Ef5

It's been six months since the devastating EF5 tornado plowed through the town of Joplin.  The twister destroyed one third of the town. Tuesday, more than 1,000 people attended the memorial service to remember those those who died.  At 5:41 p.m., the time the tornado hit on May 22, the crowd stood and lit lights for a moment of silence. "In six, short-months the tornado's wounds, some still visable and some hidden deep within us, are healed," Gov. Jay Nixon said.  "Brick by brick and board by board, the people of Joplin are rising from their granite faith.

JOPLIN, Mo. -- The National Weather Service provided additional insight into the decision to rate the tornado last Sunday at the top of the Enhanced Fujita Scale.  The tornado was given an initial rating of an EF-4 before it was upgraded the next day. Bill Davis with the National Weather Service said investigators look at structural damage and how far heavy objects were thrown.  This tornado, for example, tossed concrete parking lot "bumpers" that...

Using photos provided by Google and MJ Harden, a GeoEye Company, National Public Radio has created a before and after image of the area around Joplin High School before and after the tornado. Viewers visiting the NPR site can use a slider bar to see the stark before and after difference.  

JOPLIN, Mo. - Perhaps the most well-known and obvious reminder of the EF5 tornado that devastated Joplin in May will come down starting Sunday. Implosion is not an option for St. John's Hospital because of old lead mines underground.  So crews will use a wrecking ball to tear down the hospital's west tower.  Specialized grappling equipment will reach up 15 stories to pull down the east tower.     Demolition work is expected to take...

JOPLIN, MO - The federal government has denied the city of Joplin an extension on an upcoming tornado cleanup deadline. City and state leaders requested an extension of the Federal Emergency Management's Expedited Debris Removal Program.  FEMA only allows 75 days for removal of debris from areas wiped out by a natural disaster.  That deadline expires Sunday. The program foots 90% of the costs of removal through the first 75 days, 75 percent after that. The deadly EF5 tornado killed 160 and damaged or destroyed 8,000 homes and business May 22.         

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- It is that time of the year: severe weather season. The longer we live in this part of the world, the more likely it is we will encounter dangerous weather.  For many of us, that may result in a generalized fear of thunderstorms. "I would say a general anxious feeling about weather is not only normal but probably healthy, because some anxiety, some angst can lead us to action sometimes," said psychologist John Essman. For some of us, though, especially if a natural disaster has had a direct impact on our lives, a general fear can become something more.  Ashley Mooneyham was 8 years old when a tornado hit her neighborhood and increased her anxiety about weather.

JOPLIN, Mo. -- It's been four-and-a-half months since the tornado hit Joplin on May 22.  Still, volunteers continue to pour in to help. "Photographs -- that's your memories that's your history," Joplin resident Linda Harryman said. For some in Joplin, their history was harmed by the EF5 tornado. Harryman was getting her sister's wedding picture repaired on Friday.  The tornado ripped, wrinkled and wore some of the photo away but it's one of the only pictures not lost by the high winds.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- A woman caught in the Joplin tornado's path tells her story of survival.  Michelle Smith was seriously hurt and still hospitalized Friday night. Smith was brought to St. John's in Springfield from Freeman Hospital in Joplin just hours after the tornado hit.  She and her husband rode out the EF5 tornado in their Ford F150 pickup. Michelle Smith and her husband Alan were in the parking lot of Joplin's Home Depot when they got the call from their sons at home.  "He called me screaming, the tornado was on top of them, the windows were busting and stuff," Michelle says.

JOPLIN, Mo. - In the days after the storm, city officials and devestated homeowners urged gawkers to stay away.  There was a concern so many tourists could get in the way of rescue and recovery operations.  But now, sightseers are getting the welcome mat- make that the welcome map. The Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau is distributing a new 'tornado tourism' map.  It can be picked up, for free, at several local hotels and tourism centers....

JOPLIN, Mo.-- More federal money is going to Joplin to help recovery from last year's devastating EF5 tornado.  The city is receiving $2.4 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to replace contaminated soil. "It was totalled out.  The roof was gone out of it," said Joplin resident Brittney Harris.  Along with the destruction from the tornado, many in the storm's path, like Harris, were also left with a hidden danger: soil contaminated with lead and cadmium.  "It was a really big concern," said Harris.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- It is that time of the year: severe weather season. The longer we live in this part of the world, the more likely it is we will encounter dangerous weather.  For many of us, that may result in a generalized fear of thunderstorms. "I would say a general anxious feeling about weather is not only normal but probably healthy, because some anxiety, some angst can lead us to action sometimes," said psychologist John Essman. For some of us, though, especially if a natural disaster has had a direct impact on our lives, a general fear can become something more.  Ashley Mooneyham was 8 years old when a tornado hit her neighborhood and increased her anxiety about weather.

JOPLIN, Mo.-- More federal money is going to Joplin to help recovery from last year's devastating EF5 tornado.  The city is receiving $2.4 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to replace contaminated soil. "It was totalled out.  The roof was gone out of it," said Joplin resident Brittney Harris.  Along with the destruction from the tornado, many in the storm's path, like Harris, were also left with a hidden danger: soil contaminated with lead and cadmium.  "It was a really big concern," said Harris.

JOPLIN, Mo. - Perhaps the most well-known and obvious reminder of the EF5 tornado that devastated Joplin in May will come down starting Sunday. Implosion is not an option for St. John's Hospital because of old lead mines underground.  So crews will use a wrecking ball to tear down the hospital's west tower.  Specialized grappling equipment will reach up 15 stories to pull down the east tower.     Demolition work is expected to take...

JOPLIN, Mo. - In the days after the storm, city officials and devestated homeowners urged gawkers to stay away.  There was a concern so many tourists could get in the way of rescue and recovery operations.  But now, sightseers are getting the welcome mat- make that the welcome map. The Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau is distributing a new 'tornado tourism' map.  It can be picked up, for free, at several local hotels and tourism centers....

It's been six months since the devastating EF5 tornado plowed through the town of Joplin.  The twister destroyed one third of the town. Tuesday, more than 1,000 people attended the memorial service to remember those those who died.  At 5:41 p.m., the time the tornado hit on May 22, the crowd stood and lit lights for a moment of silence. "In six, short-months the tornado's wounds, some still visable and some hidden deep within us, are healed," Gov. Jay Nixon said.  "Brick by brick and board by board, the people of Joplin are rising from their granite faith.

JOPLIN, Mo. - The city of Joplin is in the process of rebuilding homes and businesses that were destroyed in the May 22nd tornado. On Wednesday, November 9th, one of the bigger businesses, Walmart, will open it's doors for the first time in just over five months. To say people are excited would be an understatement. "Amazed, thrilled, happy, all of the above," store manager Andy Martin said. For Martin and his employees at Walmart store 59 in Joplin, this is an emotional day. "It's so good to have emotions that are good emotions," Martin said.

JOPLIN, Mo. -- It's been four-and-a-half months since the tornado hit Joplin on May 22.  Still, volunteers continue to pour in to help. "Photographs -- that's your memories that's your history," Joplin resident Linda Harryman said. For some in Joplin, their history was harmed by the EF5 tornado. Harryman was getting her sister's wedding picture repaired on Friday.  The tornado ripped, wrinkled and wore some of the photo away but it's one of the only pictures not lost by the high winds.

NEOSHO, Mo. -- Neosho schools plan to build a 14,000 square foot tornado shelter.  The district applied unsuccessfully last year for funding to build a shelter.  But a public engineer says prospects for getting a grant are better now.  The shelter will hold about 2,200 people, and will be designed to withstand an EF-5 tornado.

NIXA, Mo. -- Many people around the Ozarks have donated time and money to the people of Joplin in the three months since the EF-5 tornado devastated the city.  Now, with school in session and fall sports kicking off, the Ozarks is still trying to support the teams of Joplin High School. At the first game of the 2011 season, each team was eager to get on the field and get its first win.  There was more to this soccer season opener, however, than there has been in the past. "I'm just glad that they even have a soccer team this year," said Drake Trease, a senior captain on the Nixa High School soccer team.