But a Sunday evening tornado, May of 2011, mowed down and chewed up fully a third of this largely working-class city. Frank Morris of our member station KCUR returned.įRANK MORRIS, BYLINE: Lead and zinc mining built Joplin, Mo. Over a decade ago, they were hit by one of the worst tornadoes in U.S. That is something that residents in Joplin, Mo., just a few hundred miles west, know firsthand. "There was several trailers there, and I understand that there is still people missing," Welker said.Survivors of the recent Kentucky tornadoes are starting to rebuild, which can take many years or even decades. He described it as a rural area, where residents mostly farmed, cut timber or worked construction jobs. "I'm getting reports that it was pretty bad," he said. Larry Welker, Bollinger County's public administrator, said the twister traveled along route 34 into Glen Allen, a village of slightly more than 100 people, and that he hasn't been able to inspect the damage firsthand because law enforcement were restricting access to the area. "It's bad anytime, but it's especially bad at 3:30 in the morning." "It's definitely a nightmare from a warning standpoint," Gibbs said. He noted that tornadoes are especially dangerous when they touch down late at night or early in the morning, as this one did. Justin Gibbs, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Paducah, Kentucky, said the tornado remained on the ground for roughly 15 minutes, traveling an estimated 15-20 miles (24-32 kilometers).Ī weather service team was headed to Bollinger County to gather details about the tornado, but Gibbs said it's clear "it was big. The tornado remained on the ground for about 15 minutes While his sister's home held up, the area reeked of gas because a propane unit was damaged. "We all ran down and huddled against the wall and my brother-in-law made it down just seconds before we heard the roaring sound of the wind and debris crashing around us," he said. "I was just numb, thinking about all these other people, what they're going through." "That was a sad, sad sight - knowing there was bodies in there," said Collier, who wasn't entirely relieved when he saw his facility was spared. As your Sheriff, I am focused on ensuring those who still need help are receiving it, and we account for all our citizens."Ĭharles Collier, 61, said he saw the coroner's van drive by with its lights on in Glen Allen, where he owns a storage facility. "I know everyone wants updates and news of what happened. "Please understand the scope of this operation," he said. A hunting area separates the two communities.Īt least five people were killed, Graham wrote, noting that he was withholding the names of the dead to make sure their families could be notified first. The twister caused significant destruction in and around the small rural communities of Glen Allen and Grassy, Bollinger County Sheriff Casey A. Weather More storms and tornadoes have been forecast for the Midwest and South It's just heartbreaking to see it," Parrott said. More than 20 agencies were part of the search for survivors and victims, with the damage so bad that they sometimes were forced to use chainsaws to cut back trees and brush to reach homes, Parrott said. Drone footage showed emergency crews peering into the wreckage with flashlights. Trees were uprooted and homes turned into piles of splinters. Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. and moved through a rural area of Bollinger County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. The tornado touched down around 3:30 a.m. A large tornado tore through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least five people and causing widespread destruction as a broad swath of the Midwest and South kept a wary eye out for further storms that could spawn additional twisters and hail. Debris covers the ground as homes are damaged after severe weather in Glen Allen, Mo., on Wednesday.
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