The Response to the 2011 Joplin, Missouri, Tornado: Lessons Learned Study
On May 22, 2011, a catastrophic Enhanced Fujita-5 (EF-5) tornado struck the City of Joplin in Jasper and Newton Counties in southwest Missouri. The tornado, which had winds in excess of 200 mph, caused 161 fatalities and over 1,300 injuries, and damaged or destroyed thousands of structures, overwhelming the capabilities of the City of Joplin, and Jasper and Newton Counties and requiring a massive response from Federal, state, county and local governments, as well as from the private and nonprofit sectors.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Preparedness Assessment Division (NPAD) of the National Preparedness Directorate contacted Region VII to offer support to identify preliminary findings from the Joplin tornado response. A joint Region VII – NPAD team conducted in-person interviews, analyzed data, and identified preliminary findings.
The Response to the 2011 Joplin, Missouri, Tornado: Lessons Learned Study