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Joplin, MO — Two years ago this week, another EF5 twister hit the Midwest. The storm killed more than 160 people in Joplin, Mo., and decimated much of the inner part of the city.
On this anniversary, KSL-TV asked our own Lori Prichard, who grew up in Joplin — whose family still lives there, whose history is woven into the fabric of that community— to take a look at the task of rebuilding.
In the last few days, there have been many comparisons between the tornadoes in Moore, Okla., and Joplin, Mo.
Still, there was so much damage — six miles long, nearly a mile wide I didn't even recognize the streets I thought I knew from memory.
–KSL-TV's Lori Prichard
They were both EF5s, leveled thousands of buildings and require billions of dollars in clean up.
But the similarities end there, at least for now.
Joplin residents have had two years — two long years — to clean up the mess that was left behind. And the gaping hole that was once a vibrant community is beginning to shine once again.
Amazingly, all 15 people who rode out the Joplin tornado in a convenience store cooler somehow survived.
"Still, there was so much damage — six miles long, nearly a mile wide I didn't even recognize the streets I thought I knew from memory," Prichard said.
"Tossed as if it were meaningless, this a home once sat across from a tree-lined park," Prichard said, describing the destruction. "The park where I used to spend my summers working at a day camp (is) now not safe for any child to play."
The task of cleaning up seemed almost insurmountable. Where to begin?
But yet, Joplin residents with the help of so many others who spent their vacations, days off work, spare time to drive to this small Midwestern city — all together, they began to rebuild.
There is progress now as neighborhoods rebuild. The neighborhood parks draw the children back to play. The majestic oak, maple and walnut trees may no longer stand towering over the landscape, but more than 7,000 trees have been replanted to replace the 20,000 lost. Eighty percent of homes and businesses have been rebuilt.
Wednesday, Joplin residents paused to remember the moment at 5:41 pm when the rain-wrapped tornado hit. The fear, the loss, the heartbreak were remembered for only a moment. Then, it's back to rebuilding what was lost.
There is still a lot to do. To help with that, Joplin officials just announced the city will receive another $20 million from the federal government to help.
