Tornado warning for NYC expires; watch in place (AP)

NEW YORK – The National Weather Service says a tornado warning issued for the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens has expired, and a watch is in place.

The agency said radar had spotted rotating clouds in a severe thunderstorm approaching the area before 4 a.m. Sunday. The agency says the warning expired at 4:15 a.m. Sunday with a report of a toppled tree in the area but no immediate confirmation of any tornadoes.

Authorities had said that the approaching hurricane might spawn tornadoes. Irene is expected to make landfall in the New York City area at around 10 a.m.

A tornado watch remains in effect until 5 a.m. Sunday for New York City, Long Island and southern Connecticut. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form.

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Hurricane Irene Heading Toward North Carolina Four Months After Tornado (ContributorNetwork)

FIRST PERSON | SANFORD, N.C. -- As I write this story, I am watching the local news, which has been tightly focused on Hurricane Irene's steady approach toward North Carolina. I grew up in Virginia and attended graduate school in South Carolina, so I've seen my share of hurricanes. One thing I've noticed is that hurricanes seem particularly fond of hitting North Carolina. I have watched this state bear the brunt of storm after storm, while Virginia and South Carolina often end up relatively unscathed.

Another reason I'm nervous about Hurricane Irene is because about four months ago, my husband and I weathered our first tornado. The tornado hit Sanford, N.C., with a vengeance; thankfully, our house was not damaged, but the remnants of that storm are still clearly evident not even a quarter mile from our home.

The neighborhood just east of ours looks like it was attacked by a drunken lumberjack, with dozens of mature trees that were snapped in half after just a few minutes of severe rain and high winds. There are still plenty of boarded up homes, sheared off trees, pieces of scrap metal embedded in tree trunks and tarps on roofs to remind us of the catastrophic wrath Mother Nature can unexpectedly unleash. My memories of that scary tornado are still very fresh and have made it impossible for me to be apathetic about the approaching storm that could be affecting us this weekend.

Sanford, along with many other places on the East Coast, also experienced a very rare earthquake today. This rare earthquake, preceding what is forecast to be a substantial hurricane, will no doubt make plenty of people nervous.

Thanks to the tornado that hit Sanford in April, I have already invested in an emergency radio that runs on solar power. This morning, I reminded my husband to pick up some batteries, water, propane, matches and candles in preparation for the storm.

I also asked my husband if he thought we might want to purchase a generator, but then I remembered our local Lowe's hardware store was destroyed during the tornado. One thing the tornado taught me is that the local radio station is great during a crisis; I expect to be able to tune into WJFA Classic Hits and Oldies and get up-to-the-minute coverage of how Hurricane Irene has affected Sanford and where we can go for help if we need it. That's a small comfort in the face of a big storm.

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Soldier wounded in combat, loses home in tornado (AP)

WILSONVILLE, Ala. – A mortar attack in Afghanistan last year left 1st Lt. Antone Williams with a concussion severe enough to send him home. Then a tornado this spring — one of 60 that plowed across Alabama this spring — left him without a home at all.

Now the Alabama National Guardsman is trying to get his life back together after a year that's brought a double-whammy of misfortune.

Williams' unit came under mortar fire in 2010 in Kandahar and he suffered a concussion when a shell struck just a few yards away. Despite the injury, he and his men then took up defensive positions to protect citizens by moving them into a bunker.

"The whole building shook like mad," he said. "I thought the roof was coming in."

The next morning, Williams awoke to severe headaches and dizziness. He was throwing up uncontrollably.

"I was tripping over my own feet. I couldn't stand up without feeling like I was spinning around backwards," said Williams, who was diagnosed with a concussion and vertigo. He continues suffering from those problems plus weakness and memory lapses; depression is a constant threat.

"My injury has pretty much put my life on hold. There is just no opportunity to work on my development as an officer," he said. "It's pretty scary, this injury could affect the rest of my life and this is what I have been working for ever since college. ... This injury is to me like kryptonite is to Superman."

While he was back home in the United States this spring, Williams' home in Pleasant Grove, Ala., was destroyed by one of more than 60 tornadoes that plowed across the state April 27. In one stroke of good fortune, he was on duty at the time at Fort Benning, Ga., as a member of the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion, which aids troops in their recovery.

"I could never have imagined being there," he said. "My house was the only one left standing, though the roof was gone and the rain destroyed everything inside. At first I was devastated, then I realized that things can be replaced and that I am just blessed to have my life after all I've been through."

With his home being reconstructed, Williams is now stationed at Fort Benning and stays with his parents on weekends.

In the meantime, he's also taking part in a program called Lima Foxtrot that helps veterans recover from traumatic brain injuries by offering them a chance at activities such as rock-wall climbing, scuba diving, shooting, archery, cycling, skiing and kayaking. Offered by the Birmingham-based Lakeshore Foundation, Williams said the activities are helping him regain a sense of balance in his life.

"You sense that even if you fall on your face at least you are falling forward. And they are here to help pick you up," he said.

Program coordinator Susan Robinson said enjoying time outdoors and performing activities that once seemed out of reach helps injured troops realize they can accomplish other tasks during their recovery.

After a day on the water, Williams was looking ahead toward a complete recovery and his future in the military.

"I'm worried but I'm confident and I'm focused on making general," he said. "I don't know what I'll do if my medical condition keeps me from staying on active duty."

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Storms bring deadly flood to Pittsburgh; tornado hits Wisconsin (Reuters)

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) – Severe storms were expected in the Midwest on Saturday and then to add to weekend weather woes in the Northeast, where flash flooding killed at least three people in Pittsburgh on Friday.

Heavy rains submerged cars in flood water that was nine feet deep in places in Pittsburgh, authorities said.

The three victims, identified as a woman and two children, died after their vehicle was pinned against a tree on Washington Boulevard near the Allegheny River.

They were unable to escape, Michael Huss, the city's public safety director, said at a news conference late Friday.

"We have crews that are continuing to search," he said.

Some 18 cars were stranded in the flooding and 11 people had to be rescued, according to local media reports.

Rescue crews used inflatable rafts to reach stranded drivers. Power was out to 8,400 customers.

Earlier, the National Weather Service had issued a flash flood watch for Allegheny County as storms pounded the area, bringing three to four inches of rain, according to the NWS.

Nearly half of all flood fatalities are vehicle related, the NWS warned early Saturday morning in a flood advisory.

"As little as six inches of water will cause you to lose control of your vehicle," the NWS stated. "Two feet of water will carry most vehicles away."

Saturday no active flash flood warnings were in effect from the National Weather Service, but meteorologists for The Weather Channel forecast more storms from the Great Lakes to the Central Plains for the day and into the night.

One man died as storms and a suspected tornado roared across northern Wisconsin on Friday night, cutting off power to around 2,000 homes, the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management said.

The man was staying in a rented trailer home in the path of the storm, which downed trees in a mile-long swath just north of Wausaukee, 65 miles north of Green Bay, a Marinette County sheriff's spokesman said.

"At around 5 p.m. we had an apparent tornado in the Wausaukee area. We have one fatality," said Lori Getter, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management. She identified the person who died as a middle-aged man.

Friday's storm came three months after a massive tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri, killing 155 people in the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in over 60 years.

Damaging winds and hail were the primary threats for cities like St. Louis, Detroit and Chicago on Saturday, according to weather.com.

Saturday morning, the NWS Doppler radar indicated a fast-moving thunderstorm near Chicago capable of creating "half dollar sized hail," "damaging winds in excess of 60 mph," "deadly lightning," and "very heavy rain."

Saturday's thunderstorm threat will shift to the Northeast Sunday.

(Additional reporting by John Rondy in Milwaukee and Cynthia Johnston in Las Vegas; Writing by Molly O'Toole; Editing by Jerry Norton)

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Tornado Sensors Should Be Installed in Buildings (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | The Holy Grail of tornado chasers is to have sensors that measure the inside of a tornado. The best way to do this, so far, has been to have mobile teams dispatched during tornado season on the Great Plains to get near enough to thunderstorms. The teams deploy sensors and then move away quickly in hopes of determining what goes on inside a tornado.

Although footage from inside a tornado is rare, National Geographic attempted to do such a thing in 2005. Because tornadoes can veer radically from place to place and don't last long, getting sensors in place is difficult and can be hit-or-miss.

Perhaps scientists are going about tornado chasing the wrong way. When humans get lost in the wilderness or become stranded in a car in a snowstorm, the first rule is to stay put and let searchers come to you. Tornado chasing should be the same way.

Installing sensors in major buildings in cities and towns across tornado alley may be a more feasible solution. As technology becomes smaller and more affordable, weather sensors should be deployed in buildings every five to 10 blocks in cities across tornado alley. Having sensors in every building would be too expensive.

Since scientists have no way of predicting when and where tornadoes strike, they can narrow down buildings that are spaced far enough apart as potential targets for sensors. Consider a line of towns and cities from Dallas, Texas, to Bismarck, N.D. as a phalanx of areas that can have sensors installed.

It's almost as if a line of troops would be deployed on the battlefield, only this time the enemy is supposed to come towards them. Installing and upgrading sensors would take massive amounts of money. Much like the SETI project that aims radio telescopes at faraway places, this tornado sensing project may not come to fruition for decades. However, it would at least increase our chances of getting an inside look at one of nature's most incredible storms.

Sensor platforms would have to be battery operated so they wouldn't lose power as the tornado approaches. Barometric readings, GPS sensors and other instruments would need to be packed into the sensor suite.

It would be a huge undertaking, but it is possible. Not every building needs to have sensors installed, just enough to make it more likely that tornado will make a direct hit on the sensors. Given enough time and tumultuous weather, it's not a matter of if the stationary sensors will detect a tornado but when.

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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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Tornado Sensors Should Be Installed in Buildings (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | The Holy Grail of tornado chasers is to have sensors that measure the inside of a tornado. The best way to do this, so far, has been to have mobile teams dispatched during tornado season on the Great Plains to get near enough to thunderstorms. The teams deploy sensors and then move away quickly in hopes of determining what goes on inside a tornado.

Although footage from inside a tornado is rare, National Geographic attempted to do such a thing in 2005. Because tornadoes can veer radically from place to place and don't last long, getting sensors in place is difficult and can be hit-or-miss.

Perhaps scientists are going about tornado chasing the wrong way. When humans get lost in the wilderness or become stranded in a car in a snowstorm, the first rule is to stay put and let searchers come to you. Tornado chasing should be the same way.

Installing sensors in major buildings in cities and towns across tornado alley may be a more feasible solution. As technology becomes smaller and more affordable, weather sensors should be deployed in buildings every five to 10 blocks in cities across tornado alley. Having sensors in every building would be too expensive.

Since scientists have no way of predicting when and where tornadoes strike, they can narrow down buildings that are spaced far enough apart as potential targets for sensors. Consider a line of towns and cities from Dallas, Texas, to Bismarck, N.D. as a phalanx of areas that can have sensors installed.

It's almost as if a line of troops would be deployed on the battlefield, only this time the enemy is supposed to come towards them. Installing and upgrading sensors would take massive amounts of money. Much like the SETI project that aims radio telescopes at faraway places, this tornado sensing project may not come to fruition for decades. However, it would at least increase our chances of getting an inside look at one of nature's most incredible storms.

Sensor platforms would have to be battery operated so they wouldn't lose power as the tornado approaches. Barometric readings, GPS sensors and other instruments would need to be packed into the sensor suite.

It would be a huge undertaking, but it is possible. Not every building needs to have sensors installed, just enough to make it more likely that tornado will make a direct hit on the sensors. Given enough time and tumultuous weather, it's not a matter of if the stationary sensors will detect a tornado but when.

View the original article here

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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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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Mass. town hit by tornado cancels July 4th event (AP)

MONSON, Mass. – An Independence Day tradition has been cancelled in a Massachusetts town devastated by a tornado last month.

Summerfest chairman Steve Slozak says there was a lot of sadness when he announced the event couldn't happen this year in Monson. But he told The Boston Globe for Saturday editions that while people were hoping Summerfest would pull the community together, the tornado has already done that.

Summerfest began in 1979 and can draw nearly double the town's population of 8,500. It features events such as a frog-jumping competition, a soap box derby and a parade.

Slozak says several organizing committee workers lost their homes to the tornado and traffic patterns were a mess. He says it didn't seem right to ask the overworked police and fire departments to set up for the event.

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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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Kansas town rises green from tornado rubble (Reuters)

GREENSBURG, Kansas (Reuters) – When community leaders in tornado-ravaged places such as Joplin, Mo., consider the future, they look to Greensburg, Kansas.

Destroyed by a powerful tornado on May 4, 2007, Greensburg is renowned for its rebirth as a community of sustainable living. The town has energy-saving buildings and landscaping at every turn, drawing curious public officials and tourists from around the world.

"Greensburg is certainly a great story," said Steve Castaner, a long-term recovery manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It's a laboratory for how you can take advantage of opportunities to reinvent yourself."

Next week, FEMA will host a "sustainable communities workshop" in Greensburg, attended by people from Joplin and two southeast U.S. communities recently damaged by tornadoes. They will learn how to follow Greensburg's example.

The EF-5 tornado destroyed 95 percent of Greensburg, a town of 1,600 in the flat farmland of south central Kansas. Almost immediately, city, state and community leaders talked about bringing Greensburg back green, said Mayor Bob Dixson.

Greensburg's population is down to about 800 because of a loss of housing stock and jobs, but it draws "a pilgrimage" of people who want to see sustainability at work, said Matt Deighton, a volunteer who gives tours of the town.

There is plenty to see.

The tornado destroyed many of the town's large trees, so wind turbines now outnumber them. The town has a ten-turbine wind farm. The hospital has its own turbine, as does the public school and even the Best Western motel, which has saved 50 percent on its utility bill.

"As far as I know, we are the only hotel in the United States with a wind power generator," said Ron Wright, owner of the Best Western Night Watchman Inn.

The new public school not only has a wind turbine but 97 wells dug 410 feet into the ground for a geothermal heating system that uses the 55-degree water to cool or warm air pumped into the building.

Like those of many buildings in town, the school's windows are sized and positioned to make best use of natural light and the sun's warmth.

The mayor had his house built with small windows on the north and larger ones elsewhere, and he used timber in four- or eight-foot lengths to reduce waste.

City Hall and several other buildings have rooftop solar panels to convert sunshine into electric power. Many homeowners have chosen to build energy-efficient houses.

In building anew, Greensburg used a lot of old materials. Bricks for the walls at city hall came from a power plant the tornado destroyed. The furniture store is made of bricks from the old store. Wood siding at the school came from trees damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Rain is not wasted. All through town are systems for filtering and capturing rainwater, which is stored in underground cisterns for irrigation when the weather is dry.

Greensburg is building a museum to herald what used to be its biggest claim to fame -- the largest hand-dug well in the world -- but also to tell the story of its green rebirth.

Its slogan is that it is "Stronger. Better. Greener."

The community took advantage of various federal programs to build with sustainability in mind, but it took a spirit of public and private cooperation to be successful, Dixson said.

FEMA provided $80 million in subsidies for construction of city hall, the school and hospital, said Pam Reves, city treasurer. The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory provided technical assistance and other guidance on sustainable construction in the public and private sector.

A key player is Greensburg GreenTown, a nonprofit organization that promotes green projects and gives tours. The town boasts the most LEED-certified buildings, a recognized system of measuring green projects, per capita in America.

The visit by officials from Joplin and the communities of Smithville, Miss. and Cordova, Ala., comes on the heels of an earlier visit by a delegation from Tuscaloosa, Ala., heavily damaged by a recent tornado.

Greensburg City Councilwoman Erica Goodman said Greensburg is ready with a message of hope for other communities.

"We can't tell you want to do," Goodman said. "We can only tell you what we have done and hopefully you can take that home and start your recovery."

(Writing and reporting by Kevin Murphy; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Ellen Wulfhorst)

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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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Tornado strikes Kentucky Derby's historic home (AP)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Susan Margolis rushed to Churchill Downs on a rescue mission as a tornado was pummeling stables full of horses at the home of the Kentucky Derby.

The first twister to strike at the 136-year-old track demolished parts of her husband Steve's barn and six others Wednesday night but left without inflicting any human or equine casualties.

Churchill Downs' famed twin spires, along with the stands and clubhouse, were untouched by the tornado's swirling winds. The historic track has survived flooding, ice storms and heavy winds over the years, and now, for the first time, a tornado.

When it hit, the trainer and his wife rushed to the track near downtown Louisville.

"When we came around that corner last night, my mouth was so dry because I thought, 'Oh God, that's our barn,'" Susan Margolis said. "I thought we were going to find bodies of people, never mind the horses."

The National Weather Service said the tornado was classified as an F1 with wind speeds of 100 mph. The twister intensified as it moved away from the track and smashed a nearby business.

Every available pair of hands scrambled to pull horses from stables as the storm caved in roofs and tossed debris. Seven of the 48 backside barns and the track's chapel were damaged.

Dale Romans, trainer of Preakness winner Shackleford, had to pull 20 horses out of one of his barns.

"Ours wasn't near as bad as some of them," said Romans, who had to move a total of 200 horses due to the storms. "It's a pretty amazing thing."

Other horses were moved to undamaged barns at Churchill, private farms and Keeneland racetrack in Lexington.

Thursday's racing was canceled but Friday's card was expected to go off as scheduled.

Trainer William "Jinks" Fires said it looked as if something "took a bite" out of his barn. His horses were spooked by the storm — kicking the wall and bumping into stall doors — and he had to tranquilize two to settle them down.

Jerry Brown, a groom for trainer James Baker, was watching a movie with his wife in their apartment above a barn when the storm hit.

"I shut the door, grabbed my wife, we got over there in the corner and huddled," Brown said. "I said we have to ride it out because there's no way we could make it down the steps."

Once it was over, Brown went to Margolis' barn to clear debris and make a path for the horses to get out. The roof was bowed to the ground and the winds left a gaping hole in it.

Plenty of people pitched in to help.

"It doesn't matter who they worked for. If they saw a horse in need, they immediately put themselves in danger to get that horse out," track chaplain Ken Boehm said. Even the track's chapel sustained some roof damage.

Churchill Downs underwent extensive renovations in 2002 and 2003 totaling more than $200 million. In August 2009, a flash flood heavily damaged the Kentucky Derby Museum, which closed for nine months while it was renovated.

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Dylan Lovan is on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dylanlovan

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Associated Press writer Brett Barrouquere and AP freelancer Josh Abner also contributed to this report.

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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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Churchill Downs horse racing canceled after tornado (Reuters)

LOUISVILLE, Ky (Reuters) – Racing and training were canceled on Thursday at Churchill Downs, a day after a tornado hit the thoroughbred racetrack famed as home of the Kentucky Derby, according to track officials.

"Considering the damage, which is extensive, it is amazing -- borderline miraculous -- that there were no injuries to either humans or horses," said John Asher, Churchill Downs spokesman.

There was no damage to the grandstand or the track's iconic twin spires.

Churchill Downs is most famous for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby, the first leg in U.S. thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown of events, which also includes the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

Asher said crews on Thursday were inspecting the surface of the race track for storm debris, including nails, that might have been tossed onto the usually carefully manicured racing surface from the passing twister.

Six barns and a portion of a seventh were damaged severely enough they cannot be used, Asher said. Two others that had damage from the storm had been restored to service Thursday. As a result, 30 horses would be transported to Lexington where Keeneland raceway had offered temporary shelter.

Other displaced horses would be housed in previously unoccupied stalls at Churchill, Asher said. Racing will resume Friday at the track.

Churchill Downs also is coordinating with the American Red Cross and emergency management officials to provide shelter for about 100 workers whose living spaces were damaged.

The twister developed in a line of intense thunderstorms that struck Louisville late Wednesday, leaving power lines down and structural damage across the city. But authorities said no deaths or injuries were reported.

The Downs has been hit by a tornado before, in 1928, according to the National Weather Service. The track was inundated by a massive flood in 1937, according to Asher.

Damage also was reported when Wednesday's tornado skipped from the track into the nearby parking lot of the University of Louisville's football stadium, where more than 140 members of a drum and bugle corps were milling about eating dinner after a daylong practice session.

Randy Blackburn, director of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based Teal Sound said it was a close call but the corps members were hustled quickly into locker rooms as the twister plowed through the parking lot on the south side of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

"Had it been 300 yards north, it would have taken out at least two of our buses and a truck," Blackburn said. He credited an emergency action plan the group had developed for minimizing potential for injuries.

Denita Stemet, a parent traveling with the group, said she saw the tornado just after it struck Churchill Downs.

"We could see tree branches in it," she said. "There was a lot of debris and some big stuff you could see spinning around inside of it."

The National Weather Service rated the tornado that hit Churchill Downs as an EF-1, with wind speeds of 100-105 mph. It strengthened to EF-2 intensity as it moved east, with speeds of 120 mph.

(Reporting and writing by Steve Robrahn; Additional reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Greg McCune)

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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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