A man carries a young boy who was rescued after being trapped in his home after a tornado hit Joplin, Mo. on Sunday evening, May 22, 2011. The tornado tore a path a mile wide and four miles long destroying homes and businesses. (AP/Mike Gullett)
Strm chasers caught video of the massive tornado ripping through Joplin.
The sky was black even though the tornado hit Joplin in the evening.
More than 75% of Joplin, Missouri was destroyed last night in a massive tornado. 89 people were reportedly killed in the massive storm.
Accuweather reported:
At least 89 people were killed in Joplin, Mo., which received the worst of the severe weather. Damage was widespread across the city as homes, schools and a hospital were hit by a massive tornado.
According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert, x-ray films from the hospital were found 70 miles away in a driveway.
Meanwhile, school has already been canceled on Monday with one of the Joplin School District’s buildings receiving catastrophic damage.
Many of the dead were residents looking to seek shelter when the buildings they were in collapsed.
The tornado traveled 6 miles from the west side of the city to the southeast. The southern edge of the city was the hardest hit. The tornado ranged from half a mile to three-quarters of a mile wide. While the exact strength of the storm is yet to be determined, it could be upwards of an EF4.
According to Kathy Dennis of the American Red Cross, “75% of the town is virtually gone.”
Scenes from the city look much like those of the tornadoes that claimed more than 300 lives in the Southeast last month.
Cars are piled up on the road outside St. John’s Hospital in Joplin. (Chicago Tribune)
In case you missed this earlier…
This incredible video was taken at a convenience store when the tornado struck.
You can hear the massive tornado hit the building and the locals screaming out to God for mercy.
More… Here are some before and after shots from Joplin.
UPDATE: 30% of Joplin was destroyed in the tornado – not 75% as was originally reported.
