Ace of Spades HQ

May 23, 2011

Tornadoblogging - Joplin, MO (Bumped for incredible new video)
— Genghis

Update/bump (6:00 AM Central time) I just added a video below the fold that was posted on YouTube by a chopper pilot who flew along the damage path in Joplin shortly after the tornado struck. It's a little shakey and in an oddly vertical format, but the amount of damage it shows is incredible.

Watching the video, you keep thinking that there can't be more, but it seems to go on and on forever. Last night there was a CNN piece with the following quote:

"I would say 75% of the town is virtually gone," said Kathy Dennis of the American Red Cross."

Which sounded a little hyperbolic to me since she might have been reporting that from the scene and didn't have the perspective the rest of us have from a distance. After all, Joplin isn't a tiny rural town but rather a medium-sized regional city of 50k with a metro population of 174k. One tornado can't do all that damage, can it?

After watching the vid I'm not so sure she was off the mark by much.

Added: Video below the fold

Update: The Weather Channel has stopped the on-site livestream for the evening. Too dark to really show anything.

Original Post:

There's been another tornado outbreak like the big one in Alabama last month. But just a short time ago Joplin, MO got creamed by what looks to be a mile-wide tornado. Entire neighborhoods are flattened and a hospital was damaged so badly that the patients had to be evacuated to another hospital.

Many deaths occurred with this storm and many victims are likely still burried in the rubble. But it just got dark there making search and rescue much more difficult. To make matters worse there are numerous gas leaks in the area and fires have begun popping up in the mounds of rubble.

The Weather Channel has wall to wall coverage plus are livestreaming from near the hospital that got hit. Here's the link to that

Japser County enforcement (Where Joplin is located) have an online streaming scanner. It's absolute chaos there but they're doing the best they can with what resources are available.

I know other areas got hit today, including Minneapolis and tornadoes are threatening numerous areas even now. So I'll add more to this as I find links.

From "Jose" in the thread. This is the aftermath in the area around the hospital shot earlier by The Weather Channel:

Not much video of the actual tornado posted yet (I'm sure many more will be added). This is of someone filming it off their tv:

Posted by: Genghis at 02:54 AM | Comments (52)
Post contains 450 words, total size 3 kb.

1 I'm in Kansas City, MO. We are getting frequent updates. It's a real mess. Looks like this system is going to continue pounding across Missouri all night.

Posted by: Ace Tomato at May 22, 2011 06:41 PM (23p1u)

2 I gotta admit this has been one Hell of a year so far.

Posted by: Ohio Dan at May 22, 2011 06:42 PM (2o7Ys)

3 Let me know if it hits Illinois. I've got to catch up on my sleep...

Posted by: Barry O at May 22, 2011 06:48 PM (FcR7P)

4 video of Joplin tornado aftermath, awful

I just moved to KC and all of these storms are scaring the shit out of me.

Posted by: Jose at May 22, 2011 06:59 PM (WTNJJ)

5 (blank)

Posted by: genghis at May 22, 2011 07:03 PM (4T2lB)

6 Quick... send more money to Egypt!

Posted by: Brack Oblammo at May 22, 2011 07:04 PM (4kv00)

7 24 confirmed dead.. RIP. looks like that count will climb

Posted by: wildwood at May 22, 2011 07:05 PM (VSWPU)

8 The video, for just a second, I thought, "It's a movie", because of how the devastation looks; it's almost artistic.

What a dreadful thing. I'll be digging into my savings to help.

Posted by: Dianna at May 22, 2011 07:08 PM (mKMj1)

9 So the Rapture is less of a peaceful ascension and more of a violent funnel cloud that sucks people into the sky, huh? I denounce myself.

Posted by: Damiano at May 22, 2011 07:10 PM (3nrx7)

10 So the Rapture is less of a peaceful ascension and more of a violent funnel cloud that sucks people into the sky, huh?

You really shouldn't joke about these things.

Posted by: Dorothy at May 22, 2011 07:23 PM (uqJo6)

11 Now there is looting. Lovely.

Posted by: genghis at May 22, 2011 07:23 PM (4T2lB)

12 http://twitpic.com/51ar69 The link is to what was apparently a walmart that took a direct hit.

Posted by: John McLaughlin at May 22, 2011 07:25 PM (jGXQI)

13 Been watching the coverage since before it happened. It's really bad down there. My local met said that it looked like the aftermath of Tuscaloosa.

Posted by: JR at May 22, 2011 07:31 PM (ATJf1)

14 That's my home town. In fact, that hospital is where my father spent his final days. To give you all some perspective, that hospital was surrounded by brick and mortar constructed Dr. office buildings Probably 2 dozen of them all around it. They're gone. There was a dense area of housing around that. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the devastation.

Another reference point, that Wal-mart is about 3-4 miles from the hospital. A friend texted me and said everything between the two in a mile wide path is just gone.

Posted by: DanInMN at May 22, 2011 07:32 PM (Mif1z)

15 did a tornado hit this post ?

Posted by: wildwood at May 22, 2011 07:43 PM (VSWPU)

16 (blank to restore comments)

Posted by: genghis at May 22, 2011 07:43 PM (4T2lB)

17 15did a tornado hit this post ?
Comments vanish whenever a post is updated then reappear when the next comment is made. That's why the blank comments above.

Posted by: genghis at May 22, 2011 07:45 PM (4T2lB)

18 I've got it covered! I'll look out the window when I fly over on the way to my next fundraiser. Gotta find some reason to write off all this campaign travel as official trips, right?

Posted by: President Gutsy Call at May 22, 2011 07:47 PM (3nrx7)

19 The tornado here in MPLS area did a decent bit of damage. 1 dead, 30 injured. Large swaths of areas w/o electricity. Curfew in...um...hardest hit neighborhoods.

Posted by: Zakn at May 22, 2011 08:04 PM (7F9i5)

20 Oh my. In that vid, the damage is as far as you can see in all directions.

Posted by: Clueless at May 22, 2011 08:05 PM (piMMO)

I cannot imagine the horror of lying in a hospital bed, unable to do anything, with a tornado bearing down on the building.

Posted by: ParanoidWorkingGirlinSeattle at May 22, 2011 08:15 PM (RZ8pf)

Must turn your stomach after what you've seen in Oklahoma (F5) way back when.

Yep. There was no actual looting in the '99 Moore tornado.

I'm listening to the Joplin scanner and I believe I just heard them say that an alligator is on the loose somewhere in the rubble.

Posted by: genghis at May 22, 2011 08:16 PM (4T2lB)

23 >>Now there is looting. Lovely.

There are reports of looters being shot too.

Posted by: DanInMN at May 22, 2011 08:28 PM (Mif1z)

24 I heard Minneapolis got hit too...any MSP Morons have word on that? (And I hope anyone in the path of these things is OK...)

Someone please make sure to post a relief roundup tomorrow once those gears are in motion. Some of the usual suspects are probably getting strained by now, between outbreak after outbreak and the floods...

Posted by: AoSHQ's DarkLord©, warming up his earthquake machine at May 22, 2011 08:48 PM (Fs7RJ)

And the eco-wackos will blame us for not honoring GAIA and sacrificing eough unborn babies to slake their needs and for rejecting AL GORE as our grand exualted high priest and holy leader

Posted by: Spurwing Plover at May 22, 2011 09:12 PM (vA9ld)

26 http://bit.ly/iBMlY6

Springfield Newspaper's photo slideshow of some damage.

Posted by: Doc at May 22, 2011 09:15 PM (jGXQI)

27 A lot of folks in Colorado whined about heavy rain over the past few days. But the storm systems passing over the Rockies can quickly become horrendous. I feel rather fortunate living here. Prayers for those in the maw of the storm.

Posted by: Pug Mahon at May 22, 2011 09:40 PM (Wb1g8)

28 I know a couple who lost their house in the tornado. They're mostly okay, just minor injuries from debris. Their house is gone and their cars were trashed.

The death toll according to the local news station was at 30, but people were saying that the police requested 20 bodybags at an apartment building about an hour ago. It was over a half-mile wide and went through 3 miles of residential area. If the toll stays below 100, it will be a miracle.

Posted by: FPW at May 22, 2011 10:11 PM (TV27A)

29 (spam-b-gone)

Posted by: seeyouyou at May 22, 2011 11:08 PM (kVl2n)

I heard Minneapolis got hit too...any MSP Morons have word on that? (And I hope anyone in the path of these things is OK...)

Yep- about 6 or 7 blocks from my house in north Minneapolis.

Didn't even know it happened till I drove to work. Tried to get out of the way of the emergency vehicles by shifting over to a side street, but every one of them was blocked by large fallen trees. At my house, no damage. I heard it go through (didn't recognize the grumbing sound at the time), but other than the sound the only indications of a tornado were the sirens, the sound, and the lights flickering a few times. Otherwise, it just seemed like a typical thunderstorm, though it was very dark; didn't think anything of it at the time.

Only after I got to work and looked at the helicopter footage did I see how bad (and how close) it was. Just so happened that it went through one of the shittier parts of town; coming home from work, there were a lot of police cars patrolling, presumably for looters.

Posted by: Hollowpoint at May 22, 2011 11:38 PM (WRW1S)

31 Actual News Coverage, seen by Joplin viewers, of Tornado Warning prior to the Impact

Posted by: Jenny at May 22, 2011 11:48 PM (CmLxh)

32 We're still digging out here in Alabama, and now this. Terrible. My heart goes out to these people.

Posted by: Bugler at May 23, 2011 02:25 AM (VXBR1)

33 (really starting to hate the vanishing comment bullshit)

Posted by: genghis at May 23, 2011 03:07 AM (4T2lB)

34 It was striking to see the high school. It was like something out of a corny movie.

Posted by: Matt at May 23, 2011 03:07 AM (FrvhH)

35 Some reports say that at least 89 people were killed. Prayers for all affected by these storms.

Posted by: PA Cat at May 23, 2011 03:16 AM (wBWM8)

But Joplin Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer put the estimate at 10% to 20%.

So there is that.

Posted by: genghis at May 23, 2011 03:22 AM (4T2lB)

37 Meanwhile Teh Won is off to Ireland, "where he looks to celebrate his Irish ancestry," according to Fox News.

I guess the Irish aren't typical white people.

Posted by: PA Cat at May 23, 2011 03:23 AM (wBWM8)

38 I made a comment about this on my Facebook page, and already some asshat chimed in with "It's a shame what happens with global climate change. So sad."

So, lemme get this straight, everything bad is global climate change now?

Posted by: Xoxotl at May 23, 2011 03:28 AM (3AOLv)

39 Reposted from the other thread: The post about the Missouri tornadoes has disappeared, so I'm commenting here. I'm in Alabama and my work puts me in constant contact with the relief/recovery effort here. For those of you who want to help the people in Missouri--thank you. Your willingness to help is important and much-appreciated by those affected. These people will need emergency relief for a few days. If you're in the immediate area, you can help by providing food, shelter, hot showers, transportation, etc. If you're not in the immediate area of the damage, SEND MONEY. Yes, you have all sorts of things around the house that someone might be able to use, but getting that stuff to the people who can use it will cost more than the value of the stuff. Forget it. SEND MONEY. As to precisely how you send money, you have lots of good options. If you know someone in the affected area, just send them some money. Tell them, "If you don't need this, then give it to someone who does." Red Cross, United Way, and the Salvation Army will publish instructions for donations to this particular disaster. These designated disaster funds go 100% to disaster work. Many churches have disaster relief operations that do excellent work. If your church has such an organization, follow their instructions on how to help, but SEND MONEY. If you're associated with a civic group like Lions, Optimists, Jaycees, etc., work with them on any disaster-related efforts, so long as it's about SENDING MONEY. Having said over and over to SEND MONEY, let me note that there are some exceptions. Able-bodied and skilled volunteers are an invaluable resource. If you're able to go to the affected area to volunteer, by all means do so, but do it through an organization like your church or the Red Cross. If you have access to heavy equipment like bulldozers, bucket trucks, skid-steers, and front-end loaders, contact the EMA or local government (city council, county commission) to see where that resource can best be used. If you have medical training, contact the Medical Reserve Corps in the Joplin area. If you're not in one of these special categories, again, please just SEND MONEY. Posted by: Bugler at May 23, 2011 07:57 AM (VXBR1)

Posted by: Bugler at May 23, 2011 04:03 AM (VXBR1)

40 PA Cat - black Irish; its another storm thing - something to do with an armada.

Listen to Bugler, please. The logistics involved with getting a small city sheltered, hydrated, and fed in a very short time frame simply cannot be accomplished without professionally packed, palletized, pre-loaded supplies and the trucks to move them. That takes money.

Posted by: Jean at May 23, 2011 04:36 AM (WkuV6)

41 Gee, I hope those people donated to Barack Obama's re-election campaign or else they're totally fucked.

Posted by: someguy at May 23, 2011 04:49 AM (iIQ0a)

42 OMG, this is horrendous. It feels almost surrealistic.

The prez didn't leave the country after this right?

Posted by: curious at May 23, 2011 04:54 AM (k1rwm)

43 I can't help but think these poor people experiencing this tornado must have been thinking that the crazy end-of-the-world guy was right. I mean seriously, dude predicts end of the world and then your entire neighborhood is destroyed?

The odd thing about this year's tornadoes is not just their strength but that they seem to be touching down right in the middle of population centers time and time again. You don't hear much about tornadoes destroying cities because cities cover a relatively small area of land.

Posted by: Bill Mitchell at May 23, 2011 05:27 AM (Er/am)

>>Gee, I hope those people donated to Barack Obama's re-election campaign or else they're totally fucked.

That's one of the most conservative areas in the country...

Posted by: DanInMN at May 23, 2011 05:29 AM (Mif1z)

45 This is chilling.

Posted by: curious at May 23, 2011 05:32 AM (k1rwm)

46 This is proof positive that God is not running the daily affairs of man. And this is by design. Were God to manage the minutiae of our existence, where would free will be? Actions must have consequences in order for us to be free and not just mindless drones stumbling toward our destinies.

I believe that God is more of a gardener than an architect. Whereas an architect lays out ever detail of the building and oversees every aspect of its construction, the gardener prepares the soil, plants the seeds, waters them and sees what happens.

Those who see this and say "how could a loving God allow this to happen?", my answer would be, "how could a loving NOT allow it to happen?" God made us. God made weather. We live in the weather. Weather can feed us and weather can kill us. If God's job were to protect us from the weather he never would have made weather dangerous in the first place.

Our souls are eternal. From God's perspective, our brief time here in these fragile bodies is of no more significance than the dream you had last night. It only seems significant to us because we are IN it. If nature kills our physical bodies, it has no effect whatsoever upon our eternal souls and so God does not perceive it as a loss - hence he does not feel the need to protect us from it.

Death is a tragedy only for the living who miss their departed. I doubt the dead mind at all - as a matter of fact, they probably feel a bit relieved.

Posted by: Bill Mitchell at May 23, 2011 05:38 AM (Er/am)

47 Washington could use a little dose of Mother Nature's reality check. The elites need an education.

Posted by: Tornado Alley at May 23, 2011 06:37 AM (wOaLi)

My prayers for those in Missouri today.

Continued prayers for victims of Tuscaloosa and Mississippi tornadoes, as well as for the flood victims in LA and MS.

Posted by: ChristyBlinky at May 23, 2011 07:03 AM (FnRYN)

49 I understand that during the war of 1812 when the british burned the whitehouse a big storm and tornado swpt through and drove the british out

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