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At Least 89 Dead in Joplin as Tornado Shreds Town

'75% of Joplin is gone', says Red Cross rep of Missouri town

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted May 23, 2011 1:19 AM CDT | Updated May 23, 2011 7:49 AM CDT

(Newser) – The latest savage slash of US tornadoes ripped up the Midwest last night, flattening the town of Joplin, Missouri. At least 89 are dead, and that number is expected to rise. "I would say 75% of Joplin is virtually gone," said a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross after a tornado tore a 4-mile swath through the heart of town. Homes and other buildings were crushed, and power lines and trees toppled. "Vehicles were picked up and thrown into houses," said one witness. Medical records and X-rays from the hard-hit Joplin Regional Medical Center were discovered nearly 70 miles away, littering people's driveways, reports CNN.

Missouri's governor has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, according to ABC News, and there is fear that broken gas lines could lead to explosions. The tornado was part of a string that descended from a severe weather front extending from Texas close to the Canadian border that also blew off roofs and snapped trees in Minnesota's twin cities and the Wisconsin town of LaCrosse. A Minneapolis man was killed when a tree fell on his minivan, reports Reuters. "We could hear doors busting open through the house," said one homeowner. "There was a lot of commotion, and then it was silent." Last month's death toll from a series of tornadoes in the South stands at 339, the second worst in US history.

Residents begin digging through the rubble of their home after it was destroyed by a tornado that hit Joplin, Mo., last night.
Residents begin digging through the rubble of their home after it was destroyed by a tornado that hit Joplin, Mo., last night.   (AP Photo/Mike Gullett)
A man walks past destroyed vehicles in the parking lot of the Joplin Regional Medical Center in Joplin after a tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.
A man walks past destroyed vehicles in the parking lot of the Joplin Regional Medical Center in Joplin after a tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.   (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
People pass the Joplin Regional Medical Center after it sustained a direct hit from a tornado.
People pass the Joplin Regional Medical Center after it sustained a direct hit from a tornado.   (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A man carries a young girl who was rescued after being trapped with her mother in their Joplin home that was flattened by a tornado.
A man carries a young girl who was rescued after being trapped with her mother in their Joplin home that was flattened by a tornado.   (AP Photo/Mike Gullett)
An emergency worker searches a Walmart store severely damaged by the Joplin tornado.
An emergency worker searches a Walmart store severely damaged by the Joplin tornado.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Emergency personnel walk through a battered neighborhood near the Joplin Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo.
Emergency personnel walk through a battered neighborhood near the Joplin Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo.   (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Residents of Joplin, Mo, survey the damage after a tornado hit the city on Sunday, May 22, 2011. The tornado tore a path a mile wide and four miles long destroying homes and businesses.
Residents of Joplin, Mo, survey the damage after a tornado hit the city on Sunday, May 22, 2011. The tornado tore a path a mile wide and four miles long destroying homes and businesses.   (AP Photo/Mike Gullett)
An emergency worker searches a Walmart store that was severely damaged by a tornado in Joplin, Mo., Monday, May 22, 2011. A large tornado moved through much of the city Sunday, damaging a hospital and hundreds of homes and businesses.
An emergency worker searches a Walmart store that was severely damaged by a tornado in Joplin, Mo., Monday, May 22, 2011. A large tornado moved through much of the city Sunday, damaging a hospital and...   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Emergency workers wait for a medical team after finding a body in a tornado ravaged car in Joplin, Mo., Monday, May 23, 2011.
Emergency workers wait for a medical team after finding a body in a tornado ravaged car in Joplin, Mo., Monday, May 23, 2011.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Emergency workers wait for a medical team after finding a body in a tornado ravaged car in Joplin, Mo., Monday, May 23, 2011.
Emergency workers wait for a medical team after finding a body in a tornado ravaged car in Joplin, Mo., Monday, May 23, 2011.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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Showing 3 of 7 comments
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zdaydream
May 23, 2011 9:28 AM CDT
My wife's niece/husband live in Joplin, MO.  I understand that it came in town at 20th street.  They live on 18th St.  They were spared.  They are just devastated by all the damage.  Please pray for the people of Joplin, MO. <:-)
Jes
May 23, 2011 8:09 AM CDT
8% found this story hilarious. I know they are just trolling, but after spending two hours searching for my friend's bodies in the rubble of the plaza apartments, after seing nothing but shattered bricks and a burst water main where I used to work, I'm easy troll bait I suppose.
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Minneapolis • tornado • Minnesota • Missouri • Midwest tornadoes • Joplin tornado • LaCrosse, Wisconsin

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