2011 Joplin tornado
| EF5 tornado | |
|---|---|
Catastrophic damage in Joplin
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| Formed | May 22, 2011 5:34–6:12 pm CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Max rating1 | EF5 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 38 minutes |
| Highest winds |
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| Damage | $2.8 billion (2011 USD) (Costliest tornado in U.S. history) $2.98 billion (2017 USD) |
| Casualties | 158 direct fatalities (+3 indirect), 1,150 injuries |
| Areas affected | Jasper County and Newton County, Missouri; mostly the city of Joplin (part of a larger outbreak) |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado Part of the May 21–26, 2011 tornado outbreak sequence |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado
The 2011 Joplin tornado was a catastrophic EF5-rated multiple-vortex tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, late in the afternoon of Sunday, May 22, 2011. It was part of a larger late-May tornado outbreak and reached a maximum width of nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) during its path through the southern part of the city. It rapidly intensified and tracked eastward across the city, and then continued eastward across Interstate 44 into rural portions of Jasper County and Newton County. It was the third tornado to strike Joplin since May 1971.
Overall, the tornado killed 158 people (with an additional three indirect deaths), injured some 1,150 others, and caused damages amounting to a total of $2.8 billion. It was the deadliest tornado to strike the United States since the 1947 Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornadoes, and the seventh-deadliest overall. It also ranks as the costliest single tornado in U.S. history.
In a preliminary estimate, the insurance payout was expected to be $2.2 billion; the highest insurance payout in Missouri history, higher than the previous record of $2 billion in the April 10, 2001 hail storm, which is considered the costliest hail storm in history as it swept along the I-70 corridor from Kansas to Illinois. Estimates earlier stated Joplin damage could be $3 billion. By July 15, 2011, there had been 16,656 insurance claims.
The tornado initially touched down just east of the Missouri-Kansas state line near the end of 32nd Street at 5:34 pm CDT (22:34 UTC) and tracked due east, downing a few trees at EF0 intensity. Eyewitnesses and storm chasers reported multiple vortices rotating around the parent circulation in that area.Civil defense sirens sounded in Joplin 20 minutes before the tornado struck in response to a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service, but many Joplin residents didn't hear them. The tornado rapidly strengthened to EF1 intensity as it continued through rural areas towards Joplin, snapping trees and power poles and damaging outbuildings. Widening, the tornado then tracked into the more densely populated southwest corner of the city near the Twin Hills Country Club. It heavily damaged several homes at a subdivision in this area at EF1 to EF2 strength. The tornado continued to strengthen as it ripped through another subdivision just east of Iron Gates Rd. Numerous homes were destroyed at EF2 to EF3 strength at that location, and multiple vehicles were tossed around, some of which were thrown on or rolled into homes.
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