Today marks the first anniversary of the tornado that ravaged Joplin, Mo.
The mile-wide twister killed 161 people, injured more than 1,000, and destroyed nearly 8,000 homes and businesses. It remains the worst tornado to hit the U.S. in 60 years, and is without a doubt the worst disaster to befall a Route 66 city.
CBS News posted this interesting video from yesterday:
You may recognize the featured graduating teenager and tornado survivor, Quinton Anderson. He’s the one who appeared in ESPN’s much-praised episode of “Outside the Lines” a few months ago:
A few days ago, surveillance video was posted online of the emergency room reception area at St. John’s Medical Center in Joplin when it took a direct hit from the tornado. It’s breathtaking:
And the Springfield News-Leader posted these before-and-after images of Joplin cleanup efforts.
More remembrance ceremonies are being held in Joplin as we speak. Head over to the Joplin Globe newspaper for ongoing coverage.