Joplin Missouri

[laus]

To all here who live in Missouri: thinking of you and hoping your families are all right.

[bilgerat]

This is the first night I've sat and watched the news. I'm stunned by the severity of the weather down there in the past few weeks. Seeing that hospital in Joplin dam near leveled really caught my attention. The scary thing is there is at least two more days of bad weather forecast for that area.

[Long Mike]

Joplin is only a ninety minute drive from Tulsa. I simply cannot believe the devastation! My heart goes out to those in the wake of the destruction. We had three tornadoes touch down in my area, but nothing like what it Joplin!

[Captin Obvious]

That town got leveled, Prays sent to any member that lives down there.

BTW I have a question?

Living in Texas we have are fair share of Tornadoes and more than a few hit towns every year.When they hit us we have like 3 deaths and 12 missing.

It seems that every tornado outside of Texas and Oklahoma this year has caused massive death totals. Are other states not prepared to handle these storms or what?

I just think that there has to be a reason that we don't loose that many people at once.

Capt.O

[bilgerat]

That town got leveled, Prays sent to any member that lives down there.

BTW I have a question?

Living in Texas we have are fair share of Tornadoes and more than a few hit towns every year.When they hit us we have like 3 deaths and 12 missing.

It seems that every tornado outside of Texas and Oklahoma this year has caused massive death totals. Are other states not prepared to handle these storms or what?

I just think that there has to be a reason that we don't loose that many people at once.

Capt.O

The sheer ferocity of the storm was incredible. From what I've seen, there were warning sirens and such. This ties the record for tornado deaths at 116. Winds were estimated @ 198 mph, which is the high end of a category F4. I saw a shot of a kitchen chair who's 4 legs were impaled into a wall by about 8" and the chair was intact.

Not to downplay the tornadoes you have dealt with, were any on this scale ?

[VolFan]

The big thing is that for most of TX, the population is more spread out than the places that these hit. If something like that went through Dallas, it would be catastrophic. Short of a really solid basement or a bomb shelter, there's not much place to hide from one of these.

[Bass XL]

Living in Missouri, I have a few friends at school that live in Joplin. One's house is done for, and the other is doing fine. I hope this storm right now that's over it doesnt hit them with something comparable.

[Fishing Cowgirl]

The 1998 Tornado in Kissimmee killed 42 and injured 260, but it is small compared to the devastation of Joplin and the earlier tornando just weeks ago.

My prayers, thoughts, and hopes are with all.

[tyrius.]

It seems that every tornado outside of Texas and Oklahoma this year has caused massive death totals. Are other states not prepared to handle these storms or what?

These tornados are hitting towns and densely populated areas. They are also HUGE! From what I've heard, the one that hit Joplin destroyed an area 1/2 mile by 4 miles. It even leveled multi story apartment buildings.

[Captin Obvious]

I think Tyrius got it right these things are huge.

Hope everyone understands that my question was not a "Texas is great" statement. It was just a odd fact that I noticed.

But I will say that when we have big ones they tend not to be to close to towns though Wichita Falls had one which was a mile long at the bottom back before my time.

I hear that the weather is going to stay nasty over there for a little while hope those that are alive can get shelter.

Capt.O

[Captin Obvious]

I'm posting this from my storm shelter tornado is about 10 miles south of my home.

Guess tornadoes do hit small Texas towns after all.I'll let you know how it go's after I'm done waiting it out.

Capt.O

[Hooligan]

A lot of the reason the storms have been so devastating is that in two cases the storms were issued warnings and immediately thereafter the tornado spawned. It's rare in today's forecast and technology that there is so little warning time. Couple the very short warning time with an EF5 tornado in a highly populated area and you get absolute devastation. May God watch over all of those missing and lost, and outgoing prayers for comfort and recovery.

[srv1990]

It also seems like many of the houses in Joplin were on slabs and didn't have a basement. When the sirens go off here in St. Louis we head to the basement. Of course, as others have noted, when an EF5 hits a densely populated area it's going to be catastrophic, but being in a basement has to help some.

What occurred in Joplin, as well as in other areas of Missouri and other states previously, is truly heartbreaking. Prayers go out to all those affected.