# Joplin tornado : my brother is alive! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859 "2011-05-23T04:22:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/21 "2011-05-24T03:42:21Z")
I spoke to family members this evening. Everyone is exhausted, but in remarkably good spirits. Despite ongoing thunderstorms, they spent the day sifting through debris at the house and uncovered some important items, such as my brother’s wallet and cell phone. A group of teenagers from a church in Carthage was walking through the devastated area offering help. Thanks to their efforts, seven of my brother’s eight dogs have been found alive and uninjured. The dogs were under rubble in the back part of the house, which was flattened. The eighth dog has not yet been found. My brother was asleep in an inner bedroom when the tornado struck. He was awakened by what sounded like an explosion. He said his first thought was that he was back in VietNam. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/22 "2011-05-24T04:24:53Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > seven of my brother’s eight dogs have been found alive and uninjured. The dogs were under rubble in the back part of the house, which was flattened. Wonderful news! Here’s hoping #8 is also found alive! ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/23 "2011-05-24T05:35:40Z")
The images from Tuscaloosa were bad. Very bad. Enormous piles of debris everywhere. The images from Joplin are possibly worse. Bark stripped off of trees. :eek: Blocks swept clean in places. For six frigging miles… ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/24 "2011-05-24T08:48:49Z")
I went to college in Springfield, and spent many weekends with friends in Joplin. The devastation is heartbreaking. The town has changed substantially in the 20 years since I’ve been there, but there were still many familiar places in the images of destruction. **laina\_f** , your family and friends and their whole community will remain in my thoughts and prayers. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/25 "2011-05-24T10:12:55Z")
Glad to hear no one was injured - here’s hoping that the last dog is found! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/26 "2011-05-24T10:16:48Z")
**laina** what a stressful time for you and your family! I am sorry for the loss of his dog and his house. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/27 "2011-05-24T10:22:27Z")
For those of you familiar with Joplin, my understanding is that the tornado traveled from west to east, angling slightly north. The breadth of the tornado was from 26th Street to 12th Street. St. John’s Hospital at 27th & McClelland was hit, then Joplin High School (destroyed) at 20th & Indiana, then the Walmart and Home Depot (both destroyed) at 15th & Rangeline. For those not familiar with the city, this is pretty much the southern half of Joplin. Currently it’s being reported that the tornado (classified as EF4) formed close to the state line, about 5 miles west of Joplin, touched down inside the city, and was on the ground for about four miles. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/28 "2011-05-24T12:02:14Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > Joplin High School (destroyed) Hey **laina\_f** I know the people of Joplin have bigger things on their plates right now, but please come back to this thread in about three months and tell me where the kids of Joplin are going to go to school while JHS gets re-built, OK? ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/29 "2011-05-24T13:36:26Z")
The swathe I described above from 12th to 26th Street, \*six \*miles long west to east, is complete devastation. If you have friends or relatives outside of this, they are probably okay. Freeman Skills Center, at 32nd & Indiana (a mile from the high school), was not hit. Northridge Mall at 4th & Rangeline, was not hit. **HeyHomie** : I’ll try to remember. Did you go to JHS? I did, but it was many years ago. If I recall correctly, for a while there was a second high school close to the downtown area. Maybe they’ll reopen that. In the news: a teenage boy who was on his way home from a graduation party is missing. It appears that the tornado pulled him through the sunroof of his car. The Weather Gods continue to dump on Joplin. To sift through the debris of the house yesterday, my family had to brave heavy rain and a barrage of lightning strikes. This weather is expected to continue for the next couple of days. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/30 "2011-05-24T15:10:11Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > **HeyHomie** : I’ll try to remember. Did you go to JHS? No, just curiosity mainly. I’ve never heard of an entire school being wiped completely off the map, and I’m just trying to wrap my brain around where they’ll put all those kids. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/31 "2011-05-24T18:00:41Z")
My mother is from Joplin. But you probably didn’t know her, she was born in the 20’s. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/32 "2011-05-24T18:17:44Z")
I’m glad your brother, parents and their pets are safe, **laina\_f**. I can’t even imagine how terrified you must have been! > [@HeyHomie](#): > > No, just curiosity mainly. I’ve never heard of an entire school being wiped completely off the map, and I’m just trying to wrap my brain around where they’ll put all those kids. It was a much smaller tornado and there was much less damage, but in 2005 a tornado hit Hamilton, Ontario and basically destroyed one [elementary school](http://www.thespec.com/print/article/191039) and a handful of houses. The school was damaged beyond repair (and I don’t remember the fate of the houses). 550 students were displaced while a new school was built - a process that took 2 years. They were put into older school buildings in the city that had actually been shut down/partially abandoned or into temporary “pod” classrooms placed on the campuses of other schools. Hamilton has the advantage of being a rather large city - about half a million - so the resources and placement will be harder in Joplin which is much smaller. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/33 "2011-05-25T19:25:24Z")
The eighth dog was found this morning at an animal rescue shelter. I now officially believe in miracles. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/34 "2011-05-25T20:27:11Z")
I’m so happy! Your family was extremely lucky, as were the pooches. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/35 "2011-05-25T20:46:54Z")
His eight dogs had nine lives :). Hurray for minimiricles. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/36 "2011-05-25T21:36:35Z")
Hooray for number 8! ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/37 "2011-05-25T23:36:59Z")
Here’s a [Google Map](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=joplin%20tornado%20damage&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=opera&rls=en&channel=suggest&ndsp=20&biw=1152&bih=713&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=il) of the affected areas. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/38 "2011-05-26T16:03:35Z")
This link [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389737/Joplin-MO-tornado-At-89-dead-twister-cuts-4-mile-swathe-Missouri-town.html](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389737/Joplin-MO-tornado-At-89-dead-twister-cuts-4-mile-swathe-Missouri-town.html) has the best collection of photos of the disaster I’ve come across so far. It includes before and after photos. Warning: prepare yourself emotionally before viewing. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859/39 "2011-05-26T23:34:32Z")
[Before and after photos.](http://thechive.com/2011/05/26/joplin-before-and-after-the-devestating-tornado-28-photos/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joplin-tornado-my-brother-is-alive/582859.md?page=1)