Image (click to enlarge): Joplin tornado track, May 22, 2011, from National Weather Service. The numbers in the triangles represent Enhanced Fujita (EF) tornado intensity levels. For an interactive version of the Google map, click here.
Video (click to play): Driving tour of the Joplin tornado path, from CNN
June 10 Update: The death toll from the Joplin tornado was increased to 151 today.
Original post:
The National Weather Service late Sunday afternoon updated its report on the deadly Joplin tornado of May 22 based on surveys carried out in the past week:
* DATE...22 MAY 2011
* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-5
* ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...IN EXCESS OF 200 MPH
* ESTIMATED PATH WIDTH...3/4 MILE
* ESTIMATED PATH LENGTH...13.8 MILES
* FATALITIES...130+
* INJURIES...750+
THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN ONE HALF MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE
INTERSECTION OF JJ HIGHWAY AND NEWTON ROAD. SEVERAL LARGE TREES
WERE TOPPLED.
THE TORNADO RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED AS IT MOVED TOWARD THE INTERSECTION
OF COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE AND 32ND STREET. DAMAGE BECAME MORE WIDESPREAD AS
THE TORNADO CROSSED MAIDEN LANE...CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO
NEARLY ALL WINDOWS ON THREE SIDES OF ST JOHNS HOSPITAL AS WELL AS TO
THE ROOF. THE TORNADO FURTHER INTENSIFIED AS IT DESTROYED NUMEROUS
HOMES AND BUSINESSES TO THE EAST AND NORTH OF THE HOSPITAL. A
CHURCH SCHOOL HAD ALL BUT A PORTION OF ITS EXTERIOR WALLS DESTROYED.
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A NURSING HOME WAS ALSO NOTED IN THIS AREA.
THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO DESTROY OVER 100 HOMES BETWEEN 32ND AND
20TH STREETS. THREE STORY APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAD THE TOP TWO FLOORS
REMOVED...OTHER TWO STORY COMPLEXES WERE PARTIALLY LEVELED. A BANK
WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VAULT. A DILLONS
GROCERY STORE ALSO HAD SIGNIFICANT ROOF AND EXTERIOR WALL DAMAGE.
LASTLY...THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR WALLS OF A TECHNICAL SCHOOL...A
MORTAR AND REBAR REINFORCED CINDER BLOCK BUILDING...FAILED.
THE TORNADO CROSSED RANGELINE ROAD NEAR 20TH STREET. THE MOST
INTENSE DAMAGE WAS NOTED JUST EAST OF THIS INTERSECTION WHERE A HOME
DEPOT WAS DESTROYED. IN ADDITION...THE CUMMINS BUILDING...A CONCRETE
BLOCK AND HEAVY STEEL BUILDING...HAD ITS STEEL ROOF BEAMS COLLAPSE.
SPORTS ACADEMY AND THE WALMART ALSO SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO MOVE EASTWARD ALONG AND SOUTH OF 20TH
STREET DESTROYING NUMEROUS WAREHOUSE STYLE FACILITIES AND RESIDENCES
THROUGH DUQUESNE ROAD.
THE TORNADO CONTINUED DESTROYING NUMEROUS HOMES BEFORE WEAKENING AS
IT TURNED SOUTHEAST TOWARD INTERSTATE 44. THE DAMAGE PATH CONTINUED
SOUTHEAST FROM JOPLIN TO APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF DIAMOND.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment