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On this Day in Weather History...
May 22nd is a date that is notorious for some truly horrific natural disasters. In 2011, the catastrophic Joplin, Tornado roared into history. The enormous EF5 tornado killed 160, making it the seventh deadliest in United States history, and the deadliest since the Southern Plains Tri-State Tornado of April 9th, 1947 that killed 181. About a third of Joplin was destroyed by the 7 mile long, and three quarters of a mile wide tornado. The destruction drawing perhaps the greatest attention was to Saint John's Medical Center, where 6 were killed, and to Joplin High School. The massive vortex lasted 38 minutes, from 534 PM to 612 PM. Many houses were leveled or swept from their foundations. Damage estimates were around $2.8 billion. An estimated 1,000 were injured. && In 1987, tragedy struck Saragosa, Texas when an F4 tornado virtually wiped the tiny extreme West Texas town, located about 120 miles east of El Paso, right off the map. The tornado possessed a track only 3 miles long, but its placement and timing were horrific. As it entered the west side of town, the vortex quickly reached just over one half mile wide. It leveled or destroyed 85 percent of the town. Vehicles were hurled as far as 900 yards, some of which were thrown into houses. Of the town's 183 residents, 30 were killed and 121 were injured. The totals accounted for 82 percent of the town's population. Of the fatalities, 22 occurred at a Head Start graduation ceremony for 4 year olds. Some of the fatalities were infants, but most were adults who were protecting their children. The Saragosa Tornado is the 9th deadliest in Texas history. In 2004, the widest tornado roared into the record books when an F4 behemoth hit Hallam, Nebraska, 25 miles southwest of Lincoln. The path reached an incredible 2.5 miles wide! The tornado killed 1 and injured 37, along a path 54 miles long. It was on the ground for 1 hour and 20 minutes. |
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