Video showing extensive damage at St. John’s Regional Medical Center — especially to cars in the parking lot as camera follow’s The Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes.
A fatal tornado with a preliminary rating of EF4 or higher struck Joplin, Missouri shortly before 6:00 p.m. CDT Sunday.
Damage Reports from the scene …
Joplin St. John’sRegional Medical Center
Nine-story building struck by tornado with hundreds of windows destroyed, incapacitating the facility and prompting evacuation to other medical facilities.
Glass facade at St. John’s Regional Medical Center completely destroyed.
Medical evacuation helicopter crushed, on its side with chopper blades broken.
Twisted metal from buildings and vehicles crushed and overturned in the hospital parking lot.
X-ray films found 70 mile away.
Throughout the City of Joplin
Jasper County emergency management director Keith Stammer estimates 2,000 buildings were damaged. Residential and commercial districts were damaged or destroyed.
Tornado, ranging in width from one-half mile to three-quarters of a mile wide, traveled six miles from the city’s west side to the southeast side.
Roads impassable with Interstate 44 showing significant damage where 20 cars and tractor-trailers were overturned and most road signs were down and destroyed.
10 tractor-trailers reported overturned on Interstate 44 (Joplin, MO is a major trucking center).
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A multi-vortex tornado was reported near 13th and Rangeline Road, where a Walmart and several other buildings were destroyed.
The city of Joplin, MO is being supported by at least 40 public safety agencies from Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.
Watches and Warning map from the National Weather Service … | Convective Outlook …
Tornado probability legend put southwest Missouri in a 10% probability with areas to the northeast at 15% from the convective outlook page from the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. The outlook was valid from May 22, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. CDT until May 22, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. CDT
See the outlook for today …Day 1 Convective Outlook …
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The highest probability for tornadoes that was reported by the Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlook report to be just northeast of Joplin, Missouri. The 15% probability area was located in northeast Missouri. Joplin and southwest Missouri was in a 10% probability area.
Press release from Mercy
10:00 p.m. SUNDAY — Mercy’s hospital in Joplin (St. John’s Regional Medical Center) was hit by an apparent tornado earlier this evening and sustained extensive damage, precipitating a full evacuation. It is unknown at this time the extent of injuries. St. John’s Hospital in Springfield has set up an incident command center and is deploying resources, including ambulances, air ambulances and other medical necessities. At the current time, law enforcement is asking those in Joplin to please avoid coming near the hospital. A triage center has been set up at Memorial Hall at 212 W. 8th Street in Joplin.
10:30 p.m. SUNDAY — St. John’s Regional Medical Center has been fully evacuated and patients are being treated at multiple places throughout the region, including Springfield. St. John’s Joplin had 183 patients in the hospital at the time of the tornado.
NWS TORNADO REPORTS FOR JOPLIN, MISSOURI SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TORNADO ON THE GROUND WEST OF JOPIN AND POWER FLASHES IN JOPLIN, MISSOURI.
22ND AND BLACKCAT RD NEIGHBOHOOD MASSIVE DAMAGE BEING REPORTED TO HOUSES AND TREES WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED IN DEBRIS IN JOPLIN, MISSOURI.
MULTIVORTEX TORNADO REPORTED NEAR 13TH AND RANGELINE RD. REPORTS OF DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS TREES AND HOUSES IN JOPLIN, MISSOURI.
SEMITRUCKS AND CARS FLIPPED OFF I-44. ALL INTERSTATE SIGNS GONE AND DAMAGED IN JOPLINE, MISSOURI.
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Satellite map of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri.