Joplin devastated by tornado
Joplin High School has been nearly leveled by the tornado.
Many major streets are impassible because of downed trees and utility poles. Emergency vehicles raced across the city, escorting injured residents to local hospitals.
After the storm passed, Roy Holden stood in his front yard at 3110 W. 26th St., next to a utility pole that had blown over and blocked the street. "We were lucky, very lucky," Holden said. "It's a lot worse just south of here. We have some tree limbs down and windows broken. I'm finding all kinds of things in my yard that's not mine.
Just east of Holden's house, Tom Rogers was not so lucky. He walked along 26th Street with his daughter to view the storm damage.
"Our house is gone, it's just gone," he said. "We heard the tornado sirens for the second time. All of a sudden, everything came crashing down on us. We pulled our heads up and there was nothing. It was gone."
A Globe staff writer who lives in the area says that Joplin High School has sustained catastrophic damage. St. John's Regional Medical Center has also suffered severe damage.
Joplin resident Sara Ferguson, reached by phone, said she was in the 32nd Street area after the storm passed through.
She said that side streets are impassable due to downed power lines. The area between Maiden Land and Jackson in that part of town is “just devastating to see,” she said.
“The houses are all gone, the medical buildings are gone. (St. John's hospital's) windows have all been blown out. It was horrible. I couldn't even take pictures on my phone, I was crying.”
Reports from the area indicate the the old South Middle School and Irving Elementary have sustained major damage.
Emergency personnel are evacuating people near St. John’s Regional Medical Center because of dangers posed by a broken gas main.
Buildings directly to the north and directly to the west of the hospital have been leveled.
The hospital itself is heavily damaged and a large number of injuries are being reported.
John Kurtz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Springfield, said that the NWS will not be able to determine the size of the tornado that struck Joplin until Monday morning when they dispatch a damage survey team.
“All we know right now is that a tornado has hit Joplin,” Kurtz said. “We won’t have any idea what rating it was until our team gets there in the morning.”
St. John's was directly in the path of the tornado.
An elderly man and woman were seen making their way from the wreckage of the structure. Wrecked cars were piled on top of each other, windows were blown out and the surrounding streets were blocked by debris and survivors trying to flee.
Across the street, a young man crawled out of the wreckage of his home at 26th Street and Empire Avenue, grateful just to be alive.
"I asked God to get me through this, and he did," he said as he searched amid the ruins for neighbors and friends.
Authorities have established an emergency aid station at Memorial Hall for the walking wounded.
The southwestern portion of town is nearly impassable by road from debris and smoke from fires amid the wreckage.
Police from several local law enforcement agencies have cordoned off northbound traffic on Main Street at 32nd Street, and eastbound traffic on 32nd, just hours after the storm flattened whole areas of the community.
Southbound traffic from Main to Maiden Lane is almost impassable due to debris from uprooted and downed lines. Police are also trying to restrict non-essential traffic in those areas so that emergency personnel can aid survivors.
A steady stream of ambulances from nearby counties and states were seen trying to make their way through the wreckage around St. John's.
Freeman Hospital is treating hundreds of people who have been injured, with many of them being transferred by ambulance and helicopter to hospitals out of the area.
Jason Allison, emergency management director for Cherokee County, Kan., said that he and other emergency personnel have convened at a staging area at 50th Street and Connecticut to help aid in the disaster relief efforts.
Allison said fire, police and paramedics from Cherokee County are being deployed but said that he had "no idea" the number of dead or injured.
The storm began building up steam in Cherokee County late this afternoon as it made its way east into Joplin, but Allison said his county suffered no damage.
Emergency personnel from Grove, Miami and other area towns have also been deployed to Joplin.
On Joplin School District's Facebook page, they have stated that "no school will be held on any Joplin school campus on Monday. Staff, do not report unless requested. Several district facilities have sustained substatial damage and we are assessing the situation."
The district stated that Facebook will be their only method of communication for the immediate future.
St. John's Hospital in Springfield had received three patients from the Joplin hospital by 10 p.m. today and was "fully expecting more," said spokseperson Cora Scott.
She said the Springfield hospital has also sent ambulances, first response personnel and medical and pharmaceutical supplies to Joplin.
Red Cross volunteers have set up a shelter for those who have lost their homes at MIssouri Southern State University in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Iris Elliott, health services volunteer and nurse, said they are providing shelter for those in need but are not in a position to provide any medical care beyond basic first aid.
"We've got a lot of people here already," she said.
Many major streets are impassible because of downed trees and utility poles. Emergency vehicles raced across the city, escorting injured residents to local hospitals.
After the storm passed, Roy Holden stood in his front yard at 3110 W. 26th St., next to a utility pole that had blown over and blocked the street. "We were lucky, very lucky," Holden said. "It's a lot worse just south of here. We have some tree limbs down and windows broken. I'm finding all kinds of things in my yard that's not mine.
Just east of Holden's house, Tom Rogers was not so lucky. He walked along 26th Street with his daughter to view the storm damage.
"Our house is gone, it's just gone," he said. "We heard the tornado sirens for the second time. All of a sudden, everything came crashing down on us. We pulled our heads up and there was nothing. It was gone."
A Globe staff writer who lives in the area says that Joplin High School has sustained catastrophic damage. St. John's Regional Medical Center has also suffered severe damage.
Joplin resident Sara Ferguson, reached by phone, said she was in the 32nd Street area after the storm passed through.
She said that side streets are impassable due to downed power lines. The area between Maiden Land and Jackson in that part of town is “just devastating to see,” she said.
“The houses are all gone, the medical buildings are gone. (St. John's hospital's) windows have all been blown out. It was horrible. I couldn't even take pictures on my phone, I was crying.”
Reports from the area indicate the the old South Middle School and Irving Elementary have sustained major damage.
Emergency personnel are evacuating people near St. John’s Regional Medical Center because of dangers posed by a broken gas main.
Buildings directly to the north and directly to the west of the hospital have been leveled.
The hospital itself is heavily damaged and a large number of injuries are being reported.
John Kurtz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Springfield, said that the NWS will not be able to determine the size of the tornado that struck Joplin until Monday morning when they dispatch a damage survey team.
“All we know right now is that a tornado has hit Joplin,” Kurtz said. “We won’t have any idea what rating it was until our team gets there in the morning.”
St. John's was directly in the path of the tornado.
An elderly man and woman were seen making their way from the wreckage of the structure. Wrecked cars were piled on top of each other, windows were blown out and the surrounding streets were blocked by debris and survivors trying to flee.
Across the street, a young man crawled out of the wreckage of his home at 26th Street and Empire Avenue, grateful just to be alive.
"I asked God to get me through this, and he did," he said as he searched amid the ruins for neighbors and friends.
Authorities have established an emergency aid station at Memorial Hall for the walking wounded.
The southwestern portion of town is nearly impassable by road from debris and smoke from fires amid the wreckage.
Police from several local law enforcement agencies have cordoned off northbound traffic on Main Street at 32nd Street, and eastbound traffic on 32nd, just hours after the storm flattened whole areas of the community.
Southbound traffic from Main to Maiden Lane is almost impassable due to debris from uprooted and downed lines. Police are also trying to restrict non-essential traffic in those areas so that emergency personnel can aid survivors.
A steady stream of ambulances from nearby counties and states were seen trying to make their way through the wreckage around St. John's.
Freeman Hospital is treating hundreds of people who have been injured, with many of them being transferred by ambulance and helicopter to hospitals out of the area.
Jason Allison, emergency management director for Cherokee County, Kan., said that he and other emergency personnel have convened at a staging area at 50th Street and Connecticut to help aid in the disaster relief efforts.
Allison said fire, police and paramedics from Cherokee County are being deployed but said that he had "no idea" the number of dead or injured.
The storm began building up steam in Cherokee County late this afternoon as it made its way east into Joplin, but Allison said his county suffered no damage.
Emergency personnel from Grove, Miami and other area towns have also been deployed to Joplin.
On Joplin School District's Facebook page, they have stated that "no school will be held on any Joplin school campus on Monday. Staff, do not report unless requested. Several district facilities have sustained substatial damage and we are assessing the situation."
The district stated that Facebook will be their only method of communication for the immediate future.
St. John's Hospital in Springfield had received three patients from the Joplin hospital by 10 p.m. today and was "fully expecting more," said spokseperson Cora Scott.
She said the Springfield hospital has also sent ambulances, first response personnel and medical and pharmaceutical supplies to Joplin.
Red Cross volunteers have set up a shelter for those who have lost their homes at MIssouri Southern State University in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Iris Elliott, health services volunteer and nurse, said they are providing shelter for those in need but are not in a position to provide any medical care beyond basic first aid.
"We've got a lot of people here already," she said.
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