Joplin tornado death toll revised down to 161 (Reuters)

KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) – The death toll from the May 22 tornado in Joplin, Missouri has been revised down to 161 with the discovery that one assumed victim died of other causes.

The city said in a statement that Kenneth J. Henson, a resident of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, did not die in the tornado. Jasper County Coroner Rob Chappel discovered the error while he was helping other officials compile a list of tornado victims for a six-month memorial service, the city said.

"Through this recent review, we are confident that the current list of 161 is accurate," the city said. The city gave no explanation for the Henson mix-up, and Chappel could not be immediately reached for comment Saturday.

The tornado, one of the deadliest in U.S. history, destroyed some 900 homes and other buildings. The death toll grew over several months as people died of their lingering injuries.

(Editing by Greg McCune)

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Death toll from Joplin tornado reduced to 161 (AP)

JOPLIN, Mo. – Officials say the death toll from Joplin's May 22 tornado has fallen to 161, with the discovery that an Oklahoma man was included by mistake.

The city of Joplin said Friday the Jasper County coroner has determined that 56-year-old Kenneth James Henson did not die of tornado-related causes. Coroner Rob Chappel (CHAP'-uhl) told The Joplin Globe that Henson, initially listed as a Joplin resident, was from the northeastern Oklahoma city of Miami and died there May 28 of natural causes.

Chappel said the mistake was discovered during a review of names for a six-month memorial service being held Nov. 22.

Chappel was the sole designated official in charge of compiling the victims list following the tornado. He did not know how Henson's name had been included.

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Information from: The Joplin Globe, http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_us/storytext/us_joplin_tornado_death_toll/43576828/SIG=10s8q01al/*http://www.joplinglobe.com

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Barry Manilow gives $300,000 in instruments to Joplin (Reuters)

KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) – Students and staff Friday were unpacking three truckloads of new musical instruments that singer Barry Manilow donated to tornado-ravaged schools in Joplin, Missouri.

Manilow presented the instruments, valued at $300,000, to a gathering of Joplin music students on Thursday. The instruments will help replenish ones lost on May 22 when an EF-5 tornado swept through Joplin, destroying the high school and several other school buildings.

"We are just thrilled, he is such a nice person," Rick Castor, director of the Joplin High School band, said Friday. "It was just like Christmas. We opened a few of the things last night and today."

The donation includes a concert grand piano that will be placed on the stage of the temporary, and then the new auditorium, Castor said. The schools also got six new upright pianos, along with brass, string and other instruments, to replace ones that were destroyed, he said.

The instruments come from the Manilow Music Project, which for six years has helped schools that suffered cuts to music programs. Manilow is also helping with a local drive to get used instruments donated to the Joplin schools and to raise money to replace sheet music lost in the tornado.

The tornado killed 162 people.

"I know first-hand how invaluable music can be to get you through life's tough times," Manilow said in a statement. "It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster."

Manilow, 68, had his biggest success in the 1970s but has remained a popular touring artist for years. Castor said his students had not heard of Manilow and were surprised when he told them he is among the top-selling singer-songwriters of all time.

In speaking to the students Thursday, Manilow quipped that "back in the 1970s, I was Justin Bieber," according to The Joplin Globe.

(Writing and reporting by Kevin Murphy; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Greg McCune)

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Ga. man ordered to pay in Joplin tornado case (AP)

JOPLIN, Mo. – A Georgia man who claimed to be raising money to help tornado victims in Joplin has been ordered to pay restitution for what officials called a scam.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said Thursday he obtained a judgment in Jasper County Circuit Court against Steve Blood, of Thomasville, Ga.

Blood runs Internet radio business Georgia Triangle Broadcasting. Koster says Blood sold T-shirts, announced concerts and took donations, claiming the money would help victims of the spring tornadoes in Joplin and Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Koster says the money was instead used for personal expenses.

The judgment requires Blood to pay restitution, court costs and $13,000 in civil penalties.

Blood has blamed rivals and former businesses associates, saying concerts he tried to arrange in Branson and Alabama didn't work out.

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Homeowners gradually rebuild in tornado-ravaged Joplin (Reuters)

JOPLIN, Mo (Reuters) – Four months ago, a tornado swept Rick and Jolene Huffman out of their house and dumped them unconscious into a clearing more than a block away.

A harrowing way to lose their home and nearly their lives but the Huffmans are rebuilding on the same spot, undaunted by memories of the tornado or devastation of their neighborhood.

"It will look a little haggard here for a while, but it will bounce back," Jolene Huffman said.

Slowly, new homes are sprouting from the ruins of the May 22 tornado in Joplin. The city has issued 307 permits to build new homes, a figure that has climbed by 25 to 30 each week.

Each house is a step toward recovery from the tornado that wiped out about 7,500 homes and took 162 lives, said Troy Bolander, manager of planning and community development for Joplin.

"The shock is just now wearing off, and that is understandable," Bolander said. "People lost their home and everything else and they didn't want to face the future.

"What is encouraging and what may help is people seeing something going up. They don't want to be the only home on the block," he said.

To rebuild in Joplin demands tolerance of a stark landscape of barren lots, shredded trees and damaged properties that remain standing. Many residents still can't get used to the empty horizon.

"This was pretty wooded around here, and now you can basically see from here to the Kansas state line," said John Hughes, who is building a new home where his old one was destroyed.

Hughes plans to plant 35-foot trees around his house.

"We can't wait for the trees to grow again. We have to buy instant shade," he said.

Like the Huffmans, Hughes said he and his wife, Carla Hughes, chose to rebuild for practical reasons -- close to jobs, close to relatives, a familiar location.

"I was hoping more of our neighbors would come back, but they chose to do something else," Hughes said.

Construction contractor Harlin Stoner, who is building the Huffmans' home on the same slab where the previous house stood, said many people can't bring themselves to rebuild.

"They are devastated and shocked, and some don't want to deal with it," Stoner said.

Some empty lots have "For Sale By Owner" signs on them, others are listed through agencies.

Ryan Flanagan, a real estate agent in Joplin, said some people with young children don't want to live around empty lots that may have old foundations or debris. Other people simply don't want to wait for their house or neighborhood to get rebuilt, he said.

"It's going to be a long-term project, and it may be ten years before anything feels normal," Flanagan said.

Bolander said an estimated 88 percent of residents who lost their housing in the tornado still live within 25 miles of Joplin. Some rent, some bought other homes, some live with family members and some live in temporary housing provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Bolander said the city is doing a housing analysis to help predict how many people might stay in Joplin long-term.

Construction contractor John Adams said houses in many neighborhoods destroyed by the tornado were 70 or more years old. People with patience and foresight will be rewarded for rebuilding, he said.

"Sooner or later they will be surrounded by new homes," Adams said. "It will probably be much nicer than it ever was."

(Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Ellen Wulfhorst)

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Pinckneyville, Ill., Builds Hope for Joplin, Mo., Tornado Victims (ContributorNetwork)

Residents of Pickneyville, Ill., are familiar with the hazards of living in tornado country, so when they were given a chance to be a part of the rebuilding effort for Joplin, Mo., one of the communities devastated by a tornado in May.

Contempri Homes in Pinckneyville will donate the facility and materials to build a two-bedroom, 1,200 square-foot home to be given to a family that lost everything in the storm. The project is part of Extreme Makeover Home Edition's plan to build seven homes in seven days in the community that suffered as much as $3 billion in damages from the tornado. More than 100 people died in the storm.

Brad Perry, Contempri's chief operating officer, said, "If you've got a heart for service and can handle a paintbrush or a hammer, we encourage you to join us. We've had calls from groups and individuals from three or four states, offering to help but we'd like to offer the volunteer openings to residents of our home region first. When it's all said and done this is about getting a family back in their home, and I feel confident in our ability as a community to do that."

Contempri was asked to participate by Sher-wood Forest Homes of Joplin, a retailer that sells Contempri homes. The company was too busy to just add another house to its work schedule, but that didn't mean they didn't want to help.

So, they put together a plan. With enough volunteers, a house could be built in 36 to 40 hours, using the Contempri facilities and supervised by Contempri staff. The company is supplying the materials and the know-how; the community is supplying the labor.

Up to 300 could participate in the marathon building session which will start just after midnight on a Friday night and conclude in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Construction starts at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 8.

Once the house is completed, it will be wrapped in white plastic and all the volunteers will be asked to sign the shipping materials with words of hope for Joplin. That afternoon volunteers will hold a celebratory barbeque, then Pickneyville Police Chief John Griffin will drive escort as the home is delivered to Joplin, about seven hours away.

The finishing touches for the home, including cabinets, will be added beginning the week of Oct. 19 when Extreme Makeover Home Edition arrives in Joplin to film its special broadcast.

Local residents wanting to volunteer must be 18 years old or have a signed parental permission slip and be prepared to work a two hour shift at any time between 12:01 Oct. 8 and 6 a.m. Oct. 9. Volunteers must also attend a mandatory Volunteer Rally on Oct. 5. Volunteers should register at Pickneyville Builds Hope.

Lucinda Gunnin cut her teeth as a reporter covering Illinois news as an intern in the statehouse pressroom. She now brings 20 years insight and experiences to covering Illinois issues.

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Tornado-stricken Joplin goes back to school (AP)

JOPLIN, MO. – The trophy case by the front entrance is nearly empty. Classroom walls are largely bare, and unopened boxes of textbooks, computer monitors and other equipment remain scattered throughout the building.

Signs of unfinished business remain at what is now Joplin High's upper-level campus — a converted big-box retail store at the city's mall, well outside the worst-hit areas from a late May tornado that killed 160 people, injured hundreds more and destroyed thousands of buildings, including the city's only public high school.

On Wednesday, as Joplin students and teachers went back to school less than three months after country's single deadliest tornado in six decades cut the previous school year short, no one seemed to mind the shortcomings.

After months of hauling debris, attending friends' funerals, watching endless TV images of their destroyed school and trying to put their lives back together, it was finally time to get back to what passes for normal in Joplin.

"You can't pretend like nothing happened," said English teacher Brenda White. "But everything is so new here. Every single thing that is this school is new and different.

"It's going to take a while to build everything back, but books are a good start," she said while stocking her classrooms with copies of The Great Gatsby, The Kite Runner and other literary staples, past and present.

The school system was hit especially hard by the May 22 tornado. Seven students and one employee were among the victims, including a senior pulled from his car by vicious winds on his way home from Joplin High's Sunday afternoon graduation ceremony. Six school buildings were destroyed, including Joplin High. Seven other buildings were badly damaged.

School district leaders quickly realized that they would play an outsized role in Joplin's recovery, for reasons symbolic as much as practical. They expanded the hours and locations of summer school, well aware that the community's children needed a reassuring routine — and their parents the time to deal with insurance agents, contractors and social service agencies.

They cobbled together a hodge-podge of temporary locations for fall classes, from the old Shopko store at Northpark Mall to the recently-vacated Missouri Department of Transportation district office where the superintendent and other administrators now work. Rival elementary schools combined, and a middle school found space in an industrial park.

Even in a corner of the country where hard work is cherished, the swiftness of the transformation was striking, White said.

"I've always known people are strong here. But this has really brought it home," she said. "People are so strong. They just get up, dust off and go to work. That's what we do here."

Students arrived at the "mall school" Wednesday morning to a bevy of well-wishers holding Joplin High signs and lining the entrance road. Some met in modular classrooms, right next to a row of concrete-lined storm shelters. Others lingered in the hallways, reuniting with old friends.

They raved about the school's college-like feel, complete with Joplin Joe's coffee bar and free laptops for each student thanks to a donation from the United Arab Emirates worth as much as $1 million.

Count their parents and adult relatives among the most impressed by the transformation.

"It just blows your mind," said Pamela Berry, who accompanied her 17-year-old nephew to a Tuesday night open house. "I want to come back to high school."

School officials also brought in additional counselors and trauma workers to help students and families who may still be struggling with the storm's aftermath.

"We can build buildings, but the emotional damage that this storm has caused is of a very significant concern and something we're going to be watching closely for months, if not years," Superintendent C.J. Huff said

Phillip Gloyer, a communication arts teacher who is also a National Guard chaplain, said he plans to tap his divinity school training as well as his expertise in British literature.

"I'm just really focused on the kids' emotional health," he said. "A lot of hugs, a lot of encouragement. Asking them to tell their story. That's the best therapy."

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Alan Scher Zagier can be reached at http://twitter.com/azagier

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Joplin goes back to school 3 months after twister (AP)

JOPLIN, MO. – Seniors and juniors are taking classes in a converted big-box store. Freshmen and sophomores are in a building across town. The new middle school is in an industrial park.

Across Joplin, the schools are still a jumble, with books, computer monitors and unassembled furniture littering unfamiliar hallways. But as classes resumed Wednesday, students and teachers welcomed the start of another year as a return to something normal — or what passes for normal in a city crippled last spring by the nation's single deadliest tornado in six decades.

"You can't pretend like nothing happened," said high school English teacher Brenda White. "But everything is so new here. Every single thing that is this school is new and different."

The twister killed 160 people, injured hundreds more and destroyed thousands of buildings, including Joplin's only public high school. Now after months of cleaning up debris, attending funerals and trying to rebuild shattered lives, it was time to get back to pop quizzes and homework assignments.

"It's going to take a while to build everything back, but books are a good start," White said while stocking her classrooms with copies of "The Great Gatsby," "The Kite Runner" and other literary standards, past and present.

The school system was hit especially hard by the May 22 tornado. Seven students and one employee were among the victims, including a senior pulled from his car by winds on his way home from the Joplin High School graduation ceremony. Six school buildings were destroyed, including the high school. Seven other buildings were badly damaged.

District leaders quickly realized that they would play a huge role in Joplin's recovery, for reasons symbolic as much as practical. They expanded the hours and locations of summer school in an effort to give children a reassuring routine — and their parents the time to deal with insurance agents, contractors and social service agencies.

They cobbled together a hodge-podge of temporary locations for fall classes, from the old Shopko store at Northpark Mall to a former Missouri Department of Transportation office where the superintendent and other administrators now work. Rival elementary schools combined, and a middle school found space in an industrial park.

Even in a corner of the country where hard work is cherished, the swiftness of the transformation was striking, White said.

"I've always known people are strong here. But this has really brought it home," she said. "People are so strong. They just get up, dust off and go to work."

Students arrived at the "mall school" Wednesday morning to a bevy of well-wishers holding Joplin High signs and lining the entrance road. Some teens gathered in modular classrooms, right next to a row of concrete-lined storm shelters. Others lingered in hallways.

They raved about the school's college-like feel. Drinks will soon be available from Joplin Joe's coffee bar, and every student could get a free laptop thanks to a donation from the United Arab Emirates worth as much as $1 million.

Parents and other relatives were impressed.

"It just blows your mind," said Pamela Berry, who accompanied her 17-year-old nephew to a Tuesday night open house. "I want to come back to high school."

The start of classes also offered students a chance to reunite with classmates who had endured the same ordeal.

"Everyone is closer, more friendly to each other," said senior Yainer Oviedo, whose mother and six siblings lost their home to the storm. He now lives with a classmate and still wrestles with his own harrowing memories of huddling behind a flimsy mattress while the tornado roared overhead.

"Our whole community has been through a lot," he added. "You look at someone and automatically know what they're going through."

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who toured the school Wednesday, encouraged students to take advantage of their new learning environment.

"I hope you use what has been given to you to lift the expectations of Joplin even higher," he said. "While there's been tremendous suffering, there are even greater expectations."

Among those hoping to match those expectations was junior Christopher Jones. Unlike most years, his summer vacation couldn't end soon enough, he said.

"I was really just looking for a change," Jones said.

At East Middle School, which was relocated to a converted warehouse on the outskirts of town, students agreed that some things were unchanged: Cafeteria food still tasted terrible. Kids got lost on their way to class. And the odor of pet food from the factory across the street was gross.

Younger students, too, said they relate differently to each other — and to their parents — after surviving the disaster.

"It brought me a lot closer to my mom," said Madeline Fichtner, 13, who described riding out the storm without initially knowing whether her mother was safe.

School officials brought in additional counselors and trauma workers to help students and families who may still be struggling in the storm's aftermath.

"We can build buildings, but the emotional damage that this storm has caused is of a very significant concern and something we're going to be watching closely for months, if not years," Superintendent C.J. Huff said.

Phillip Gloyer, a communication arts teacher who is also a National Guard chaplain, said he planned to tap his divinity school training as well as his expertise in British literature.

"I'm just really focused on the kids' emotional health," he said. "A lot of hugs, a lot of encouragement. Asking them to tell their story. That's the best therapy."

___

Alan Scher Zagier can be reached at http://twitter.com/azagier

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Joplin Tornado Fungus Strikes Family of Nationally Known Artist (ContributorNetwork)

Linda Lindquist-Baldwin is known for her belsnickles. For more than 25 years her figurines have adorned Christmas decorations and Halloween displays. She also has spring designs for bunnies and chickens for Easter.

Her brother is recovering from the Joplin tornado in Columbia at University of Missouri hospital. As part of Mark Lindquist's treatment are anti-fungal drugs while he recovers from his injuries and from pneumonia. The Springfield News-Leader reports he remains sedated.

Lindquist was working at a home for the developmentally disabled. His family didn't even know he had survived. It has been six weeks since the tornado destroyed over a quarter of the city. The CDC counts Lindquist as one of 12 people who have suffered from a fungal infection after the twister.

At least three people have died from the tornado who also had a massive fungal infection. In many cases, the survival rate of the rare mucormcosis is only 50 percent. Treatment includes intravenous anti-fungal medications and surgically removing parts of the wound.

Lindquist-Baldwin is celebrating 25 years of her Belsnickles. They are award-winning pieces are unique and are limited editions each season. The artist resides in McDonald County and is known for her charitable work in the area. The Humane Society and Crowder College have been recipients of her time and donations.

Belsnickles originated in Germany from the late 1800s to World War I. Their unique property is that they are covered in white flecks of mica to simulate snow covering the figures. They were originally meant to be Christmas decorations, but Lindquist-Baldwin expanded them into other seasons.

Toy Collector Magazine reports original belsnickles are hard to find. They were made of a clay-paper mixture or papier-mache. Today they are made of harder materials that are strong yet lightweight.

Lindquist-Baldwin has made modern versions that are just as cute as the originals. She first got the idea in 1986 when she bought a book at a yard sale for a nickel. The rest was history. She won several awards for individual figures and also for her philanthropy.

In addition to her Belsnickles, other lines include more holidays in Lindquist-Baldwin's pieces. Snowsnickles are snowmen. Broomsnickles are for Halloween and include ghosts and witches. Samsnickles are American patriotic pieces. Harsnickles are for Easter and the springtime.

Lindquist-Baldwin created her own company and became her own businesswoman in 2003. She holds annual holiday events in her hometown of Joplin, the city where she grew up. The Lindquist family is well-known in southwest Missouri and we all pray for their safety and quick recovery in their time of need.

William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.

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Joplin Residents Live to Describe Inside of Massive Tornado (ContributorNetwork)

The Joplin Globe reports a rare occurrence and yet another amazing story to come out of the EF5 tornado that destroyed large part of Joplin, Mo. Three amateur storm chasers were out trying to track the storm May 22, 2011, when the tornado grew too big for them to chase.

As Eric Parker, his sister Kaylee Parker and their friend Mac Wright were taking shelter from the tornado at a local liquor store, Kaylee Parker was able to get a glimpse of the inside of the mammoth twister.

"I look up and saw these vortexes, and saw debris flying the in the air. It looked like I could see blue sky at the top," Kaylee told the Globe .

Her description sounds like it's from a movie. If you've seen the movie "Twister " you know exactly what Parker is talking about. Towards the end of the movie, both main characters witness the inside of a huge F5 tornado which matches Parker's view from the inside of the storm.

Scientists from the National Weather Service say the tornado was so wide, an eye could have formed that was several hundred yards wide. Much like the eye of a hurricane, the middle of a slow-moving tornado provides a dramatic and relative calm for a few seconds before the wall of the tornado hits again. This wall barrier also contains the highest winds in the tornado.

Radar hits near enough to tornadoes over the past 10 years have provided meteorologist with a computerized look at the inside of a tornado. Eyewitness accounts verify the radar's probing of the twisters.

As rare as this sight is for human eyes, others in Joplin reported seeing the same blue sky inside the funnel. It was a scarce combination of the size, damaging winds and slow movement of the tornado that allowed witnesses to both survive and see the tornado. Once debris was pulled away from houses where people were taking shelter, they could see the full fury of the storm.

All of these stories, eyewitness accounts and scientific appraisals of the tornado that hit Joplin will hopefully make our scientific understanding of nature's most powerful storms. If knowledge gained from the event saves one human life in the future, then the 150 people who died would not have done so in vain.

Even six weeks after the tornado struck, more amazing stories continue to come out of the debris. Every person's story is valuable and worth repeating in memory of those lives that were lost.

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New Surveillance Video Footage Captures Joplin Tornado's Fury (ContributorNetwork)

East Middle School in Joplin, Mo., was completed two years ago to serve the students in a growing city. A brand-new facility was part of a larger move by the district to create modern buildings to foster a better learning environment for kids in Joplin.

New surveillance video released by the school system shows the building took a direct hit from the massive EF5 tornado that tore through the city May 22, 2011.

Posted to the Joplin Globe's YouTube page, the nearly six minute video shows four views of the tornado's destruction.

The first view is of the inside of the commons area. On the edge of the screen you can see doors leading to the outside of the building, which is seen in another view later in the footage. It appears to be a quiet day as school was thankfully not in session on Sunday evening. There even appears to be brightness outside as there is no indication from this initial view that there is something wrong about to happen.

Lights began to flicker as power begins to fluctuate, probably due to power lines being whipped around outside. About 40 seconds into the footage, the brightness outside suddenly goes away. Lightning flashes can be seen on the floor, reflected from outside. Then debris flies inside, water rushes over the floor and benches that were stationary are moved several feet.

For a about 10 seconds, there is a lull in the wind and then suddenly the same debris that got blown into the commons area gets swirled around and almost sucked out as the tornado moves by. Then the full force of the winds are felt and the view ends.

The second view is of the main entrance, starting at 1:48 into the video. You see lighting outside and then a door has its glass blown out. Within 90 seconds, the ceiling gets ripped off and the camera falls down and dangles towards the floor. Even though it's about two hours until sunset, it is pitch black outside.

The auditorium was one of the hardest hit parts of the school. Again, the camera was mounted on the ceiling as it viewed the destruction around it.

The last view captures the twister's fury outside the school near the commons area that was viewed inside at the beginning of the video. Again, it starts out looking like a bright day with just a little rain at the 4:05 mark, but then the images turn for the worse. Lightning is seen in the distance and then it turns very dark. Metal is whipped around and you can sparks from power lines as the tornado wreaks its havoc on the school in the last part of the video.

You can also see video of what the damage looked like after the tornado had gone through. There is footage of the main entrance and the heavily damaged gymnasium.

If there had been students at the school, the tornado could have been much more tragic.

I'm still wondering when, and if, there will be footage from Joplin's traffic light cameras. There are traffic monitoring cameras throughout the city to monitor conditions on Joplin's roads. The camera system surely would have picked up some kind of storm damage in the city and could provide clues as to how cars would have swirled through the debris.

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Joplin Tornado May Cost Insurance Companies $2 Billion (ContributorNetwork)

Insurance claims numbers for the Joplin tornado are starting to come in and the statistics are mind-boggling. The Missouri Department of Insurance says more than $500 million worth of insurance claims have been paid out, nearly two-thirds of it to homeowners. More than $34 million has been paid in auto insurance claims. Businesses have received nearly $160 million for their properties.

In all, nearly 15,000 claims have been filed so far with another 2,000 expected. John M. Huff, director of the Dept. of Insurance, said those numbers will climb.

"This will be the largest insurance event in Missouri history, and these numbers confirm that the insurance industry is playing a vital role in Joplin's recovery. This is half a billion dollars already reinvested into the local economy, and we expect it to be three to four times that amount by the time all claims are settled," Huff says.

That means the final cost to insurers will be between $1.5 billion to $2 billion. That figure alone doesn't take into account trash removal, FEMA money or disaster assistance from various non-profit agencies being poured into Joplin's relief efforts.

Nor does the figure take into account volunteer hours spent helping to clean up debris. The economic impact of the tornado will be staggering no matter how you crunch the numbers.

In terms of time, in about 30 minutes the massive EF5 tornado destroyed billions of dollars of construction. Houses and stores that took years to build up as Joplin expanded to the east were destroyed in minutes or even seconds because of high winds.

It's difficult for me to wrap my mind around such a thing. In a year of huge disasters like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, it's still hard to believe that something on this earth can destroy human lives in mere seconds.

Compared to other billion-dollar disasters in U.S. history, the tornado outbreak of May 22 to May 27 was highly destructive. The tornado did more damage than Hurricane Dolly in 2008. The outbreak from May 22 to May 27 may reach $7 billion in total damage.

The National Weather Service states disaster estimates, if they hold through the rest of 2011, will make 2011 the worst year on record since the government tracked insurance losses. Data goes back to 1980 for such disasters that have cost billions of dollars.

So far in 2011, nearly $32 billion has been lost in eight separate weather-related events. Last year, only three major events saw more than a billion dollars in damage. Hurricane season hasn't even gotten to its peak yet and it's expected to be more active than normal.

The statistics show what Americans already know about 2011--it's a bad year for weather extremes.

William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.

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Tornado destruction exposes Joplin residents to crime (Reuters)

KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) – The historic May 22 tornado not only deprived thousands of Joplin, Missouri, residents of their homes and belongings but made them vulnerable to crimes like identity theft and contractor fraud.

Federal, state and local authorities have banded together to warn citizens about the potential for crime. Arrests have already been made for looting destroyed homes.

"We don't want to see anyone re-victimized who has already been victimized by the tornado," said Bridget Patton, FBI spokeswoman in Kansas City.

The tornado killed 156 people and destroyed some 8,000 homes and other buildings in Joplin. It was the deadliest tornado in the United States in more than 60 years.

The unusually large scope of the disaster warrants the extensive alert to possible criminal acts, Don Ledford, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Western District of Missouri, said.

The FBI recently organized a meeting in Joplin attended by representatives of 13 law enforcement jurisdictions, Patton said. The agency has created a task force to field and investigate fraud and other complaints.

"Experience tells us that following each disaster, unscrupulous individuals, contractors, businesses and even government employees try to take advantage of the disaster and unduly profit," said Robert J. Nixon, supervisory special agent for the FBI in southwest Missouri.

One concern is that criminals will try to get federal disaster relief funds meant for victims by assuming their identities, officials said.

PHONY GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

Joplin police investigated reports from tornado victims who had been approached by persons who said they were government representatives, said police spokesman Chuck Niess.

"They had fake government credentials and were trying to get personal information," Niess said. There have been no charges in the ongoing cases, he said.

Police warn that some con artists posing as government officials will request a processing fee to secure disaster relief payments or loans. Others have pretended to be safety inspectors who try to collect for repairs they said were required immediately, police say.

Ledford of the U.S. Attorney's Office said no federal charges have been filed in connection with any Joplin crimes but there have been some investigations, which he declined to detail.

One potential crime is identity theft of victims whose credit card, banking and other personal records were tossed to the wind by the tornado or left exposed in destroyed homes. Police advised people to close all accounts immediately, Niess said.

Authorities also have advised caution when giving to organizations that profess to be raising money for victims.

People should be wary of e-mail fund-raising drives, high-pressure personal pitches, requests for cash rather than checks, and organizations with names similar to well-known charities, officials said.

Another scam could be attempted by contractors for cleanup or repairs. They may be unlicensed, uninsured or unqualified or may seek to overcharge and be paid in cash only, police said. The state attorney general has warned contractors they will be prosecuted for any attempted price-gouging.

Police have made some arrests for looting destroyed homes or businesses, which continues to be a problem six weeks after the tornado, Niess said.

"It's almost a non-stop issue," Niess said. "Every thing is still all open and stuff is laying around."

(Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Greg McCune)

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Early Footage from Joplin Tornado Documentary Moving, Oscar-Worthy (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | The first seven minutes of a documentary about the Joplin tornado are available on the Missouri Press Association's YouTube page. Shortly after the tornado struck, a team of three filmmakers interviewed staff from the Joplin Globe, who told their stories of the tornado as they saw it.

Reporters must be impartial in and of themselves. But this documentary is a revealing look about how a media outlet deals with a disaster in its town.

The documentary starts simply enough. A Sunday newspaper proclaims the Joplin High School graduation and the screen has quotes from graduates. A fan oscillates in the background and begins blowing the newspaper, symbolic of the EF5 tornado that was about to tear Joplin asunder.

Quotes from the graduates are hauntingly wrought with foreshadowing. One said, "Cherish your memories. The ride of your life is set to begin." Another stated, "Today is that something big."

An hour later, the graduates found out exactly how much those words would actually mean. An event that would forever define their lives happened right after the culmination of their hard work was celebrated.

If the preview is any indication, this documentary will win several awards. I couldn't help but cry through half of it.

One of the Globe's staffers died in the tornado. A quarter of the paper's employees were left homeless. Yet somehow, the coverage never stopped. People from outside the area were able to use the media outlet as a viable source for firsthand accounts of the tornado and its aftermath.

One reporter's first day on the job was supposed to be May 23. Josh Letner's work started about 12 hours earlier. Instead of covering town meetings or animal shelters, the young man started his journalism career with one of the biggest events to happen in the United States this year.

It's just Joplin. It's just a small town. Yet no matter how many times I read stories about the tornado and residents picking up the pieces, I can't help but feel something. This is my home state. My sister in-law and her family live south of town.

This story hits home. If your heart doesn't go out to the people in the film, you simply aren't human. Just like any picture or description of the tornado and its aftermath, these pictures won't do the event justice. However, it's the closest thing I've seen so far that makes the story as real as possible.

Titled "Tornado: Through the Eyes of the Joplin Globe," Orr Street Productions plans on having the final product out in early 2012, reports Riverfront Times. The production team has produced nationally known commercials and video.

The film should at least be nominated for an Academy Award from what I've already seen.

William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.

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Another death in Joplin from tornado brings toll to 156 (Reuters)

KANSAS CITY (Reuters) – The death toll from last month's devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri, has risen to 156, the city said on Wednesday.

Grace M. Sanders, the latest victim, died of injuries sustained in the tornado, Lynn Onstot, public information officer for the city, said in a statement.

The tornado, which cut a six-mile swath through Joplin and destroyed 6,000 homes and many other buildings in the city, was the deadliest in the United States in more than 60 years.

(Reporting by James Kelleher. Editing by Peter Bohan)

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FEMA to supply homes to those displaced by Joplin tornado (Reuters)

KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to build up to 348 modular homes for people displaced by the May 22 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, a FEMA official said on Wednesday.

The three-bedroom, one-bath mobile homes will be placed as needed on city-owned land in the north part of town, said Crystal Payton, a FEMA spokesperson in Joplin.

FEMA has identified 624 families or individuals still in need of housing after losing their homes in the tornado, she said.

"This will allow them to develop a permanent housing solution," Payton said Wednesday. "We will work with them on a monthly basis to get their plans together."

FEMA will pay for the homes, available rent-free until late 2012, Payton said. Occupants must show they are attempting to find permanent housing, she said. FEMA has also placed people in existing mobile home parks and apartments in the area.

Mobile homes were also used for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but the Joplin homes will be larger and built to higher construction and air quality standards, Payton said.

A total of 155 people were killed as a result of the massive Joplin tornado, the deadliest in the United States in more than 60 years.

(Reporting by Kevin Murphy; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Jerry Norton)

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Joplin, Mo., records 156th death from May tornado (AP)

JOPLIN, Mo. – The death toll from the May 22 tornado that struck Joplin, Mo., has risen to 156.

The city's public information office says it was notified Wednesday of the death of Grace M. Sanders, who was injured in the tornado. No other information about the victim or the death was released.

It ranks as the deadliest single U.S. twister in more than six decades.

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Joplin school district tries to rebuild, reinvent (AP)

JOPLIN, Mo. – The twister that laid waste to much of Joplin last month hit the school system especially hard: It killed seven students and one teacher and destroyed three school buildings, including the only public high school. Seven other buildings were badly damaged.

Now officials are trying to put the crippled district back in order, with only a couple of months to get everything working again before the fall term begins. Many classes will have to meet in vacant buildings. There are also computers to order, furniture to replace, water-logged lesson plans to rewrite — even dirt-encrusted books to salvage.

And the effort goes beyond accommodating students and teachers. In the aftermath, the resurrection of Joplin High and other public schools has become a rallying point for the whole community.

At the debris pile that used to be the high school, someone used duct tape to turn a sign missing all but two letters from "OP" into ""HOPE." In front of that sign are three wooden eagles — the school mascot — carved by a Tennessee artist from the remnants of oak trees that were sliced in two and stripped of their bark by the nation's deadliest single tornado in six decades.

"Her feathers are ruffled, but she's not dead," reads a nearby spray-painted, cardboard sign.

Barely three weeks after the storm, summer school began last week. More than 1,600 elementary school students alone enrolled — almost double the number from last year. The district added an extra month of classes for a session that was initially scheduled to end in early July. And unlike previous years, it's offering free transportation.

"These children don't have a home to live in," said Irving Elementary School Principal Debbie Fort, whose school was one of those destroyed. "Parents know they need to get a routine back. Their lives have been turned upside-down."

Because so many buildings were damaged or destroyed, half of the high school students will attend classes in an empty big-box store. Many middle school kids will go to a vacant warehouse in a far-flung industrial park. Some administrators will take over an old office of the state transportation department.

Signs of the tornado are visible even in schools that escaped any damage. At Stapleton Elementary, boxes of library books rescued from damaged buildings sit piled outside the main office. A 7-year-old boy matter-of-factly explains to a visitor why he's on crutches — a piece of wooden shrapnel pierced his calf, requiring emergency surgery and a week in the hospital.

The twister killed more than 150 people. Immediately after the storm, Fort searched for missing teachers. Even now, two displaced families, including one of her faculty members, are staying at her home in nearby Webb City.

Yet for the most part, the rhythm of the school day is unchanged. For many students, the classroom offers a respite from troubles at home.

"The kids are just relieved to be back at something peaceful," teacher Isaiah Basye said. "It gives them hope, to see that we're not letting the tornado change us. We're still here with open arms. This place is a haven."

The tornado forced school officials to end the spring term nine days early. Administrators have promised that fall classes will begin on time Aug. 17, and they have found alternate sites for each of the damaged or destroyed buildings.

At Junge Field, the high school football team has started practice. Its stadium was unharmed, but its practice field and weight room were both a total loss. One team member remains hospitalized. Others have yet to return after they were scattered to temporary living arrangements with friends or faraway relatives.

New coach Chris Shields lost the rental home into which he had moved some belongings even before relocating to Joplin from suburban St. Louis. Seventy students attended the first day of practice, fewer than the 85 he expected.

"When your home is destroyed, football is not always your top priority," Shields said.

Defensive end Jarad Bader said he and his teammates feel an added sense of responsibility to represent Joplin on Friday nights this fall.

"We don't really feel like we need to say, `Win for Joplin,'" he said. "We know inside that Joplin is helping us. It's time for us to help Joplin."

Said free safety Evan Wilson: "It's kind of understood. We have a lot of weight on our shoulders."

With the loss of Joplin High, which served 2,200 students, school leaders say they want to do more than merely rebuild. They envision a state-of-the-art structure that could establish Joplin not as a district scarred by disaster but as a center of innovation.

School administrators invited a panel of education leaders to a wide-ranging discussion of how the new Joplin High can emerge better than ever. Among the goals: more one-on-one learning and increased collaboration with the adjacent Franklin Technology Center, a vocational training site that was also destroyed.

"We need to let ourselves be free to dream," Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer said. "It's really hard. We're living with the reality of what happened. You almost have to give yourself permission to move past the really horrible, horrific things."

Those discussions were already taking place before the tornado, Besendorfer said. But now they have moved from hypothetical to urgent.

"This tornado accelerated that process — in about 45 seconds," she said. "We had already dreamt about `what if?' Now, it's very much `what's next?'"

___

Alan Scher Zagier can be reached at http://twitter.com/azagier

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Joplin Tornado Lessons One Month Later (ContributorNetwork)

The evening of May 22 was a night tens of thousands of people will never forget. A roaring EF5 tornado ripped apart a Midwestern city of 50,000 and caused 155 deaths. It was the single deadliest tornado in the United States since modern record keeping.

The path of destruction was nearly a mile wide in some places and nearly 14 miles long. The Springfield News-Leader reports the recovery phase is in full swing as hundreds of thousands of tons of debris is being removed at a frenetic pace. Rebuilding homes has been slow.

The lessons learned from the tornado are plentiful and heartbreaking. Because wind speeds were so strong, sturdier homes may not have prevented mass casualties. Home shelters run from about $3,000 to $4,000 and are made of steel. One Joplin Globe letter to the editor dated April 12 wondered why there weren't more tornado shelters in town. The short piece now stands as an eerie prediction of events six weeks later.

Split-second decisions made by residents out and about on a quiet Sunday evening led to whether someone was hurt, spared or died. The tornado plucked young and old, rich and poor, from this Earth.

Physical buildings can be rebuilt but the lives that perished left behind families that will never be the same. The spirit of community is vital to any municipality. Thousands of stories have circulated of bravery, survival and fortitude. One new story details how a 10-year-old girl survived even after a piece of iron pierced her internal organs. Mason Lillard finally went home to Nixa after nearly a month in various hospitals.

Rebuilding isn't perfect but it is moving forward. The city of Joplin placed a moratorium on new housing construction in the disaster zone. Meanwhile, FEMA announced they will build temporary housing by the Joplin Regional Airport on the north side of town. As many as 624 families are known to be waiting for some kind of housing while homes get ready to be built or rental properties become available.

Outreach to the city and its residents has been fantastic. Millions of dollars have been donated from sources like Brad Pitt, Walmart, Home Depot and millions of individual donors. Thousands of volunteers have descended on the city to help with cleanup efforts.

All of these things add up. They make Joplin a stronger, safer and better place to live. It will not be easy to move forward for those impacted the most by the storm, but the job will get done. Humanity has persevered on this planet for two million years and we will continue to survive with the same indomitable spirit that sent humans to the moon.

We do these things not because we have to, but because we are able to. Instead of giving up, we move forward. When humanity may succumb, we fight for what we hold dear. When things get tough we don't abandon, we cherish and hold our families closer.

That's the spirit of Joplin that I will remember one month after the tornado.

William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.

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Joplin tornado death toll rises to 154 (Reuters)

KANSAS CITY (Reuters) – The death toll from the May 22 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, has reached 154, according to a city statement on Friday.

That number is up from 153 reported by the city on June 13. The most recent victim was James Cookerly, city public information officer Lynn Onstot said with providing further information.

The massive F-5 tornado cut a six-mile swath through the southwest Missouri city just as residents were sitting down to Sunday dinner. It was the deadliest single tornado in the United States since 1947.

Tornadoes have battered the country this spring, killing more than 500 people, mostly in the south.

The death toll from the Joplin storm has risen as people die of injuries. Some have died due to a fungal infection from debris that contained soil or plant matter, officials have said.

(Edited by Peter Bohan)

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