Joplin Tornado: East Middle School Surveillance Footage

Surveillance footage captured by the Joplin School District shows the May 22, 2011, tornado hitting East Middle School.

[@boaater8363]

there was a tornado today and the teachers told us not to talk and one of the 5th graders asked "Why do we have to be quiet if the tornado doesn't have ears" After the tornado he was sent to the office

[@boaater8363]

he is a %100 Savage like if you agree

[@jvyt5020]

StarBlaster4567 bruh lol

[@Pipkiablo]

Obviously tornadoes are deadly predators. They hunt their prey by detecting vibrations in the air from human speech and change their paths accordingly. They also have a taste for trailer parks and idiots with cameras who try to take their picture.

[@christinastatsmann811]

Fallout Pewterschmidt ha!!!

[@vanessamendezrangel4074]

Starlazerz omg I love that pic

[@ANHDFilms]

They got to make the school out of whatever the camera is made out of...

[@GavinJones19982]

And a car that went through the window

[@thewraith9446]

AviationNetworkHD lol

[@marshmallowyay7793]

AviationNetworkHD I'm sad for the ones who had detention

[@creaturebeechx]

No Glory Why? They evacuated the school too😂 You really thought they had to sit there during the tornado when everyone else was already gone because they had detention? Yeah, mhm.

[@Faith-zt6cf]

Hannah Smith Some students in middle school have to do community service as detention. So No Glory meant that they'd have to clean this whole tornado wreckage up in the morning. Pretty funny joke. 😂

[@thesquirrel8214]

you're still coming to school tomorrow

[@justacatdoingrandomstuff.305]

The Squirrel Your probably making a joke, but that wouldn't happen because this happened on graduation :p

[@justinwinsbro7770]

And I think they made a whole movie about this tornado

[@oliviadavis8032]

Justin Winsbro they said it was a mix of Joplin and and town in Iowa on the 80s

[@vibrantgleam]

Oh heck no! xD

[@1967buickriviera]

No thanks

[@twoarrows2543]

The low speed of surveillance cameras makes everything look so eerie and ghostly.

[@rightchris]

mark thrasher definitely

[@abandonedchannel8319]

And no sound

[@kevinwise1997]

In particular with the door!

[@epicmaster397]

put it on speed 1.25

[@zombiegirlfanter5569]

That it does.agreed

[@stanleydenning]

I lived in Joplin when this happened. It was an F-5. It missed my house by 4 blocks. It made a path of complete devastation, leaving nothing but foundations and striped trees. The path was seven miles long and, at its widest point, a quarter mile wide. Many lives were lost. Millions of dollars of damage. No video could ever capture the full impact of it. I went out the next morning to do search and rescue. I seen thing that would make you sick. Making stupid comments or making fun of it is Heartless and Cold.

[@Jasmyne444]

I wholeheartedly agree, the damage was devastating and has directly affected hundreds of people...it should not be taken lightly

[@mpk6664]

JT That's the reason people make jokes in the first place

[@KS-cs9sd]

Comic relief. No one (maybe psycholaths) actually finds the death and destruction funny.

[@mrslibertas3977]

I’ve lived through five category 2 and 3 hurricanes in Florida, and they were scary and did a shitload of damage, but they are nothing compared to those EF 4&5 tornados you all get in the Midwest...I’ll take a hurricane over a tornado any day😳

[@Nighthawke70]

Stan, I lived near Joplin and knew the area well. It tore my heart up when I saw the devastation.

[@gantmj]

When the roof/ceiling goes before a glass door, there's a problem.

[@prettyrabbit03aj]

***** lol

[@theweirdfatguy4874]

***** smash proof they don't allow Bulletproof glass in schools

[@Foxontherun2]

***** the ceiling is just made out of foam tiles that cover up all the climate control and electric and steel structure.

[@gantmj]

Foxontherun2 I know, but for the drop ceiling and camera to move, the roof holding it up has to move.

[@Foxontherun2]

actually no , you can make foam ceiling tiles fall out from simply opening a door too fast. changes in pressure make ceiling tiles fall all the time. meaning the inside of the building rapidly changed pressure because windows or doors or walls broke elsewhere.

[@Cryozenix]

Keep in mind the tornado didn’t even hit the school. All of that damage was caused by a simple near miss. You can be miles away from the tornado and still see tornadic winds, which is part of what made this tornado so devastating. It was so much bigger than it looked that we could never see its true scale.

[@Sgtalex-iv6eo]

It was a EF-5 tornado so your talking winds up to 200+ MPH

[@a_ncr_ranger]

@@Sgtalex-iv6eo Well the winds get less and less powerful the further away from the tornado you get, but i think that those winds were EF-4, but i have no bearing of how close the tornado was to the school.

[@nicholechristina9889]

Actually it did hit the high school directly, pull up a map of Joplin the high school- which had to be completely rebuilt bc of the direct hit- is right smack in the middle of the damage path which is still visible today. Zoom in & you can see the absence of trees, yards with little to no grass, no bushes & many empty lots where homes used to be but were completely wiped out by the tornado. Maybe you were thinking of another school or tornado event though, i’m a big tornado nerd & spotter so I somehow have nearly every EF5 date, time, city & fatality toll memorized 🤓 lol

[@tropicalsbigdaddyr53577]

@@nicholechristina9889 yeah, you’re right, but honestly, I could be wrong tornadoes weaken and re-strengthen as they move along, I live in Jackson TN, we’ve had 3 EF4s in the last 22 years. One of our colleges Union University got hit and most of it was completely demolished. We’re talking large 2 and 3 story brick classroom buildings and massive dorm buildings, so I feel like this tornado had weakened Just s bit, or maybe was just hitting one side of the school more than the other

[@nicholechristina9889]

Gxlorp- Too bad trolls like yourself have to make comments like this in a desperate attempt to get some kind of attention since you’re clearly not getting enough in your “tough behind a keyboard” life.

[@letsgocows]

Jeez, every scene I'm like "ugh, that looks scary," thinking it's over. Then it turns apocalyptic.

[@ProudKansan08]

You hear about tornadoes, you hear and see about the damage that's been done, but, it takes actual videos, just like this, to really see the impact, the violence, the total destruction. For me, its hard to visualize until I actually see it. This was just scary. I keep thinking of everyone in Joplin, having to deal with this.

[@littleninja9128]

@@ProudKansan08 I've lived in the Joplin area my whole life, this happened when I was still in school and I remember driving around with my mom where civilians were allowed and able to go afterwards. It's was really jarring, offputting, and terrifying to see the place I had grown up in completely destroyed

[@northroad1]

That last camera from outside has to be some of the best footage inside a direct hit from EF5

[@cyka_delik9537]

That table out there didn't budge

[@mutoreocookie3944]

Cyka_Delik probably bolted to the ground

[@thegoodtomking2804]

If that was actually a direct hit from an EF5 that school wouldn't have been left standing.

[@trace8982]

Jebediah Springfield It wasn’t

[@mrslibertas3977]

northroad1 terrifying.

[@joesmoe71]

The custodian is going to be pissed...

[@ambhurramirez9637]

Andrew Tornadoboy lol true

[@Dirigo207]

+Andrew Tornadoboy I could only imagine the custodian must have finished maybe an hour before that happened. Maybe less. Gotta suck to have all your hard work ruined

[@memesbutme987]

Andrew Tornadoboy lol Soo true

[@liannashangout6701]

Andrew Tornadoboy yep

[@dxwnc]

Andrew Tornadoboy lmao XD

[@Siegmund564]

Into the halls they said its the safest place they said.

[@alexlubbers1589]

Zorca ikr its almost as bad as going outside. halls amplify the winds even more than in normal outdoor conditions, speeding up debris enough for a piece of bark to slice a man in two.

[@lexi2345]

Zorca I'm going to the bathroom bye y'all have fun

[@thorsmarvel1807]

Zorca the bathroom is the safest in some schools

[@johnschwalb]

Zorca they make kids sit in the halls that way all they have to do is fine one and all the rest should be in a line when the building collapses. Also it makes kids feel safer.

[@axon4113]

John Schwalb lol my old school had a underground storm shelter built for hurricanes and all natural disasters.

[@Caksman1027]

The last clip might be the best ever captured footage from inside a strong tornado. Just unreal. That "piece of metal" was a car.

[@Baltimorehop]

All I saw was the headlights whipping around that concrete pillar over and over and over again. That was insane. Hope no one was inside that car. It looked like the core of the tornado was competely over the school at that moment. Incredible!

[@b7grams]

I know that this wasn't obviously their intention, but amazing camera placement too. Seemed to be shielded from the strongest winds and how it was able to stay in place and transmit video for that long is crazy. Demonstrates the true capabilities of certain tornadoes that they can just toss cars aside like a kid with a Hot Wheels car.

[@zanecosgrove4820]

Check out the Clem footage... 84yr old man filming a tornado coming right at him, straight over his house

[@SaleemMajor]

That wasn't a headlight. That was sparks from the metal hitting solid objects.

[@markbunn8576]

At first i didn't think it was a car but at 5:18 you can see the underside of the car when it stops. Looks like it got caught up on those steel/concrete post sticking up out of the ground.

[@SEEYAIAYE]

Love how tornado videos go from "Wow that's pretty windy" to hell on earth in a few seconds. Jesus, imagine living through that.

[@mecon92]

+SEE YAI AYE That was a big storm.

[@SEEYAIAYE]

For you.

[@Chelle8847]

Yeah! I genuinely gasped when it got SO much worse SO quick! It's terrifying

[@SEEYAIAYE]

***** Should look up the incredible video the 82 year old took of one, he was still standing at the upstairs window filming when the tornado hit his house right where he was standing, he got injured pretty badly but both his wife downstairs and his neighbour across the road died.

[@Chelle8847]

SEE YAI AYE okay ill look it up d you know what its called?

[@AllieJane247]

I want a house made out of surveillance cameras. Then my house will be tornado, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, sea bear, everything proof

[@RainbowCharms58]

Or Nokia phones!

[@gtc122]

+BedTheHuman :3 I would feel sorry for the tornado that hits that house. Lol

[@Patrickbaby420]

And a big dirt circle for extra protection against sea bears

[@kayleewatkins2561]

Godbless you for the SpongeBob reference

[@LillaVya]

You won't be FBI proof tho

[@TssCman123]

If you see a bunch of random flashes, especially in the auditorium, it was the fire alarms going off.

[@kore2908]

TssCman123 lmao in the Commons one was on the floor

[@Meow-bc9nk]

@@kore2908 that was the reflection from above

[@plurallydial]

AverageMaddox wind probably knocked a Stopper off or messed with a pull station

[@JasontheFolf]

Tornado: *Happens* Fire alarms: *PANIK*

[@ainsleyviets9874]

Also could have been the tornado alarms. We have those in our school, and they're connected to the city's siren system

[@thedelta7690]

First 40 seconds of the video : Man that school was built tough... Rest of the video : ....... never mind :O .......

[@1djnicholas]

My cousin went to that school everyone was lucky that it was later on so school was out unlike the Moore tornado in Oklahoma, which I lived in Oklahoma in a town close by. It's terrible to see all this damage to it.

[@thedelta7690]

I know. It sucks when tornados hit.

[@Ariana321]

I don't know, I was still thinking the same thing throughout the entire video. Against an EF5, that school held up pretty damn well.

[@thedelta7690]

true

[@clarkdeyoung7870]

Katherine Winyala Except it wasn't an F5 when it hit the school. At least, I don't think it was. If you look a pictures from outside the building you really get an idea of how bad it was, though.

[@mrslibertas3977]

“The tornado ate my homework”.

[@hardrokrulzjj]

Mrs Libertas that’s okay because the tornado also ate the school

[@beanlets]

Mmm. Delicious meat and metal for lunch

[@mehchocolate1257]

@@beanlets was the school empty?

[@kamrynsmart9151]

@@mehchocolate1257 yes

[@s4kur4_873]

I’m pretty sure you copied, from a different tornado video

[@sonnyroy497]

Why don't schools in tornado alley have storm shelters? I'm sure $$$ has something to do with it, but they are our children!

[@leahwhiteley5164]

In some parts of Oklahoma there is rock just under the dirt layer of the land. Basements have to be blasted out of the rock making them very expensive. Some newer homes have a small shelter built under the front porch slab with outside access. If the house collapses it's less likely to block the entrance to the shelter. If you notice TV footage of tornado damage in that area even new subdivision houses are mostly built on slabs.

[@jackdaniels2849]

True but it takes a lot of money and resources

[@jackdaniels2849]

And how tr we gonna fit 500-600 kids depending on the school in a shelter

[@jessicah3450]

In Texas we're on a giant slab of limestone. Same reason they don't build basements here.

[@aquastar7315]

All the schools in our school district are equipped with tornado shelters, all of them capable of fitting 600 students+small communities. All but the two high schools here, which is a disaster waiting to happen...

[@zanderwander5180]

School gets destroyed but a garbage can stays standing ?

[@ldtplayz4963]

I was watching that part and I'm sitting there like the garbage can is a god a car even hit it too lol

[@Deven-Guglielemencci]

Thats one determind garbage can

[@skyemadisyn163]

so many strange things happened during this dont even get me started

[@narukunn5152]

Tell me

[@skyemadisyn163]

For example this one lady's house was in total ruins except for a single section of cabinet where her fine china was left untouched

[@EaterofWorlds-DN]

Those easily have to be the toughest lunch tables ever!!!

[@IdahoRanchGirl]

Yeah I was rooting for that one that was closest to camera. It did really good there for awhile but since footage ended, I'll never get to know the fate of that table.

[@God_of_pain_2.0]

Dam

[@HollowGTX]

It was bolted to the concrete ground obviously lol

[@opo3628]

It makes sense that they'd survive at least the initial winds of the tornado. 1.) Being permanent outdoor tables, they're built to withstand the elements. 2.) They're securely bolted into the concrete.

[@lairdriver]

I wouldn't even want to know how many kids would have been killed had this happened during school season.

[@KermitTheGamer21]

+lairdriver It actually happened on Joplin High School's graduation day, just a half-hour after ceremonies concluded...

[@KermitTheGamer21]

+lairdriver It actually happened on Joplin High School's graduation day, just a half-hour after ceremonies concluded...

[@Vap3king]

Only 151 kids

[@hotwax9376]

+MerryJerry Remarkable that it was that close! I remember hearing a story when it happened about one of the graduates who was killed in the twister.

[@KermitTheGamer21]

***** He had already graduated and was on his way home with his father when he was sucked right out of the car through the sunroof. The tornado hit the high school just a half-hour after the ceremonies ended.

[@Zoomer30]

It really says a lot when you see debris striking sparks off the pavement. That's serious speed. Also the "door camera" shows why you do not want to be in front of a window watching what is going on. At one point (basically the first piece of debris to enter the door area) you see something come through the right hand door window, it looked like it was shot from a chicken gun, probably doing 100 MPH easy. Bear in mind, that piece of debr also went through the front door window. Anyone one standing there would have been very seriously injured.

[@EphemeralProductions]

if not decapitated or sliced apart.

[@opo3628]

Heck, getting struck by debris going 100 MPH, you'd be lucky to survive, period.

[@red2theelectricboogaloo961]

seeing the shit SPARK, man.... that was strong

[@Scarrrz]

I remember when i helped with debris clean up, this school looked nothing like this, once it was destroyed as badly as it was. Just terrible this had to happen.

[@jaegersmith1166]

I'm going there this summer for a missionary trip to help with rebuilding homes and such I'm in 6th grade and I can't wait for this great opportunity

[@clarkdeyoung7870]

Jaeger Smith Sweet. Going to Nashville on a mission trip this summer. Good times.

[@iqonfn6349]

Scarrrzzz the cameras are better than the school they didn't fall down

[@dpflack1744]

Sloppytoppy what yoU do if the tornado 🌪 ever hits in your aera I’m just wondering ok 👌 stay safe out there during the Covid 19 ok

[@morganmeric8167]

Living in this area, I can attest to the awesome power this storm held, and the destruction it left. Took me two whole years to actually watch these videos. I'm glad we are all safe, as are our friends and family. Though we mourn for the 161 of us who did lose their lives to this magnificent monster.

[@kimberlybeeson3613]

I know it was awful, horrible,and heartbreaking. I live in Oklahoma and the same thing happened here. You never forget it not ever. Stay packed and ready to go.

[@hotwax9376]

This was the first single tornado in the US since 1953 to kill over 100 people.

[@CampaignConsulting]

at the very very end, it looked like a car was tossed into the building. with its lights on!

[@ProudKansan08]

Probably was. It was Sunday, and people were out and about, shopping, the high school was having their graduation ceremony, people were in restaurants eating, so yeah, people were out and about driving. I'm surprised I didn't see more cars smashing into the school.

[@GiDD504]

One of my friends lived in Joplin when this happened and he lost his friends. The family ended up moving to Omaha because their property was destroyed and that’s how I met him.

[@frostyspree255]

A fellow Nebraskan i see.

[@GiDD504]

@@frostyspree255 hey hey playa!

[@starsheep3568]

You know it was bad when it made it to an“I survived” book

[@bellarosa009]

My heart goes out to families and loved ones affected by this tragedy. I can’t even imagine what this must feel like and how scary this be.

[@OKHolly]

I still remember doing observations in this school and several other Joplin schools in 2011, before the storm hit in May, and I just can’t even fathom what happened to them. It’s a reminder to me that everything can be gone in the blink of an eye and it makes me treasure life so much more now.

[@MelBee128]

Thank you for posting. We've all seen the storm chaser videos taken from the outside looking in. But this is by far the best footage of what it's like to really experience a tornado. Amazing.

[@heylinspongesprite]

I once experienced 100+ mph winds. When my home was hit by a Cat 2/3 hurricane, I stepped outside to see what it was like. Turns out, 100+ mph feels like you’re semi-weightless. Like you’re going to go flying if you’re not balanced on your feet. It also feels like being hit with a fire hose with how quickly the rain bands are pelting you. 100+ mph is an unsettling experience. So I cannot - CANNOT - even want to BEGIN to imagine an F5’s 200+ mph winds, with shrapnel and rain flying around you. Anyone who’s survived one of these is one tough cookie. I don’t think I’d have the courage.

[@Crystasorrow]

Well, a good example of what could happen if a person was stuck in that kind of wind could be given to the 1997 Jarrell Texas tornado. In some cases for that one, there was difficulty identifying human remains from animal ones...literally there were pieces of flesh and only body parts found and the tornado left barely any debris. Many vehicles were left looking like nothing but bits and pieces. Even in some cases where some people did what they could to take cover, their bodies were in a word...'blenderized' as someone else put it when it came to the Jarrell tornado. X.x

[@Katy51844]

Thank you for your caring about Joplin. The storm missed my house by about 6 blocks. The entire center of our town was demolished. We have two hospitals, and one 6 story one was completely blown apart. Our high School was blown apart, and one of or main business streets (Range Line) was hit very hard. Wallmart (of course) was one of the first to be rebuilt. As we drive through town, we don't even know where we are, because the things (grocery stores, etc.) are gone. But thanks very much.

[@FuglyFatt]

When I grew up in Illinois, I remember doing the tornado drills where you move all the desks away from the windows and then hide under your desk. Lol, after watching this, I am wondering how much better off would you actually be hiding under a small metal frame wood desk with almost no protection around you? Seeing how the ceiling/roof structure basically fell into the room and how the debris was around flying everywhere, the desks would have to turn into sort of a box to protect you from stuff flying sideways on the floor as well. I bet even the desks themselves would turn into projectiles in a tornado like the one in this video. I don't think a full grown adult man would have enough strength to hold a school desk in place during this tornado let alone a small child. I've seen more up to date drills, though, where they all go into a hallway that is supposed to be reinforced somehow and kind of tuck themselves against the wall with their heads under their arms. That way, at least, there isn't 25-30 sources of of metal and wood for the tornado to use as "ammo".

[@KermitTheGamer21]

+Jay Man It's widely known that hiding under your desk while a tornado is slamming into the building is very unsafe. The wall-tucking method is much safer.

[@yikes6669]

+Jay Man I used to live in Texas and we would hide in the bathrooms during our drills!But where i live now we dont do tornado drills

[@amorealt]

+Jay Man You know What I hated about growing up there, was the fact THAT EVERY FLIPPIN TORNADO WAS EITHER ON THE WEEKEND, SUMMER, OR WAS AFTER SCHOOL! I would come to school all upset like WHY COULDNT OF THE TORNADO COME NEAR TOWN WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL!

[@GrumpyKay]

+Colin McClain Tornadoes usually form in the late afternoon/ evening times when schools are done for the day. So that's probably why you we're never in school. I would hate being in school for this. I can't believe how safe I feel I would be cause schools are built so much more stronger then houses. Watching how destroyed this school was...scares me so much more. Also... keep in mind what happens when one hits a school with kids in it. The worst thing to happen is a tornado hitting a school full of kids. An elementary school was hit in Oklahoma City in 2013 (think it was that storm) and a bunch of little kids died. Careful what you wish for.

[@jilljones3664]

+Jay Man I've never heard of students being told to get under their desks to protect them from a tornado. I agree with you: that wouldn't be adequate. EF-1's break a lot of windows. If the window is broken of course there would all all of that flying glass in addition to whatever else was spinning in the vortex. EF-1's move cars and sometimes even throw them so no, a tornado wouldn't be at all impressed with a desk and chair. When I was in the first grade one afternoon there was a tornado a few miles west of our school so all the students were herded into the hallways to tuck against the walls. Luckily the tornado missed our school. If we'd have been hit a lot of people would have been hurt in the hallways, too since there were glass doors in the hallways. I've read that in the Oklahoma City area school employees have wised up and now when there's a tornado warning they herd the students into all the interior bathrooms and closets, which is what they should have been doing years ago, IMHO , if the school doesn't have a basement or tornado shelter.

[@bigraviolees]

Schools Moore and Enterprise and throughout OK., known areas for tornados, were built to the minimal standards. On the TV show "Storm Stories' a girl asks why this had to happen. The show neglected to answer when it was time to vote on adding storm shelters and special areas that can take the abuse of a tornado the people chose the cheaper deadlier options. This is why the government needs to step in and make law at least in the obvious tornado allies, spend the money , children are worth it

[@tylerpoletti9459]

Where I'm from we don't need storm shelters or tornado sirens! Just World War 3 sirens just in case the Russians or North Koreans decide to attack.

[@Baltimorehop]

I couldn't agree with you more.

[@b7grams]

That's actually a very logical thought (rare to come across those on a comments section). Growing up in Nebraska I personally never felt confident in our tornado procedures and where we had to go in case something did happen when I was growing up. A couple of times we had warnings and had to take cover but no tornadoes. I can imagine it's a similar scenario all around the Plains despite the inherent threat, especially a bit further south from here towards the southern KS, OK, and TX where the threat is in play for much longer during the school year (can happen at any time, but main tornado season in the southern Plains begins in the March-April timeframe, meaning 2 - 3 months or so of school in session). Makes a lot of sense to spend the extra money for the one time it may come in handy. Beats having to console a bunch of families and classmates of dead students (and teachers for that matter).

[@QuadiePoo]

I'm pretty sure Enterprise now has a storm shelter in their new school. So does Carroll (the new high school about 15 mins from Enterprise). I forsee it being a new trend but I don't think it was required when these schools were first built.

[@rylanhouse1362]

oh not nice words!!!! watch the doors they just get knocked in! i wonder....

[@lolacole5653]

When I was younger we were always told to go to the hallway or to the gym and then sit with our knees up to our face and cover our heads. That would not have really worked.

[@derekbaker3279]

Hi Lola. Please allow me to share a lot of helpful information, so you can feel confident about your safety in a school during the spring, summer, and fall. (I'm assuming you're still as student, but if you've graduated, then this will be relevant to children you have or may have in the future.) ☺ FYI, when a severe thunderstorm with damaging winds or a tornado threatens a school, the most vulnerable places in the school are always the gymnasiums, assembly hall/auditorium, lobby, interior swimming pool area, and classrooms with windows. The reason the first four on the list are bad locations is because there's a long distance between wall supports, so the roofs are weak & collapse before anything else. If you look at the damage to the middle school in Moore, Oklahoma, which was hit by an EF-5 tornado on May 20, 2013, you'll see that the gymnasium is the only part of the middle school that is destroyed. The remainder of the school is damaged, but basically in one piece. So, what about the hallways? Well, as long as you're not in a part of the hallway that's near an entrance or large windows, you will be much safer than if you were in a classroom with windows or if you were in a gym, auditorium, lobby, etc. FYI, the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma on May 20, 2013 was at least as destructive as the one that hit Joplin. As was the case with Joplin, the tornado went through areas with a lot of homes & schools. However, unlike Joplin, where schools were not hit by the strongest core of the tornado, two of the schools in Moore were hit head-on by the strongest part of the EF-5 tornado. The two schools were elementary schools packed with students, teachers, etc., and the tornado destroyed them both. Out of the hundreds of students, teachers, and other school staff in each school, sadly 7 children lost their lives (all in one school) & many students & teachers were injured. This is a terrible tragedy, but if you look at pictures of how badly both elementary schools were chewed-up by the moster tornado & consider how many people were in those schools, it becomes clear that it could have been much much worse. In another case, in 2012, a high school in Henryville, Indiana was hit by an EF-4 tornado just after school had ended. Most of the students had left in the buses before the tornado hit, but one bus couldn't leave in time, so all those students, plus all the teachers & administrators had to take cover. They took shelter in the offices of the Principal & VPs, plus the office bathrooms. The school was heavily damaged by the violent tornado, but there were no fatalities & I don't think anyone got badly injured either. So, if your school has a plan in case of a severe thunderstorm/tornado (it should!), then the plan should have considered everything I've shared here. That means that, if a tornado hit your school, chances are very high that the students will be ok if they follow the drill properly. ☺ I hope this helps. ☺

[@aaliyahsweeney9571]

The tornado ate my homework

[@hotwax9376]

Never underestimate the power of nature.

[@darkicethehedghog7157]

Did the tornado try to spawn in the building ?

[@Nick-hn1dh]

I think it was before it turned F5

[@annirae9032]

Why am I watching this before possible tornado weather? Smh 🤦‍♀️

[@vibrantgleam]

Me too xD Isolated Tornadoes possible!

[@londonfan07]

I remember this like it was yesterday. I had been home one day, I live in IL, had been in Missouri visiting family, had only been home one day. I remember messaging my family, Aunt, cousins. worried about them. I finally got my younger cousin to reply, she said it shook the entire house. I was home with my husband, but my heart was in Missouri with my family there. 8 years later and they are all safe and sound, never been more scared for them as I was that afternoon when I saw the news reports.

[@loribrewer2346]

Tornado: I SMELL SCHOOLS!!!

[@JasontheFolf]

Schools: *AHHHHHHHHHHHH*

[@bobbob-nj3ck]

lol XD

[@marissaghost]

I remember this tornado and seeing the aftermath, I was miles away from the initial touchdown (about a 30 minute drive) and still got the effects of it at our home. Very sad

[@MattWolfe1019]

I remember seeing this all over the news many years ago. I felt so sorry for a lot of people who had lost their homes and some had lost their lives and got injured. Here in Maryland where I live a long time ago when I was a kid there was a tornado that occurred about 4 miles away from my house. I don't remember how strong the tornado was but I do remember that it lasted for about 5 minutes maybe a little less than that. It destroyed a park that had hiking trails, a lot of trees, playgrounds, you name it it got destroyed. Sadly the state or the county decided to just leave it abandoned and not fix it up or anything. Luckily no one was hurt or died or anything like that. There were nearby houses that didn't get destroyed which is a blessing.

[@arisenomega]

nice video, really interesting to see the damage... as someone who lives in a country where there's nothing like tornadoes or hurricanes and such, it's really incredible seeing what nature can do to us and I find it hard to imagine living with a fear that any day a tornado could appear and destroy my home or harm my loved ones.

[@jamesmay7953]

this school needs to provide faster (less laggy) surveillance cameras

[@maplerawrxd8221]

Well at speeds fast as a tornado, that might be why this camera was laggy.

[@davidmeyers5073]

No, because by decreasing frame rate, it conserves a TON of space on the surveillance servers.

[@slimeygames5036]

Doctor Calamari well no fuck it was 2011

[@Goblinchief123]

" Well, no fuck, it was 2011" Shit, I grew up with VHS which was blurry by design... Sadness

[@user-kaiethirteen]

How did the cameras survive

[@L0RDK3Y]

I used to be obsessed with tornadoes, I was 6 years old, I would watch endless hours of tornado videos

[@Krazzy2188]

I'm sorry you brave souls had to go through this. I'm from Buffalo, NY and thought our 9 feet of snow in two days was bad (it was) but nothing like this.

[@fappinatorgaming9342]

Potent Onslaught I wouldn’t wish that day on my worst enemy. I was on the other side of town when it hit. The devastation was beyond words.

[@ronaldparker4016]

Just living in new York is bad enough no way I would like to even visit there.

[@EphemeralProductions]

Nature is quite scary and violent but in terms of a weather disaster, tornadoes without a doubt are at the top of the list

[@173jaSon371]

@@ronaldparker4016 Found the uneducated southerner

[@DJ-iu5bb]

​@@EphemeralProductionsHurricanes gotta be more worse because they can spawn Tornadoes it's like you getting tagged team

[@SlimShaney08]

For an e5 that structure held amazing! The outside tables seemed to stay strong!

[@CerveloR5]

It's so amazing the speed of the objects flying so fast you could actually see sparks as they hit the concrete.

[@morganmeric8167]

Thank you for posting, The Joplin Globe.

[@aliciajames3510]

This gave me chills, especially at the main entrance of the school. I find it amazing how the cameras were able to withstand and still operate. 👍 You can't mess with Mother Nature. 😩

[@The_Koai_pond]

This broke my heart when I saw this because I use to go to Joplin and I miss it so much and this was just so sad

[@evanosburn718]

Go Eagles Whoo

[@2pacforever22]

when the tornado reached town it intestifed so it got stronger when it hit the core of joplin joplin u are in all our hearts

[@holly452]

I live in Missouri and my family was hit by a tornado in 08 that left us homeless for a little while. The tornado was F-3 so it was nothing too close to this. When I saw what happened on the news, I was in shock. 10 year old me couldn’t believe the devastation that tornado caused. Now I hear the city is doing well and I would like to visit one day. :)

[@yeehawhawyee3718]

Poor custodian, he’s gonna need more then a mop for this one..

[@adrigunz0449]

If this was my school they would be like, "Parents students are to come to school today, we will begin our lessons outside." Like no joke my schools like that -.-

[@ProudKansan08]

When I was in school, our school district was the ONLY school district who had to go to school during bad snow storms, where everyone else had snow days. It was rare when school got called off in the middle of the day for snow storms. Now, they call school off a lot more than they used to and sometimes, where I live, its not that bad for our district to call school off.

[@aliciacleeland2257]

School be like: So we're on a 2 hour delay! Still coming to school?

[@jackdooley8732]

Would be nice if the lights would stay on during events. I like to see stuff get destroyed.

[@callofdutyblackops9]

***** You gotta admit, watching stuff getting destroyed is pretty cool, why else would you of clicked on the video? To watch as this phenomenal beast of a tornado absolutely demolish a school. We just admit to enjoy watching the destruction, nothing wrong with that, I don't want people to get hurt or die, but watching buildings get ripped apart by mother nature is pretty neat.

[@rashadmartin378]

xXShadowXx You put it best!

[@tate9373]

xXShadowXx actually I watched because I was a survivor of the tornado and now tornadoes fascinate me

[@fifteenthkitty4596]

Da mystic Potato me too

[@collisionmanxls6181]

Pedro Dooley same bro same

[@cassidawn7709]

I went to school here and it still makes me so sad that this building is gone :’( a day I’ll never forget...

[@nicksttrs]

:( Think next time to prevent a Tornado is to possibly put a *No Tornado Zone* around the school property. Oh wait Tornados do w/e the hell it wants to.. Yall get where I'm going with this!

[@porkyfedwell]

Great idea! It works really well with firearms, why not with tornadoes?

[@matthewwilliams4785]

Yeah I get where you were going with that. You were making a political point about guns out of a tragedy. Congratulations, asshole.

[@KevinCummingsFitness]

Our school would be like, there is a 20 minute delay tomorrow

[@theartgodd]

I live right next to Joplin and this scared the shit out of me. I remember how much damage I saw heading back to my hometown

[@LethaWolfStudios]

The building power and security grid is on point! Lights never went out inside and cameras kept working

[@TheGamingMackV]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="283">4:43</a> that's no tornado, that some time travel shit right there! Camera quality and color being sent back in time!

[@user-kaiethirteen]

The Gaming Mack V that's History

[@kennethwallace4338]

Naw that's more like The Big Goodbye.

[@freek162008]

ATLEST NO ONE WAS IN THE SCHOOL

[@user-kaiethirteen]

Says you

[@jolenanussel68]

freek162008 they were set to hold graduation that day at the high school but had to change it ro MSSU due to the number of people attending. That decision saved about 1,100 people.

[@dangerousdragoongahza8343]

Actually, fun fact everyone was leaving after graduation before it hit.

[@SludgefestMetalhead]

school let out the day before the tornado

[@gordo1163]

why the caps lol

[@1survivor566]

It's terrible that this happened. But this footage is incredible!! Some of the most amazing tornado footage I've ever seen

[@courtneytrumpower1593]

those video cameras are amazing in order for them to catch almost everything in sight. the one that was facing the entrance surprised me the most.

[@iceddork7342]

They should add some music! Like casual jazz Me: *1 minute into the video* These casual jazz has turned sour...

[@kennethwallace4338]

Iced Dork more like Cannibal Corpse " Meat Hook Sodmy ". Song sends chills on a normal day, add this in to picture.

[@gio5602]

* Tornado warning * Teacher: everyone into hall!!! Tornado going through hallway: what is you doing?

[@antihumor2231]

You're supposed to put *are you* not *is you*

[@HaydenSansing]

I lived in Ringgold GA when the tornado hit, but luckily I was not in the path when it struck the heart. I was living in a trailer park when it struck in the heart of Ringgold. It took down all the restaurants and a couple of hotels on a street called highway 151. One of the most devastating things to remember. Luckily I was miles away from the tornado.

[@bourbonrose3726]

Not sure why this popped up on my feed 12 years later... but WOW!!!

[@morafiee226]

*walks in school* It’s gonna be a new day!- *EF-5 tornado rips through* Oh...

[@dxnixia]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="166">2:46</a> rekt exit sign 😂

[@dxnixia]

+aidenator2010's channel IDK I just know

[@anitabates8227]

I saw it too 😄

[@AllThoughts3rased]

it shows that there is no exit

[@lexties]

There is no exit now

[@shrek1770]

F

[@sylvia5902]

I hope all of those students are ok , I have been studying this tornado it was bad

[@ugly1494]

When I was growing up (maybe 5-6), my town was hit by a pretty nasty tornado that killed 2 or 3 people (I can’t remember that well but it was no one I knew). That was a terrifying experience by itself and now every time I hear tornado sirens I panic. I can’t even imagine having to go through a tornado THIS bad. The one I experienced was a baby compared to this...

[@merryhunt9153]

Somebody asked why schools in tornado alley don't have shelters. There is no such thing as tornado alley. There have been tornados in every state but Alaska. Also in Britain and Europe. The Southeast, with its huge trees, trailer parks and modest homes, sees a lot of tornado deaths.

[@gravythegay9404]

it’s honestly bc the government doesn’t want to pay for good infrastructure bc the government was never about the actual people. and it’s true that tornadoes happen everywhere but i think tornado alley is named this bc the different air parcels coming from the warm, moist gulf, cold air from Canada, and dry air from the Baja peninsula create the perfect unstable atmospheric conditions that typically produce tornadoes when they converge in the Midwest, that’s why the US sees the most tornadoes each year, hence, tornado alley. where the alley ends and begins is more up to debate but that’s the science behind why the US typically reports more tornadoes than other countries. our geographic location plays a role.

[@grumpydixie1645]

it's called tornado alley cause that's where tornadoes are most likely to form, also India has a tornado ally as well.

[@aleexx5261]

School nurse would be like : “here put some ice on it or go lay down”

[@josephastier7421]

Amazing how much the whole building was shaking.

[@TheGameDestroyer-bn4ff]

Its terrifying watching how easily it tore apart the building and moved that car with ease. It looked so calm and just like that the worst happened.

[@GavinJones19982]

School Janitor:I'll let the night guy get that

[@l2j212]

THE WEATHER DOESNT DIDDMISS YOU I DO NOW TAKE THE MATH BOOKS OUT TO PAGE 97

[@stupidtown910]

I lived 20-25 minutes away from Joplin during the time of this. There were about 3-4 tornado warnings that WEEK in my area. I remember afterwards my family went to see what happened. The whole city looked like a ghost town almost

[@CraigRattleHead]

just shows how powerful that is, the bits of metal flying around causing sparks is unreal.

[@Depue117]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="170">2:50</a> I like when the exit sign gets pulled out towards the outside :3

[@nihilism2004]

i found this video after reading the I survived book

[@normanreedus8942]

which on

[@colternewkirk6163]

I remember this tornado. the I survived book is very true. Joplin will never forget that horrible storm

[@lindsey1896]

Same

[@rightchris]

XxGaming_ZombiexX1123 ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ノ same

[@matthewprescott3009]

Vykon lol

[@parkeralbrecht7216]

i went to this school 3 years ago and it has changed alot after the tornado

[@gabrielgarcia2496]

I was tour manager for the band The Order of Elijah. We talked about this day and it was some of the worst conversation I had ever heard. The drummer was working in Home Depot that day my heart still goes out to these ppl.

[@kendallrevis7588]

My music teacher told us a story of her in the New Year's eve tornado. She was In her car when it picked her up

[@squshy7581]

Kendall Olivia my stepdad was in a car during this thing and he almost didnt make it home, it kept picking the car up and putting it back down

[@williambennett4360]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="160">2:40</a> The glass in the doors are flexing like paper.

[@toryknotts8026]

You noticed it too. It is it multiple times as well

[@Wyatt016]

My mother worked at that building and I remember going there after school. Sad to see it being destroyed 😢

[@mac_6705]

Live in Warrensburg and just got news of the joblin tornado on the anniversary of this one. Three dead..Rest in peace

[@clouds7023]

May 22nd 2019 Ah shit, here we go again

[@ktandby]

This was scary. I remember one time I was in 2nd grade during a tornado warning Everyone freaked out

[@HarmfulZombie]

+Katie Payne I was in kindergarten during tornado warning.

[@ProudKansan08]

I went to college in Joplin, and one year, we had a tornado, and it was enough of a threat, that all of us girls in the one dorm and probably the boys in the boys dorm, had to go to the bathroom. If I remember right, the tornado was pretty far away, but, yet close enough for the dorm supervisors or whatever they called them, to tell us to go in the bathroom, so we all went to the bathroom and sat for an hour or so until the threat was over. I wasn't scared, in fact, thought it was a little exciting, but, that's youth for you. Now, I know better.

[@ElizabethCherryBlossom]

I dont even renember the time I was in a tornado was I was only 2 irl then but when I was 2 I went through a huge storm with my mom and it was just me and my mom home (my mom told me all of this) and a huge storm blew in it destroyed our canopy when my mom saw it she immediately holder me and brought me and herself to the basement and we hid in there until the storm ended we recently found out 2 days ago by the internet that there was a tornado that touched down it was a ef 1.

[@forestrot666]

Still today, very glad this school wasn't full on operating for the day when this occured. It's a small,yet big blessing considering how insane this tornado ended up being.

[@RIPjkripper]

That last clip, wow. The wind blows every direction, and I never thought about the sparks a car would make as it's bouncing off everything!

[@mijuubike]

Nurse during tornado: "It's time for you to go back to class, sweetie." "THERE'S A TORNADO WE NEED TO HIDE." Nurse: "Go to class or i'm calling security."

[@Icybubba]

+Melody Hecox Basically

[@CamConscious]

why does surveillance footage always gotta be in 5 frames per second?

[@PianoVideosJustForU]

+GtaAddict they obviously want to piss everyone off when something happens and post it on youtube

[@CamConscious]

+PianoVideosJustForU (PVJFU) yeah

[@justinnickovtime]

+GtaAddict - And Other Games! Because it bogs down a network when you have dozens cameras going 720p+ @ 30+ fps. If network utilization is around 50% or greater, you begin to experience packet loss. With packet loss on mjpeg and h.264 cameras, you get a lot of crazy glitchiness, which makes it extremely unreliable for surveillance.

[@PianoVideosJustForU]

justinnickovtime This is true, but it also helps cut down on how much storage it takes.

[@justinnickovtime]

Yeah, that too.

[@TheCaptainGloves]

I used to live in Joplin. My house literally was one block away from St. John's Hospital, which was completely destroyed.

[@Msflamingo-wl4qo]

Devastating. However, from a Scientific aspect, this shows us alot. I was thinking (hoping) the theatre/auditorium wouldn't be severely damaged...as I believe it would be the safest place if kids were actually at school. (thank God they werent!) God bless Joplin, from your Kansas City, Mo. sis! X💖