Joplin cont.

The paper said 18,000 cars destroyed. And I would say 95% looked  like the the red one in this shot. Many have been removed but many still remain. Mostly because they disappeared from thier original locations and their owners are having trouble locating them. One such person posted on Facebook that if you found her car to please send it home. She was at the Stainglass Theater where my friend Randy died. Several died there in those few seconds of terror.

I honestly could not tell which fast food place this was. We lost so many.

Heartbreaking. I liked that someone sprayed the sign. Click on to enlarge so you can read it.

Most of the trees remind me of Hurricane Katrina trees. No bark.

Trip to Joplin

Click on photos to enlarge

These people were considered lucky. They actually had a part of their home left to loot. Mostly the looters who were arrested were arrested for stealing scrap metal and someone looted the Super Cuts. But for the most part looters are coming in from out of town.  It is rather disgusting to say the least and many bondsman are not bonding these people out of jail and judges will not go lightly on these vultures. There is a special place in hell for them.  

 This was once a very nice apartment complex. A lot of people lived here.

 I found this sign to be so true. This sign is sitting on two major corners of our worst hit area, I don't think it only pertains to identity theft. There is more than one way to lose everything in an instant.

As we drove around Joplin, it is so true what has been said over and over again. It is so much worse than it looks in pictures and half the time you have no idea where you are. It puts a horrible knot in your stomach.

How selective. It destroyed the Dish Network place and left the frozen custard shop in tact. Not too far behind this building it took out the Wal-Mart.

In the back is what is left of the Wal-Mart. That piece of brick wall still standing was our brand new huge fancy liquor store Macadoodles and it had a gas station directly in front. You are thinking what gas station? Behind that you can see what is left of Wal-mart. There was 150 people in the store at the time all huddled together. The roof completely ripped off and it rained on them but they were able to crawl out. Of course when they got out their cars were in a pile.

Rangeline Blvd. This was our Home Depot where so many lost their lives. It will choke you up. Rangeline is our major lifeline through Joplin. A lot had been cleaned up by the time I got these pictures.

 Our large Academy Sporting Goods store. Close to the Wal-Mart, Home Depot and liquor store. This was a busy place to shop. My dad practically lived in this store. We would drop him off and go down to Hobby Lobby.

As far as the eye can see. The houses are gone. This was a jam packed residential area on May 21st. And when you drive through and see this all you can think is "How did only 141 people die and not hundreds and hundreds?" How do you live through this in your home with no basements or storm shelters? The ones who survived this are so shell shocked and dazed. Want to put your life in perspective? Look at how easy you loose it all in a few seconds. This is when you come to really figure out what is really really important. I was talking to my UPS man who I have known for 18 years lost his home and cars. He held on to his closet as the tornado tried it's hardest to suck him out of his home as his home literally lifted and turned. Cinder blocks fell on him and broke his ribs but he is back to work. He told me that stuff that bothered him prior to seem rather petty these days. The guy who delivers my copy paper too lost everything. I have yet to see him. But I heard that he too is in a process of re-evaluation. Maybe I won't see him again.

Joplin

I still have not been able to bring myself to go to Joplin. I want to go so bad but I think that with all the volunteers and people trying to pick up the pieces of their lives, I would just get in the way.
Many of the stories are so incredibly sad. Especially the children who died and the parents who died trying to save thier children. It will be interesting in the years to come to see what grows from this sadness. How the city will change. The people already have. I just hope and pray that it does not financially destroy the area. Only time will tell. When I do get the nerve to go over to Joplin (when some of my favorite stores and eating establishments start to reopen again) I will be going to support Joplin. The majority of my shopping was done their pre-tornado. The small bedroom community I live in does not have much in the way of shopping. I depend heavily on Joplin for my goods and services. You don't realize that until it is gone. Joplin will rise from the dust and debris again. I am looking forward to it.