The death toll from Sunday’s tornado in Joplin, Mo., has risen to 139 as of Saturday morning, according to the Joplin Globe.
(Incidentally, the Globe’s coverage of the disaster has been stellar, even though a substantial number of staffers have been directly affected, including a copy editor who was killed in the storm.)
A memorial service on Sunday in Joplin will feature Gov. Jay Nixon and President Obama. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Taylor Performing Arts Center at Missouri Southern State University, and the public is invited. Two pastors who will lead the event saw their churches destroyed by the storm.
Gov. Nixon also announced Sunday will be an official state day of prayer and remembrance for the Joplin. Both the U.S. flag and the one for Missouri will fly at half-mast on government buildings in Missouri.
— One of the most harrowing and inspiring stories from the tornado came from Kevin Kikta, an emergency room doctor at St. John’s Regional Medical Center, which took a direct hit from the storm. KMOV-TV in St. Louis got the story.
— This interactive graphic from the Los Angeles Times shows the before-and-after satellite photos of the area around Joplin High School.
— Here’s a sign that rebuilding already has started in Joplin.
— Local officials have reiterated that cash to established relief charities is most needed for recovery efforts now. That would mean the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. And the Joplin Tornado Recovery page on Facebook continues to be invaluable.
— Finally, here’s a remarkable story from The Windsor Star in Canada. A pair of local bikers on a Route 66 vacation just missed the Joplin tornado by about 10 minutes. Here’s where the story gets freaky:
But a day and a half before entering Joplin, Pascoe said he and Reaume met a group of Christian bikers in Illinois, whose blessing stuck with him.
“He said it right in the wording,” Pascoe said of the rider who blessed the pair. “‘If there’s anything down the road that’s really catastrophic or terrifying for these guys, make it so they leave 15 minutes early or 15 minutes later so they miss it.'” […]
Pascoe, who said he’s spiritual but not religious, said the experience left him rattled. “Goosebumps three feet tall …. We need to be debriefed about a miracle.”
UPDATE: Joplin’s death toll from the tornado had risen to 142 as of Saturday afternoon, reported the Globe.
— This thoughtful New York Times story asks whether something has gone wrong, after hundreds died from tornadoes in Missouri and Alabama this spring. I submit it’s difficult to keep the death toll low when an extraordinarily powerful F5 tornado strikes a densely populated area, such as it did with Joplin and Tuscaloosa. Experts also should ask themselves what they did right.
UPDATE 5/29/2011: The Joplin Globe’s collection of stories of those who survived the tornado is just staggering.
— Joplin has issued rules for debris removal. I can guarantee that 10 feet of space in front of the curb isn’t going to be enough for some neighborhoods.
— A site called RebuildJoplin.org has been launched today to help tornado victims or direct people who want to help.
— Here’s a report from AP about the memorial service, which included speeches by Gov. Jay Nixon and President Obama.
Compared to the May 3, 1999 outbreak in Oklahoma that had less than 60 deaths, the proper question should be, What makes them different?
Okc was about the same time and on a workday, I believe. It was an F5, on the ground longer and went through a more populated area. Why fewer deaths?
Actually, Dwayne, the OKC tornado didn’t strike until after 7 p.m. A lot of people in Joplin at 5:30 were either going home from work or leaving a graduation ceremony.
And, if I had to hazard another guess on why the death toll in Moore, Okla., was lower, it’s because Moore is more affluent and therefore residents live in better-built houses. Joplin residents’ average income is $10,000 a year less than Moore’s.