May 22, 2011

An EF5 tornado devastates Joplin, killing at least 158 people. The supercell twister cut a path eastward through the middle of the city, destroying 5,000 buildings and damaging another 2,500. By the time the skies cleared, it was one of the costliest tornadoes in U.S. history, with damages estimated at $2.8 billion.

Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.

Photo—Dustie