h National Weather Service, Springfield MO (May 23, 2011). "Public Information Statement". NOAA. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  11. ^ Usborne, David (May 28, 2011). "From surgical calm to chaos and death: hospital encounters storm's fury — Americas, World". The Independent. London. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  12. ^ Kennedy, Wally. "Joplinglobe.com". Joplinglobe.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  13. ^ "Joplin MO Tornado: A tornado hit Joplin, MO Sunday". ky3.com. May 23, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  14. ^ "Girlfriend not surprised by Pizza Hut manager's heroics during Joplin tornado — NBCActionNews.com — Kansas City". NBCActionNews.com. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  15. ^ Bryan, Andra. "Residents: Ceremony 'wonderful tribute' to Joplin » Local News » The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO". Joplinglobe.com. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  16. ^ a b KYTV (May 27, 2011). "National Weather Service offers insight into EF5 rating for Joplin tornado". Schurz Communications. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
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  18. ^ "Joplin searches through wreckage". USA Today. Associated Press. May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  19. ^ National Weather Service, Central Region Headquarters (May 23, 2011). "Numerous weekend tornadoes from southern Kansas, Missouri to Minnesota, Wisconsin". NOAA. Central Region Headquarters, NWS. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  20. ^ a b "Powerful tornadoes kill at least 31 in U.S. Midwest". Kevin Murphy. Reuters. May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
  21. ^ Unattributed (May 23, 2011). "Tornado kills at least 89 in Joplin, Mo". United Press International. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  22. ^ a b c d "Joplin Tornado Situation Report 6 am May 24". Missouri Emergency Management Agency. May 24, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  23. ^ Aaron Smith (May 24, 2011). "Deadly Joplin tornado could cost $3 billion — May. 24, 2011". CNN. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  24. ^ Barker, Jacob. Taking a hit. Columbia Daily Tribune. June 11, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  25. ^ Lieb, David A. (May 20, 2012). "Records show Joplin twister was costliest since 1950". The Sun News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  26. ^ Murphy, Kevin. "Joplin tornado death toll rises to 162". Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  27. ^ a b "NCDC Event Record". NCDC Storm Events Database. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  28. ^ a b "Another death in Joplin from tornado brings toll to 155". Reuters. June 20, 2011. Cite error: The named reference "Riverside Officer Dies" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  29. ^ http://articles.ky3.com/2011-06-25/deadliest-single-tornado_29704600. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. ^ Kennedy, Wally (May 29, 2011). "LIST: Missing persons list shrinking » Local News » The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO". Joplinglobe.com. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  31. ^ a b "Death toll from Joplin tornado is 134, officials say" By Kevin Murphy, Jun 1, 2011 Reuters, reuters.com
  32. ^ Martinez, Michael (June 1, 2011). "Joplin Missing List Reaches Zero; Death Toll 134". WJACTV.com. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  33. ^ "116 dead from Missouri tornado; more twisters possible". CNN. May 24, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  34. ^ a b Death toll from Joplin tornado rises to 142, Reuters, May 28, 2011
  35. ^ "Officials say Joplin, Mo., tornado death toll now 138 people, after 4 more deaths in hospitals". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. June 2, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  36. ^ Five patients who died in Joplin hospital suffocated, Reuters, Kevin Murphy, May 24, 2011
  37. ^ "A fist coming out of the sky': Six miles of terror Along tornado's path, victims recall trauma, wonder about future". The Joplin Globe. May 29, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  38. ^ Associated Press (June 18, 2011). "Newspressnow.com". Newspressnow.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  39. ^ "Joplin Tornado: 944 Pets Rescued, 292 Reunited with Owners, One Found 12 Days after Tornado — KSPR 33". Articles.kspr.com. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  40. ^ "Physorg.com". Physorg.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  41. ^ Unattributed (May 23, 2011). "Remarks by the President after Touring Tornado Damage in Joplin, Missouri" (Press release). The White House Office of the Press Secretary. Archived from the original on June 2, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ Vu, Michelle A. (May 29, 2011). "Westboro Picketers a No Show in Joplin During Tornado Memorial". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ "Experts challenge Home Depot building design, codes after Joplin tornado". KansasCity.com. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  44. ^ T. Rob Brown/Joplin Globe, AP. "Joplin starts to rebuild | The Columbia Daily Tribune – Columbia, Missouri". Columbiatribune.com. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  45. ^ "Home Depot marks opening of temporary store". Joplin Globe. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  46. ^ Hathaway, Matthew, "Memos Reveal Joplin Looting", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 31 May 2012, p. 1
  47. ^ Knapp, Dave; Boone, C.F. (May 5, 1971). Barron, Hal. (ed.). The Joplin Tornado. Boone Publications. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  48. ^ Belk, Brad (May 8, 2010). "May tornadoes struck Joplin twice in 1970s". The Joplin Globe. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  49. ^ "F5 and EF5 tornadoes of the United States 1950 to Present". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  50. ^ Unattributed (July 29, 2011). "Death toll from Joplin tornado climbs to 160". Stltoday. Associated Press. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  51. ^ Edwards, Roger (October 25, 2011). "Tornado FAQ: The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  52. ^ Unattributed (May 23, 2011). "2011 Tornado Information" (Press release). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

37°03′38″N 94°31′51″W / 37.060554°N 94.530938°W / 37.060554; -94.530938

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