Info and Links Regarding the Joplin, MO Tornado of Sunday Night:

Photo Source:  Wikipedia

Facebook proved it's value once again last night.  Within half an hour, new pages were set up to help facilitate the flow of information during a time of ultimate disaster.  Hitting the city of Joplin at around 6:00 yesterday, the tornado dropped out of the sky with seemingly no warning.  An example of the immediate damage was a whole hospital needing to be evacuated, a Walmart obliterated and I'm not sure, but some say that 35% of that city is gone.  The winds were between 166 - 200 miles per hour.

The Walmart at 15th & Rangeline in Joplin, Mo.; B. Bowman

If you are on Facebook, just type these first six titles into the FB  search bar.  I'm sorry, but I can't link these up here, or it will take you directly to my signed-in FB home page.  The others are regular links.

"Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery"

"Joplin Tornado Info"

"Joplin MO Tornado Survivors"


"Joplin, MO. May 22, 2011
Tornado Recovery Effort Resources" 

"Joplin Tornado Critical Information"

"NW Arkansas Helping Joplin, MO"

The Heart of Missouri United Way (a way to donate)

Safe and Well (Register here to find each other.)

"40/29 News - Ft. Smith and Fayetteville, AR"

KOAM TV - List of ways you can help or be helped.

Spredsheet Listing Needs and Drop-off points in the region to get supplies to Joplin.

Samaritan's Purse
USDA: Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency 

Today Show's Weatherman Al's Video: Monday, May 23

The Washington Post Blog

Hunter Emergency Lights 

(donations to replace emergency equipment)

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Monday, May 23rd - 4:01am - Wellness Check Hotline

"The City of Joplin understands the concern many have about their loved ones who endured the tornado that traveled through the middle of Joplin at approximately 5:45 p.m. Sunday, May 22nd. Citizens can now check on the status of their friends and family by calling 417-659-5464.  Many homes and businesses have been affected, and Joplin Mayor Mike Woolston has declared a local disaster due to the damage of this storm.  The City is also working under a state disaster declaration."    Tammy Dinwiddlie, FB

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They are looking for medical professionals and other volunteers to help, but they don't want you to just show up without calling first: "Please do not self deploy to #Joplin. Nurses and doctors please call 417-832-9500. || @OzarksRedCross"

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The Red Cross is accepting donations through your cell phone.  For those who are mobile, you can donate $10 to the Joplin Relief Fund by texting "Joplin" to 864833.  Here is another number and code for the Red Cross:  Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10.

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There is a desperate need for Type O negative blood donations in Joplin.  If your blood type is O negative, you are a universal donor and those with other blood types can use your blood. 

Andrea Braker, FB:
'The Community blood center of the Ozarks is on red alert for O negative blood!  If you or someone you know has O negative blood, please send them to Joplin, Northpark mall from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm TODAY ONLY!  Of course if you have any other blood type you may give but they are concentrating on O negative today! Please spread the word!'

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From Kelly Kerns, FB:  KKOW Radio.com  just posted these locations and numbers for the hospitals that have the St. Johns patients, and those injured during the tornado.

Integris Baptist Health Center in Miami - 918-542-6611
McCune Brooks Hospital in Carthage 417-358-8121
St. John's Hospital in Springfield 41...7-820-2000
Via Christi in Pittsburg 620-231-6100
Barton County hospital in Lamar 417-681-5700

From Brian R., FB:  For those of you that are looking for loved ones, try these numbers. These are all set up as Triage Centers and remember to try back if they do not have the name on the list, because the list changes:

Joplin Memorial Hall  (417) 623-3254
McCauly School  (417) 624-9320
Freeman Hospital  (417) 347-6656
Integris Baptist Health Center in Miami  (918) 542-6611
McCune Brooks Hospital in Carthage (417) 358-8121
St. John's Hospital in Springfield (417) 820-2000
Via Christi in Pittsburg  (620) 231-6100
Barton County hospital in Lamar  (417) 681-5700

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My friend Lynn Obermoeller is trying to locate her friend Dr. Geoffrey Hilton, who is a chiropractor in Joplin.  His house is now gone.  If you have any information about Geoff please go to Lynn's blog, Present Letters, and let her know.  Thank you.    

Update:  Geoff has been found safe and sound!  Prayers have been answered.  He went through the storm hunkered down in his bathtub and when he crawled through the rubble and made it to the curb, a nice lady driving by took him to her house.  He got in touch with Lynn and others yesterday in late afternoon/early evening.  Yay!

The rest is my commentary.  You can skip it if you want to.


I have to say that as happy as I was with Facebook last night, I was sorely disappointed with the cable news channels.  Even if they couldn't get there, they could have been using pictures from people's cell phones and made more of an attempt to report the situation. Instead, CNN spent valuable time telling us all about how bad Mel Gibson is, and wondering if Jodie Foster should be sticking up for him.  Come on you guys!  We more or less depend on you during times like this.


Well, it is 6:37 a.m. west coast time, and Joplin is near getting hit with another huge thunderstorm right now.  The whole region is under storm attack again today.  Please continue to pray for our friends in the Midwest.  This whole thing is absolutely unreal.

Love to everybody ...


Kathy M.

Link to "Praying For The Tornado Victim's" post.

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