Joplin Missouri Hammered Hard by tornadoes!

reply to post by dreamseeker


Missing at this point is going to go way above 500. But as long as we lose precious time in recovering them it is a grim reminder of how time is of the essence in the aftermath of a disaster.

reply to post by Mercenary2012


It sounds busy and deeply concerned, but my instinct tells me that there are people under the rubble that need to be recovered before it is too late for them. To be swept away in a tornado and to lay for days under rubble as you hear the world around you move forward would be worse case hell scenario.

This is not a time to play politics. The time is critical for recovery efforts. At best there will be mistakes made and lessons learned, yet if every available and willing soul was allowed access with listening devices, heat signature technology, lives will be spared this horror.

Granted you cant have complete or even slight idiots bashing down through the debris piles further complicating the rescues, this is why it is going to sit there for weeks before trucks and heavy equipment roll in to begin the clean up.

I do realize it is a fragile situation but the survivors need to be found now.

reply to post by antar


the first responders have been searching day and night. anyone that is trapped and able to make noise they have found. like i said they have searched the entire damage path atleast once by yesterday afternoon. and immediately started again. then as heavy rescue crews arrived from columbia, the Kansas city area and from the dallas tx area they sent them to the retail areas where they knew a lot of people were still trapped.

This morning press conference they said they had completed a 2nd grid search of the entire area and was starting a 3rd grid search hoping it will be completed before night fall and the next round of severe weather.

Yes it has to be hell if your trapped and can't make any noise knowing people are walking right past you.

They are getting ready for another press conference.

reply to post by antar


no one is playing politics. you can't just send people out to search it has to be organized so you know where your searchers are and so you don't have multiple people searching the same areas over and over while other areas aren't searched because no one was sent there to search.

and they are not turning away any medical volunteers even if they have out of state credentials the are organizing them into shifts to man the triage areas to go out with the search teams etc.

I've been in and out of some of the damaged areas all day today helping friends and family try to recover their belongings. i have talked to the first responders and those searching I have seen what they are doing first hand.

If you haven't seen the damaged areas with your own eyes you can't even begin to comprehend the monumental task these guys and gals are facing as they search all the video and pics that are online don't even begin to express just really how bad the destruction is in most areas in the damage path. And to be honest most of the pictures and videos online are from the edges of the damage path looking in. it is very hard to get into the worst hit areas. I talking the areas right in the middle of the tornados path. and those areas are blocks and blocks from main roads that have been cleared

they pulled 2 addition people from the rubble today. the total is now 9 people in the last 24 hours.
the death toll is now 122 people.

2 tornado sirens missing or destroyed. 1 replaced today the other will be replaced tomorrow.

the rest of the sirens are working. the city police will use the PA systems in their cars if dangerous weather is headed for Joplin tonight as well as the tornado sirens.

the 1,500 people "missing" is not an official number it is the number of people that families cannot get in contact with

they just upgraded the tornado from an EF-4 to an EF-5 with winds greater than 200 mph

source is the press conference that is ongoing right now

less than a dozen reported looting calls.

This has been a terrible tradgedy I hope yourself Antar and loved ones are ok and anyone else on the thread.

I saw the pictures and read the reports its truley devastating.

I noticed something though as its Not a mega disaster like we have been hammered by a globe, I was aware I was slightly de-sentivised to it, only briefly but I did notice it.

I try my best develop compassion and watch my mind so noticed it, but unfortunately I think many might re act like that not give it as much concern, or help they usually would due to current times.

I hope this tradgedy is not ignored and forgotten outside of the states/counties it's in.

Love to all there you really are in my prayers.

Be strong, take on the spirit of the first settlers you can do it my friends.

Elf

reply to post by getreadyalready


I was ready to pack up some equipment and come over, but the wife remined me of what happened in Katrina and Rita when I went. Same BS. And they will turn down hundreds, if not thousand that want to help.

I showed up with chainsaws, tree equipment, skid steers and an 80ft crane and got shunned down. morons

At Katrina, it was so wide spread, I told them to Pi$$ up a rope and I went down back roads for almost 125 miles clearing things along the way down back hwys etc. We stopped at over 300 homes to take trees off of houses dig people out, etc.

When Rita came around they made it harder. So we, like the rest were charging from $500 to $6500 to take out a tree and waited for their insurance checks. We only got to do maybe less than 50 for free.
Of course we found out that it takes some grease on the palm to have any work. sick people. greedy.
I will bet that the lesser hit places in Joplin are paying up the wazoo to get stuff done right now.

If it was not covered, more dead today in Oklahoma and it's heading your way. It's just about done here in South Central Kansas. Stillwater is getting it right now. Earlier they had debris rain down from Guthie Tornado on them.

Somewhere in OK on a lake west Norman, it took out a whole trailer park and killed at least 2.

reply to post by Mercenary2012


Unfortunately my brother is onsite, right now, with a pickup and tools, and they are refusing to let him work. They offered to let him man a seat in the call center, but due to liability issues, they won't let him join in any searches or even helping to clear roads or remove rubble.

Worse yet, he said people away from the central command center (where he is right now) don't know where to direct people. They can't tell what any other unit is doing, or where there are still active operations, or anything else. Information is barely trickling through, and he is getting more from me than he is from the local sheriffs directing traffic.

He was going into the central command center to try and get permission to do something, and if that doesn't work, he is planning to contact KOAM-TV and try to create a stir.

* * * While I was typing, he got an update....
Apparently the problem with getting more rescuers into the area is partly due to traffic congestion, partly due to the city closing down areas for gas leaks and liability issues, and partly due to just plain old miscommunication.

They have agreed to let him take a team of his own making into an area tomorrow. Actually they didn't agree, they just said they wouldn't stop him, LOL!

reply to post by Mercenary2012


That is good news on the 2 additional people! I'm glad to hear the looting was very limited, that is also great news. Listening to the scanners on Sunday night, it sounded a lot worse, and I bet 10 people have called me to tell me how bad it was at the Sports Academy, but it sounds like they got it under control quickly.

If these storms approaching hold together on their current track, then it looks like it might split around Joplin. It looks like a bad chunk will move through NW Arkansas, and a bad chunk will move through Central and Northern Missouri, maybe Kansas City toward St. Louis.

The storms are still quite aways West of Missouri, so it is too early to tell, but they are deadly in Oklahoma and Kansas so far. Accuweather Radar Link

You better keep your heads up over there tonight late.

reply to post by j2000


That big blue arrow goes right up that red line which is I-44, which crosses the south side of Joplin!

Growing up in that area, it is common knowledge that two types of storms are very dangerous in Joplin. One type comes straight up I-44 from Oklahoma and whatever Oklahoma City and Tulsa get is probably a lighter version of what Joplin will get! It works from Tornadoes to Snow Storms.

The other type tends to move "backwards" and approach from the East. It is very rare for that area, and it usually occurs when a strong system goes south through Arkansas and then veers north and backbuilds. They get a lot of surprise storms that way, and they are usually pretty serious.

Any storm can be bad, including the ones that come due East out of Kansas, but I think everyone there gets a little more antsy when the storms follow that track straight up I-44.

In other words, you are absolutely correct, and they better strap in tonight and get ready for another rough one. Our prayers are with all of them. My parents are leaving in the morning to head for Florida for a few days. They just need to get through one more night of this junk!

reply to post by getreadyalready


What sucks is we are without some storm warning sirens. We had a bunch destroyed when the last tornado hit.. The weather is already very humid... the breeze has died down, and its eerily quiet out....

reply to post by Xcathdra


That sucks. That is always eerie before the bad storms. Heavy air, quiet, ominous. I'm so sorry. Good luck tonight!!

Usually those evenings were a lot of fun and a little exciting, but this year is different, everything is dangerous instead of fun.

reply to post by getreadyalready


Its going to be a long night... For those who were intrested in the lightning strikes on the 2 officers. One officer was checked out at a triage station and later returned to his post. The second officer is from the Kansas City area of riverside. He was driving an ATV back to a command post when lighting struck near him. He was taken to St. Johns Hospital in Springfield (part of the same health system as St. Johns Joplin).

Riverside Officer struck by lightning


Curfew being put in place in the affected zones in Joplin
Also, to anyone in the Joplin area - There will be a curfew put in place starting Wednesday and ONLY in the affected areas, which are currently isolated by law enforcement. You will need to get a vehicle permit in order to enter the area, unles you are walking in. Officers will be walking through the affected areas as well and issuing permits to the people.

More info about curfew and permits to enter affected areas



Some more before and after shots... Edit to add - The photos I have posted are not mine, and I did not take any of them. They come from the various local news sites and are submitted by other people.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b2c7c148f1f1.jpg[/atsimg]



picture taken a little farther down the road
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/32b9cee03bec.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by Xcathdra


That last picture is heartbreaking, all those homes and possesions, memories part of everyones life story, identity gone.

Also the unspoken about real damage is done by the lack of security, it is like the ultimate invasion of trust in safety, being able to go "home" and relax feel safe.

It reminded me of something I was researching recently, I have a *year plan for one, I am going to use caps because there is soemthing that can be done in the recovery that will stop it ever happening again!

NEVER WORRY ABOUT TORNADO'S AGAIN

Be Safe all come together.

Elf

The air was so heavy here before everything erupted that it look almost like fog.

You will find out in the next 30 to 45 minutes from what I can see right now.
Going east, but building from s/w to n/e.

reply to post by MischeviousElf


Actually security has been one shining example so far. Law Enforcement immediately requested assistance and invoked mutual aid agreements with surrounding cities and states. There are about 1500 law enforcement officals in the area. They have isolated the hardest hit areas and cordoned those off. Instead of driving around in cars, the cops are using foot patrols and walking through the affected areas...

Military Police from guard units have arrived and been delpoyed to assist with foot patrols as well (in addition to traffic control etc). While it looks like martial law from the news reports, its anything but. The Radio stations in the area have banded together and have been allowing people to call in asking about dmagaaed areas, and trying to reconnect people with families etc.

Curfew are being put in place, but only in the affected areas.

Stores, where I would have assumed a run on supplies, has not occured. People seem to be getting food and water etc, but only what they need personally. I have not seen any hording of supplies or anything. Even the gas station just down from me started selling gas to civilians again, and people were coming and going getting soda and water, but personal amounts.

Its a weird feeling... People understand we all sink or swim together, and are doing there best to make sure items get around to everyone.

People from all over have come down to just outside some of the damaged areas and have set up food stations, free of charge, to people.

Its been intresting.