Please visit the detailed Joplin tornado page from NWS Springfield, Missouri
...FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEVASTATING JOPLIN MISSOURITORNADO SERVES AS A REMINDER TO BE WEATHER-READY...ON MAY 22 2011 A LARGE TORNADO RATED AN EF-5...THE STRONGEST ONTHE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE...TRACKED DIRECTLY THROUGH JOPLINMISSOURI CAUSING DEVASTATION AND A TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE. INTOTAL THERE WERE 158 PEOPLE KILLED MAKING THE TORNADO THEDEADLIEST IN THE U.S. IN OVER 60 YEARS AND THE 7TH DEADLIEST ONRECORD. MORE THAN 1,000 OTHER PEOPLE WERE ALSO INJURED. THEMAGNITUDE OF THE EXTREME DAMAGE WAS FURTHER MAGNIFIED GIVEN THEPOPULATION DENSITY ALONG THE TORNADO TRACK. WELL-BUILT HOMES ANDBUILDINGS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED FOR BLOCK AFTER BLOCKINCLUDING MANY SWEPT FROM THEIR FOUNDATION. IN ADDITION...THEREWERE OVER 15,000 VEHICLES DESTROYED INCLUDING NUMEROUS CRUSHEDBEYOND RECOGNITION.THE VIVID IMAGES OF DESTRUCTION FROM JOPLIN IN THE HOURS AND DAYSFOLLOWING THE TORNADO ARE REMEMBERED BY MANY. THE NOW FIVE YEARANNIVERSARY REINFORCES THE NEED TO HAVE A SEVERE WEATHERPREPAREDNESS PLAN...PRACTICE THAT PLAN...MONITOR THE WEATHER...ANDACT WHEN SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. THIS APPLIES AT HOME...WORK ORSCHOOL...OUTDOOR LOCATIONS...AND ELSEWHERE.THERE ARE MANY EFFECTIVE MEANS TO RECEIVE NWS WARNINGS AND HAVINGMULTIPLE OF THESE ARE NECESSARY. THESE MEANS INCLUDE:- NOAA WEATHER RADIO- TELEVISION- RADIO- WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS TO MANY MOBILE DEVICES- WARNING SIRENS FOR OUTDOORS- NUMEROUS OTHER MEANSISSUANCE AND RELAY OF NWS WARNINGS IS A VITAL STEP...BUT EQUALLYAS ESSENTIAL IS SWIFT CORRECT ACTION BY THE PUBLIC AND DECISION-MAKERS UPON RECEIVING THESE ALERTS. THIS WILL INCREASE LIKELIHOODOF REMAINING SAFE. THE NWS WEATHER-READY NATION INITIATIVEENCAPSULATES THIS GOAL OF EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS TO PREPARE AHEADOF TIME AND TAKE THE NEEDED ACTION WHEN IN THE PATH OF SEVEREWEATHER TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. IT IS IMPERATIVE THATEVERYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD KNOWS WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO WHEN ATORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED. FOR DECISION-MAKERS OVERSEEINGPEOPLE...ENSURE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS IN YOUR SAFETYPLAN AND THAT THE PLAN IS PRACTICED AND REFINED AS NEEDED.WHILE IT HAS BEEN OVER 25 YEARS SINCE THE CHICAGO METROPOLITANAREA HAS HAD A DIRECT HIT BY A VIOLENT TORNADO...JUST LAST YEAR AVIOLENT TORNADO IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS TRACKED ACROSS OUTERPARTS OF ROCHELLE AND THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OF FAIRDALE. THESEPOTENT TORNADOES CAN AND DO HAPPEN IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS ANDNORTHWEST INDIANA. METROPOLITAN AREAS SUCH AS CHICAGO AND ROCKFORDARE EVERY BIT AS SUSCEPTIBLE AND QUITE POSSIBLY MORE VULNERABLE.THE DIRECT IMPACTS TO LIVES HOWEVER CAN BE LESSENED BY BEINGPREPARED AND UNDERSTANDING WHEN AND HOW TO TAKE ACTION. NOW IS ASGOOD AS TIME AS EVER TO GET PREPARED!RELATED LINKS:JOPLIN TORNADO PAGE FROM NWS SPRINGFIELD MODEADLIEST U.S. TORNADOESSEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS:WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO/SEVEREPREPAREWWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OS/SEVEREWEATHERWWW.READY.GOV/SEVERE-WEATHERNWS WEATHER-READY NATION INITIATIVESTORMREADY$$MTF
