Tornado devastation in Joplin, MO

On Monday, Valerie drove us to Joplin MO to see the devastation caused by the recent Tornado. The sight was very sobering.

Some things of interest: #3, notice what happened to the backstop of the ball field across from the high school;

#4 Holden is inspecting items remaining from our Stakehouse that was destroyed. This site was one of the early places that had been totally cleaned-up.

In the background is the high school. Notice the American flag flying in the breeze at half-mast from the school. There were hundreds on American flags at many sites, sort of like the flags that appeared at the WTC site after 9-11. I guess flags have taken on a meaning of "we shall persevere" at places of disaster and death.

#5 Closer view of the high school. One of the miraculous things that happened was that the high school graduation ceremony was being held just about the time that the tornado hit. But for the first time, it was not at the school, but some place else that was out of the tornado area.

#6 In addition to losing branches, etc., trees were stripped of all of their leaves. Notice the one tree in the left foreground that now is bravely trying to grow new branches and leaves.

#8 A stripped strip mall