The Impact And Severity Of The Joplin, Missouri Tornado Of 2011
On May 22, 2011, in a small town in Missouri, an EF-5 tornado touched down and devastated the local area of Joplin. Its impacts are still being felt today. With over 160 fatalities and 1,000 injuries, it was the deadliest tornado ever recorded in the U.S. My family owns a small lake house in southern Missouri, about a four-hour drive from my hometown of Kansas City. We always pass through Joplin on our way down to it. Almost two years after this event, the damage the tornado caused was still clearly visible. I saw Rubble, remnants, buildings, and other debris that was still scattered for miles in the area. I was still young at the time so seeing how deadly and destructive nature could be truly shocked me.
As for the development of the tornado itself, senior forecaster Andy Foster was one of the first to be alarmed at the air pressure, wind patterns, and moisture levels he was tracking. Violent storms are nothing out of the ordinary for springtime in the Midwest. There are constantly numbers of thunderstorms, more mild tornadoes, and heavy hail that strike the area. However, the readings Foster had taken soon before the tragedy struck were astonishing. There is still much for experts to learn about tornadoes, but from the extensive research already done they were able to track the path and formation of this particular one. The storm system itself began slowly. It made its way down the Pacific Coast and eventually through the California highlands and over the Rocky Mountains. Once it reached the central plains, the violent weather began. The very beginning, however, can be traced all the way back to Alaska. It was unusually chilly one day, and the moist air which was rising, cooling, and condensing was the first indications of the disaster that was soon to strike Joplin.
Tornadoes themselves have interesting ways of coming to be. Due to the earth being round, heat from the sun is distributed unevenly. Hence the hot equator and freezing poles. Because cold air has a greater downforce than warm air, pressure is higher at said poles. Eventually these parcels of air meet in mid latitudes such as the Midwest portion of the United States. The jet stream is a kind of “river of air” four to eight miles above the surface of the earth. Occasionally, this jet stream will move and create troughs, allowing warm air in and creating areas of low pressure. This is why the Midwest is at such a dangerous point. It is in the perfect place for these troughs to form and for both the warm air from places closer to the equator and colder places closer to the poles to meet and collide. In the case of the Midwest, the nearby mountains act as a sort of ramp for masses of air that approach the east, shooting them upwards and inevitably causing disastrous weather.
The EF (Enhanced Fujita) Scale of the Joplin tornado, which started to be used early 2007, rates the severity of tornadoes based on wind speeds and related damage with a scale ranging from EF0 to EF5. The Joplin tornado was scaled at an EF-5, which consists of winds greater than 200 mph, and incredible damage. The residents had an extremely small window to become prepared, with a warning about 20 minutes before the storm itself hit. However, the amount of support and assistance the locals have received was and is still astounding. Groups all across the Midwest came to help the victims, such as United Way, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, Greater Ozarks Red Cross, among many others. They community of Joplin is still in need of assistance and there are still many ways to donate and help the victims who were hit so hard by this natural disaster.
Since the tornado, more research has been done and in the future forecasters will be better able to predict and prepare for such an event.
