Today closed a chapter in the tragic story of the Joplin tornado. Gov. Jay Nixon announced that all of the missing people from the May 22 twister had been accounted for, and that the final death toll stood at 134.
The Springfield News-Leader reported:
The total of 134 includes 124 people on the unaccounted for list who died, 7 people who died whose bodies were never taken to the temporary morgue, and 3 people who died in the hospital since the tornado.
The Joplin Globe reported that 300 storm-affected businesses contacted by the city’s chamber of commerce said they were optimistic about their future in Joplin. Only two were pessimistic. That is remarkable.
ABC News posted a good report about the Joplin Outlaws, the city’s nonprofit collegiate baseball team. The team’s ballpark at the Joplin Athletic Complex just north of Route 66 was undamaged. Amazingly, all 16 host families for the players this summer saw their homes emerge unscathed from the tornado. The team is waiving admission fees to all its games this season. The team also is waiving its $30 fee for a two-day kids baseball camp. The Outlaws are banking on donations to pull this off without revenues.
Finally, here’s a video by photographer Christian Gideon of the tornado damage. You’ll hear more about him later:
https://vimeo.com/24401935