Joplin Tornado Death Toll Mounting

State Authorities Have Trouble Counting?

Missouri state officials said they had positively identified 142 sets of human remains Saturday.

But that was early Saturday. Just a few hours later they changed their minds and revised the figure down to 139,  a report said.

A week has now passed since the deadly EF-5 tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, destroying much of the city.

Other Details

• The youngest victim:  aged 1
• The eldest victim:  92
• Total of 73 deceased persons from the Joplin tornado have been identified and their next-of-kin notified
• Still missing: 100 (down from 1,500), 9 victims confirmed deceased as reported by family.
• Names of deceased persons are listed HERE
• Will Norton: Sadly confirmed dead.
• Joplin Tornado is probably the deadliest single tornado in the US history.

The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes

Data Source: Storm Prediction Center. Tabulation: FIRE-EARTH. *Joplin tornado death toll is preliminary, many are still missing.
NOTES:
1. “Having happened before the era of comprehensive damage surveys, some of these events may have been composed of multiple tornadoes along a damage path. Death counts for events in the 1800s and early 1900s should be treated as estimates since recordkeeping of tornado deaths was erratic back then.” SPC said on its website.
2. Modern recordkeeping did NOT began until 1950.

Deadliest Tornado Years in US History
(Official NOAA-NWS Record: 1950 – present; Research by Grazulis: 1875-1949)
Year     Fatalities
1925     794
1936     552
1917     551
1927     540
1896     537
2011   519  (139  in Joplin, as of Saturday May 28, 2011)
1953     519
1920     499
1908     477
1909     404
1932     394
1942     384
1924     376
1974     366
1933     362
*Joplin information is preliminary.

Other Tornado Stats [Missourificated?]

• On May 24, 2011, deadly tornadoes claimed 18 lives in Oklahoma (10), Kansas (2), and Arkansas (6).
• On May 26, 2011, deadly storms/tornadoes killed 3 people in Atlanta, Georgia.
• The Marion County long-track EF5 of 27 April 2011 killed 78 people.
• So far an estimated 323 tornadoes have occurred during May 2011 (3-year average: 322; decadal average: 298).
• YTD total: 1,364 tornadoes (full year decadal average: 1,274).
• April 2011 set a new record for the month with 875 tornadoes.
• NWS records indicate 361 people were killed in April 2011, including 321 during the April 25-28 tornado outbreak, NOAA said.

Related Links

• Joplin Tornado – May 28 Update
• Severe Weather Update – May 27
• One Large Tornado Patch
• Major tornado outbreak forecast for southern Plains on Wednesday

• Tornado Death Toll in Joplin Reaches 116
• Tornado Death Toll Rises to 89 in Joplin, Missouri
• 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season: AAA
• Mega Tornadoes to Bombard U-S Tornado Alley

2011 Disasters

• 2011 Much More Disastrous
• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Joplin Tornado – Update May 26

Death Toll from Mega Tornado that Devastated Joplin climbs to 125, with 1,000  Injured

Death toll from the EF5 tornado that leveled large sections of Joplin, Missouri has climbed to at least 125, with up to 1,000 others injured.

The authorities say the earlier number of the missing said to be 1,500 was inaccurate; however, they refuse to reveal the actual figure.

Four of a total 81 tornado reports received on Wednesday came from California.

Tornado Attacks on Tuesday

More tornadoes swept the Midwest on Tuesday night, killing at least 15 people: 9 in Oklahoma, 4 in Arkansas and 2 in Kansas.

Seven tornadoes struck Oklahoma overnight, the National Weather Service reported. “The deadliest of those, which killed seven persons, left a 75-mile path of destruction and lasted two hours.” Said a report.

Photo courtesy of Trenton Workman via redding dot com. A tornado touches down in Butte County Wednesday afternoon. 

2011 Severe Weather Stats – Jan 01,2011 to May 25, 2011

• Tornado reports:  1,228
• Hail reports:  4,215
• Wind reports: 5,898
• TOTAL: 11,350
• Source: SPC

Storm Related Fatalities

• 2011 toll: > 510 deaths [expected to rise]
  
• Annual 10-year average: 22 deaths

Tornado Reports (Since May 21)

May 21 Severe Weather Reports. Click images to enlarge.

May 22

May 23

May 24

Major tornado outbreak forecast for southern Plains on Wednesday

Climate change quick menu!

Powerful and dangerous storm system will develop across the central and southern Plains: NWS

“A powerful and dangerous late-spring storm system will develop across the central and southern Plains today as an upper level system and a parade of supporting upper level disturbances advance out of the Intermountain West. The result will be strengthening low pressure over Kansas by this afternoon and evening that will then move slowly but steadily eastward toward Missouri by later Wednesday. The storm system will be accompanied by a classic dryline signature across the southern Plains with a strong frontal zone that will stretch across the Midwest and well to the East into the Northeast.” National Weather Service (NWS) reported.

Residents of the southern Plains and Ohio Valley are advised to prepare for severe weather, including the probability of large and powerful tornadoes through Wednesday.

Weather Hazards Map

 Click image to enter NWS portal.

Weather Forecast Map

Click images to enlarge.

Probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point. See inset for the date and times. Hatched Area: 10% or greater probability of EF2 – EF5 tornadoes within 25 miles of a point. (More Info)

Probability of severe weather within 25 miles of a point.   See inset for the date and times.  Hatched Area: 10% or greater probability of significant severe weather within 25 miles of a point. (More Info)

Tornado Update for May 24, 2011

• A total of 491 severe weather reports  received by SPC (preliminary data) of which 47 were tornado touch downs.
• Tornadoes reported in six states: Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas and Arkansas.
• At least 13  people were killed in 3 states (8 people in Oklahoma, 2 in Kansas,  and  3 in Arkansas.)
• A twister killed at least two people in Kansas on Tuesday (as above.)
• One EF3 tornado reported in El Reno with winds of 151mph (243km/hr), as of posting.

Annual Tornado Report Map

Total Number of tornadoes: 1,115 reports  (Tornado numbers are preliminary and subject to revision.)

Top Ten Tornado Days of 2011

Source: NWS/SPC

2011 Tornado Tabulation (by State)

Tornado Safety

• There is no such thing as guaranteed safety inside a tornado

Joplin Tornado Update

• Death Toll has risen to 124, and is still climbing.
• The number of residents unaccounted for stands at 1,500.
• At least 750 people have received hospital treatment.
• The tornado is upgraded to EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale (see chart below) with winds exceeding 200 MPH (322 km/hr), NWS said.
•  Much of the south side of Joplin has been levelled.
• At least 2,000 homes have been completely destroyed.
• Some 6,000 other structures have been damaged.
• An estimated 5,000 vehicles have been totaled/damaged.
• The Joplin tornado was the deadliest single twister to strike the United States since 1947.

The Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale – Quick Chart

EF0: 65 TO 85 MPH
EF1: 86 TO 110 MPH
EF2: 111 TO 135 MPH
EF3: 136 TO 165 MPH
EF4: 166 TO 200 MPH
EF5: Wind speeds greater than 200 MPH

On March 1, 2011, FIRE-EARTH said:

U-S Attacked by Continued Severe Weather

Brace for the Worst Ever!  Climatic  Extremes, Primeval Geophysical Activities and WILD Weather to Wreak Mega Havoc in 2011/2012 and Beyond…

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO POWER DOWN AND START THINKING HARD.  Encourage your folks, friends and neighbors to join in!! BECAUSE  for most of us the GAME would be OVER soon.

Flooding and fires, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, deadly tornadoes and strong storms … are just some of the items you’ve ordered from the climate change quick menu!

Related Links

• Tornado Death Toll in Joplin Reaches 116
• Tornado Death Toll Rises to 89 in Joplin, Missouri
• 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season: AAA
• Mega Tornadoes to Bombard U-S Tornado Alley

2011 Disasters

• 2011 Much More Disastrous
• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

updated at 13:27 UTC on May 25, 2011