Tornado Devastation in Joplin, MO is Hard to Comprehend
May 24, 2011
The giant category F4 tornado that cut a swath through Joplin, Missouri Sunday evening has left behind devastation that is hard to comprehend. It looks as though bombs were dropped as a large portion of the city of 50,000 is totally destroyed. The local hospital is torn to bits with its rescue helicopter is shredded and laying on its side. The top two floors of the hospital were ripped off and every window in the structure was blown out as the facility took a direct hit from the tornado.
Mike Bettes from the Weather Channel has seen his share of storm damage but he become highly emotional Sunday on camera after he arrived in Joplin to report on the damage. He said that the scene there was remarkable as he viewed the deceased lying in the streets. Bettes and the Great Tornado Hunt Crew arrived in the city within one hour of the storm. As soon as Bettes saw the total devastation he started his own personal search for survivors. He also quickly called officials in neighboring cities personally to ask that their police, fire departments and medical personnel come to Joplin immediately to help.
The Weather Channel has reported that 3/4 of Joplin has been destroyed by the F4 tornado. The death toll stands at 116 but that number is expected to rise as rescuers and volunteers continue frantically searching through the rubble for victims and hopefully survivors. The tornado that hit Joplin is one of the deadliest in Missouri’s history. The storm packed winds of between 166 and 200 miles per hour as it slammed into heavily populated neighborhoods, flattening homes and leaving cars twisted and smashed.
Missouri governor Jay Nixon called in the National Guard and declared a state of emergency. President Barack Obama called Nixon to offer his condolences. Obama has told FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to go to Joplin to assess the damage and a FEMA team is on site to help city officials identify needs.
The monster tornado that tore through Joplin was on the ground for about twenty minutes. The images it has left behind will remain with the residents for the remainder of their lives. Not only the view of the flat homes and buildings that are now rubble or the cars that are left looking like smashed soda cans. The most haunting images are those of the bodies of the dead that officials laid in the streets for residents to identify.
The governor swore that “every square foot” of the area will be searched to be sure that every person is accounted for. Most of the city’s south end was flattened and up to one-forth of all of the buildings in the city were damaged.
Memphis flooding disaster going from bad to worse
May 6, 2011
As flooding continues to spread throughout Tennessee, residents of Memphis have been warned to brace themselves for water coming their way. West Memphis is already caught up with massive flooding caused in part by the Wolf River. Side streets are already blocked by water, trapping homeowners and ruining businesses and worse is expected as the Mississippi river rises towards a crest of 48 feet; just 0.7 inches lower than the floods of 1937.
Steps of been taken to delay the flooding by Army Corps blasting a two mile wide hole in a levee near Cairo but this can only work as a temporary measure with more rain heavy expected. Authorities are considering calling in the National Guard if the flooding continues and the likelihood of people becoming trapped increases.
Authorities are urging that people take steps to protect homes and businesses and evacuate as soon as possible. Sandbags should be administered and furniture and valuables should be moved away from ground floor level.
As flooding creeps ever closer to central Memphis, one area of the city that is already suffering the effects is Mud Island. Mud Island sits next to the mighty Mississippi river and is a three mile long strip of land that is home to around 1,500 homes and businesses. The areas location is an affluent part of Memphis with around 6,000 residents living in beautiful 20-year-old homes with normally fantastic river views. Flooding in Mud Island will have a devastating effect not only on residents and business owners but on the area’s tourism income that is generated through its museum devoted to the history of the Mississippi, and the popular Mud Island Park.
Church shelters are being set up to cater to residents that have chosen to evacuate; many of these residents are from the suburb of Millington which is a low lying working class area of Memphis. Millington is home to many living in trailers making the threat of living in dirty and stinking water effecting homes a large probability. Evacuating the area is a must especially for those with children but with some families having no flood insurance, leaving belongings behind will be a tough choice.
Riverside Drive in downtown Memphis has also begun to experience a small amount of flooding with water creeping in the lowest end of Beale Street. Just a half mile away is the streets bustling area of shops, bars and restaurants, which if affected will devastate the economy.
