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'Tornado tourism' stirs anger in Joplin
JOPLIN, Mo. — Eight months after a tornado laid waste to much of this city, Joplin is wrestling with an emotional question: Should the community market its devastated neighborhoods to tourists? ... Read more

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 |

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Tornado tears through Joplin

After the Disaster photo blog

Blog: After the Disaster

Memories of devastation will linger

Today was my last day helping in Joplin before returning to St. Joseph and the News-Press. I leave here feeling glad I spent two days helping but wishing there was more I could do. ... Read more

Cruising Joplin, looking to help out

Tornado cut wide path through Joplin

Tornado No. 2 misses Joplin

Joplin mayor: 'Storm won't kick our ass'

More After the Disaster »»

Joplin voters approve school rebuilding plan

JOPLIN, Mo. — Voters in Joplin appear to have approved the largest bond issue in town history, a $62 million bond issue to rebuild or replace schools damaged or destroyed in last May's tornado. ... Read more

Joplin unveils tornado anniversary plans

JOPLIN, Mo. — A community walk through Joplin's tornado-ravaged neighborhoods will mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly May 22 tornado. ... Read more

Joplin builders clash over home sizes, values

JOPLIN, Mo. — The size and value of homes being built in tornado-ravaged sections of Joplin are causing contention between some builders and homeowners, but city officials say they can do little to mediate the disputes. ... Read more

Joplin tornado zone has mail delivery problem

JOPLIN, Mo. — A decision by the U.S. Postal Service to stop door or porch delivery of mail in the parts of Joplin most severely damaged in last year's tornado has drawn complaints from residents and a grievance by union postal workers. ... Read more

Obama to deliver commencement address in Joplin

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will speak at the high school graduation ceremony in Joplin, the Missouri city slowly recovering after being struck by a devastating tornado a year ago. ... Read more

Joplin service groups still facing huge demand

JOPLIN, Mo. — The United Way of Southwest Missouri & Southeast Kansas is facing a significant shortfall in funds available for service agencies in the Joplin area that are scrambling to meet increased demand arising from the deadly May 22 tornado, despite a successful fundraising campaign. ... Read more

Some Joplin residents wonder where donations went

JOPLIN, Mo. — Some Joplin residents say the school district's request for a $62 million bond issue this spring has raised questions about millions of dollars in donations received after five schools were destroyed and several others damaged in last May's devastating tornado. ... Read more

Joplin schools to put $62M bond to vote

JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin residents will vote on a $62 million bond issue to rebuild schools destroyed by a May 22 tornado. ... Read more

Demolition to begin Sunday at Joplin hospital

JOPLIN, Mo. — Perhaps the most well-known and obvious reminder of the tornado that devastated Joplin in May is about to come down. ... Read more

Joplin leaders endorse recovery plan

JOPLIN, Mo. — Community leaders in Joplin have resoundingly endorsed a long-term tornado recovery plan they hope will serve as a national example for other disaster-ravaged areas. ... Read more

Report: Joplin might not have debt from tornado

Joplin rolls out tornado recovery plan

JOPLIN, Mo. — A citizens' group charged with leading Joplin's tornado recovery efforts wants the city to create four new business districts and hire a "master developer" who would oversee the rebuilding plan. ... Read more

Missouri receives more disaster recovery money

JOPLIN, Mo. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing $20 million to help rebuild a Joplin hospital that took a direct hit from a deadly May 22 tornado. ... Read more

Insurers pay out $1.13B for Joplin tornado damage

JOPLIN, Mo. — Insurance companies have paid out $1.13 billion in claims from the Joplin tornado, and that's expected to climb to as much as $1.9 billion, the state's insurance department director said. ... Read more

Joplin building permits setting records

JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin is building at a record pace after the town was devastated by a tornado in May, and city officials said they expect the activity to continue into next year. ... Read more

Kinder: Wages could limit Joplin rebuilding effort

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri's housing agency should roll back its wage requirements for construction workers in the Joplin area in order to finance more of the new houses and apartments needed after last spring's deadly tornado, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder said Monday. ... Read more

Missouri disaster bill at $15M so far

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri has spent about $15 million so far this year responding to natural disasters such as the deadly Joplin tornado and flooding along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. ... Read more

Joplin now faces lead worries too

JOPLIN, Mo. — The May tornado that killed 162 people and destroyed more than 7,000 homes in Joplin left the city with a lead contamination problem that could cost up to $7.5 million to clean up. ... Read more

Insurer will pay 'miracle' Joplin survivor

ST. LOUIS — Mark Lindquist, whose against-the-odds story of survival and heroism in the Joplin tornado touched people around the world, got some good news Monday: The insurance company that initially denied his medical claim has agreed to pay. ... Read more

Helping with ‘makeover’

With eager hands and anxious hearts, two St. Joseph women are taking to the road to help seven families in Joplin, Mo., with their own road to recovery. ... Read more

Makeover show begins Joplin builds

JOPLIN, Mo. — ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is in Joplin, building a dream home for not just one family, but for seven. ... Read more

Thieves hit Joplin recovery center

JOPLIN, Mo. — The directors of a Joplin disaster resource center say rumors that the center is closing are not true. ... Read more

Joplin rebuild involves 7 homes in 7 days

JOPLIN, Mo. — Hundreds of people turned out to rally for a plan to rebuild seven Joplin homes in seven days with the help of the television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." ... Read more

Joplin approves school rebuilding plan

JOPLIN, Mo. — If all goes as planned, the five Joplin schools destroyed by a tornado in May will be rebuilt and open for students by August 2014 under a tentative timeline approved by the Joplin Board of Education. ... Read more

House kills spending bill with disaster aid

WASHINGTON — In a rebuke to GOP leaders, the House on Wednesday rejected a measure providing $3.7 billion for disaster relief as part of a bill to keep the government running through mid-November. ... Read more

Report: Many in Joplin ignored first warnings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many Joplin, Mo., residents either ignored or were slow to react to the first warning sirens about a massive and deadly tornado this spring, partially because of years of false alarms, the government said Tuesday. ... Read more

Senate Democrats boost disaster aid

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats unveiled legislation Tuesday providing $6 billion in new disaster aid to help both victims of Hurricane Irene and past disasters dating to Hurricane Katrina. ... Read more

Nixon seeks details on FEMA funding freeze

ST. LOUIS — Disaster-struck communities counting on federal aid for recovery need to know which rebuilding projects will be delayed as money is shifted to other parts of the country, Missouri's governor told the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday. ... Read more

Joplin tornado to cost insurance $2.2B

JOPLIN, Mo. — The tornado that devastated Joplin in May is expected to cost insurance companies about $2.2 billion. ... Read more

Some FEMA money for Joplin on hold

ST. LOUIS — The federal government has frozen some future aid to tornado-ravaged Joplin and other disaster sites as it focuses on immediate help for victims of Hurricane Irene, drawing concern from some lawmakers. ... Read more

Joplin's July building permits total $51.7M

JOPLIN, Mo. — Rebuilding from the devastating tornado in Joplin apparently has begun in earnest. ... Read more

Nixon calls special session for Sept. 6

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon set an expansive agenda Monday for a special legislative session to begin Sept. 6. ... Read more

Nixon pledges home-rebuilding aid in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon outlined plans Tuesday to allot $122 million in state and federal aid to rebuild homes hit by a devastating tornado in Joplin. ... Read more

Joplin goes back to school

JOPLIN, Mo. — The trophy case by the front entrance is nearly empty. Classroom walls are largely bare, and unopened boxes of textbooks, computer monitors and other equipment remain scattered throughout the building. ... Read more

Many ideas proposed for Joplin rebuilding

JOPLIN, Mo. — A vision for what Joplin and Duquesne should look like after rebuilding from the devastating May 22 tornado has begun to emerge from comments gathered at two public hearings organized by an advisory team leading the rebuilding effort. ... Read more

Nixon announces $2M grant for Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri is allocating $2 million for a trauma center in Joplin that will provide mental health services for children and families affected by the May tornado. ... Read more

Nixon pledges $100M more for disaster aid

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon pledged an additional $100 million in state disaster aid Friday following a deadly tornado in Joplin and continued flooding across the state. ... Read more

Lessons from the rubble

Once the dust settled, they knew what they had to do. ... Read more

Joplin seeking to expedite debris removal

JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin residents whose homes were destroyed in the May 22 tornado are being urged to make provisions to clear debris or face a nuisance declaration. ... Read more

Most Joplin tornado deaths were in homes

JOPLIN, Mo. — More victims of last month's tornado in Joplin died in their homes than anywhere else, prompting discussions about how far city officials can go in improving the safety of residences. ... Read more

FEMA to set up housing park in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — Federal officials have decided to use land near the Joplin Regional Airport to build a mobile home park to house some of those who lost their homes in the May 22 tornado. ... Read more

Joplin council halts some rebuilding

JOPLIN, Mo. — Despite fears that it will force some residents to move away, the Joplin City Council has placed a 60-day hold on issuing new building permits for property owners whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the May 22 tornado. ... Read more

Joplin death toll reaches 155

JOPLIN, Mo. — The death toll from the May 22 tornado that devastated Joplin has risen to 155. ... Read more

3 Kansas firefighters fired over alleged looting

BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. — Baxter Springs Mayor Jenifer Bingham says three of the city's firefighters have been fired and the chief put on administrative leave over alleged looting in Joplin the night of the May 22 tornado. ... Read more

900 pets still homeless in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — Hundreds of dogs and cats peer out from their cages at the Joplin Humane Society, some with cuts, infections and broken bones from the deadly tornado that turned their lives, like of those their owners, upside down. ... Read more

Children's center to open in Joplin

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri is providing money to open a children's trauma center in Joplin to aid youths coping with behavioral and mental health issues following the city's devastating tornado strike. ... Read more

FEMA trailers headed to Joplin

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency says temporary housing units for Joplin will be ready soon. ... Read more

Summer school starts in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — It's not often that students and teachers are happy that summer school has started. ... Read more

Area donates nearly $250,000 for Joplin relief

The Northwest Missouri area has contributed nearly $250,000 in disaster relief for victims of the tornado in Joplin, Mo. ... Read more

Joplin tornado death toll at 153

JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin city officials say two more fatalities have been reported from the tornado that devastated the southwest Missouri city last month. ... Read more

Joplin students to attend school at mall

JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin High School juniors and seniors will attend school at a city mall beginning next fall. ... Read more

Cat lives 16 days under tornado rubble

JOPLIN, Mo. — Terrla and J.E. Cruse had been back to the rubble that remained of their house in Joplin many times since the May 22 tornado destroyed it. ... Read more

Housing in high demand in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — The tornado that smashed Joplin on May 22 turned the city's housing market upside down. ... Read more

Hospital has tentative rebuilding plans

JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin hospital destroyed by a May 22 tornado has set an ambitious goal of having a site and plan for a new hospital ready for review by its board of directors in December. ... Read more

Missouri opens recovery center in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — State government is opening a facility in Joplin to help with the southwest Missouri city's recovery from a deadly tornado last month. ... Read more

Damage estimate to Joplin schools at $151M

JOPLIN, Mo. — The estimated cost of repairing or replacing tornado-damaged schools in the Joplin School District has climbed to $151 million. ... Read more

Officer hit by lightning after Joplin tornado dies

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Missouri police officer who was struck by lightning while helping with rescues after a massive tornado ripped through Joplin has died. ... Read more

NASCAR's McMurray returns to Joplin

NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray returned to his boyhood home — or at least to the spot where it used to stand. Like much of tornado-ravaged Joplin, it didn't look anything like the place where he grew up. ... Read more

Joplin tornado death toll now 138

JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri officials say the death toll from the massive May 22 Joplin tornado has risen to 138 people. ... Read more

134 confirmed dead after Joplin tornado

JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri officials say everyone who had been reported missing since last week's massive Joplin tornado has been accounted for and at least 134 people have been confirmed killed. ... Read more

Rebuilding begins in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — Home Depot employees in orange vests were busy helping customers Tuesday in the parking lot of the Joplin store flattened just nine days ago by a tornado. ... Read more

Feds to pay 90% of Joplin cleanup costs

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says the federal government has agreed to pay a greater-than-usual share of the cleanup costs from a deadly tornado that struck Joplin. ... Read more

Obama tours tornado-ravaged Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — Face to face with the legions of homeless and the bereaved, President Barack Obama on Sunday toured the apocalyptic landscape left by Missouri's killer tornado, consoled the community and committed the government to helping rebuild shattered lives. ... Read more

Continuing to help

The Midland Empire continues to assist tornado victims in Jasper County after a deadly tornado ripped through Joplin, Mo., on Sunday. ... Read more

Economy will weather disasters, experts say

WASHINGTON — The tornadoes and floods that have devastated parts of the South and Midwest have also hammered the local economies — flooding farmlands, suspending factory work and disrupting energy production. ... Read more

Joplin death toll rises to 132

JOPLIN, Mo. — Friends and family paid tribute to victims of the Joplin tornado on Friday, beginning the grim task of burying the dead as officials said the savage storm's death toll had risen to 132 people. ... Read more

Nixon sets aside $25M for Joplin aid

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday committed $25 million from next year's state budget to help pay for immediate costs from the deadly tornado in Joplin. ... Read more

Tornado shows problem with state Rainy Day Fund

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri has a $500 million reserve fund that can be tapped for disasters such as the deadly tornado that devastated Joplin or the floods that inundated southeast Missouri. But when tragedies coincide with tight times, the Rainy Day Fund can become almost impractical to use. ... Read more

Road maps for rebuilding

JOPLIN, Mo. — Less than a week after one of the nation's deadliest tornadoes wiped a big chunk of Joplin off the map, the city is beginning to shift its focus toward the next challenge: rising from the ruins. ... Read more

Search finds few missing amid debris

JOPLIN, Mo. — Mike Hare has scoured the ravaged neighborhood where his 16-year-old son Lantz was seen last. He's called hospitals from Dallas to Kansas City and taken dozens of calls offering advice, prayers and hopeful tips. ... Read more

Some of Joplin's missing turn up safe

JOPLIN, Mo. — As emergency workers in Joplin searched Thursday for more than 230 people listed as missing after a tornado tore through the city, one was sitting on a wooden chair outside the wreckage of her home, cuddling her cat. ... Read more

Kansas City pro teams pitch in for tornado victims

KANSAS CITY — Clark Hunt — billionaire, son of privilege, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs — hoisted a heavy case of bottled water off the bed of a pickup and carried it toward a waiting pallet. ... Read more

Sheriff’s deputies head to Joplin

Local law enforcement officials loaded their vehicles and headed more than 200 miles south to the tornado-ravaged city of Joplin, Mo., on Wednesday. ... Read more

By the numbers: 2011 tornado season

Figures about the tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., on Sunday and the 2011 tornado season. All "record" statistics represent the official record of the National Weather Service, which covers 1950 to present day. ... Read more

Still looking for survivors

JOPLIN, Mo. — Rescue and recovery work in Joplin was shadowed by uncertainty Wednesday as crews still hoping to find survivors combed areas that had already been searched several times and engineers entered the battered Joplin hospital where the tornado killed five to see if it could be salvaged. ... Read more

Race against the clock in Joplin

Emergency crews drilled through concrete at a ruined Home Depot, making peepholes in the rubble in hopes of finding lost shoppers and employees. ... Read more

Local Red Cross volunteers help out

“It looks like an atomic bomb went off. I’ve never seen anything like it.” ... Read more

Chiefs gathering aid for tornado victims

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are collecting bottled water and contributing $35,000 to assist victims of devastating tornadoes in Reading, Kan., and Joplin, Mo. ... Read more

KCP&L, city send help to Joplin

Workers from the city of St. Joseph and Kansas City Power & Light are headed to Joplin, Mo., to assist with cleanup and repairs in the aftermath of Sunday’s devastating tornado. ... Read more

Death toll rises to 116 in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — Rescue crews dug through piles of splintered houses and crushed cars Monday in a search for victims of a tornado that blasted much of this Missouri town off the map and slammed straight into its hospital. ... Read more

Former resident shocked by devastation

More than 200 miles away in St. Joseph, a former resident of Joplin, Mo., watches the national news in disbelief. ... Read more

Area agencies lend helping hand to tornado victims

Volunteers from all over Northwest Missouri are coming to aid their southern neighbors. ... Read more

Storm’s impact felt locally

Sunday’s devastating tornado in Joplin, Mo., hit close to home for some local businesses. ... Read more

Federal response promised for Joplin

Federal authorities have promised their help and sent forth sympathies to Joplin, the site of a destructive and fatal tornado on Sunday night. ... Read more

Tornado survivors recall narrow escapes

JOPLIN, Mo. — Rod Pace, manager of the Med Flight helicopter service at St. John's Regional Medical Center, had just finished payroll paperwork Sunday evening when he decided to stay an extra 15 to 20 minutes to let the menacing weather pass. ... Read more

Missouri American Water hit hard

Around 12 to 15 Missouri American Water workers arrived at daybreak Monday to help their co-workers in Joplin, Mo. ... Read more

Local volunteers head to Joplin

Volunteers from all over northwest Missouri will travel to Joplin, Mo., to assist with disaster operations Monday. ... Read more

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Missing persons list

American Red Cross website

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