2011 Joplin Tornado (Blog Update #5)

The Joplin tornado was a devastating EF-5 tornado that struck the city of Joplin, MO on Sunday, May 22, 2011. The tornado reached a maximum width of nearly one mile wide and had winds over 200 mph.

158 people lost their life to this tornado and caused 1,150 injuries. This tornado also cost astronomical amounts of damage in the state of Missouri. Damages were estimated to cost $2.8 billion.

Destroyed area in the tornado's damage path. Courtesy: KOMUnews

EF5 damage to the St. John's Regional Medical Center.

This tornado also highlighted social media as a new form of disaster response. News outlets used social media platforms to share video and photos from those who had been affected by the tornado. Facebook groups also helped coordinate information and helped get people whatever they needed.

The Weather Channel created a documentary that discussed the Joplin tornado.