Yesterday, a massive tornado swept through the town of Joplin in southwest Missouri. This comes on the heels of the recent tornadoes that touched down in Alabama and other parts of the south, leaving a trail of devastation unlike most people have ever seen in that part of the U.S.
The latest death toll from Sunday’s tornado in Joplin is 89. The Weather Channel’s tornado expert Greg Forbes is saying that the twister could have been at least an F4, which would make it the strongest to hit that area of the country, going back to 1880. He also says that according to the debris signature, the tornado encompassed an area of over a mile wide.
The Red Cross has tweeted a link to their Safe and Well site, where you can report yourself as safe for loved ones across the country.
@RedCross
American Red CrossYou can report yourself Safe and Well or search for loved ones at http://www.redcross.org/safeandwell #joplin #mowx #tornado
13 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto
Videos from the disaster are just beginning to hit YouTube, including this one of people inside a convenience store when the tornado hit. Most of it is dark, but the audio in enough to paint a picture of what it was like to be in the middle of the storm:
These two videos show the devastation left behind by the tornado, one from the air and one from the ground:
Image Courtesy of Weather.com