Joplin, Mo. May 21, 2011

[lenser]

My apologies to the moderators as this is not large format. I hope they will indulge this one indiscretion as this town now deserves all the attention it can get. Well over 120 dead with 1500 missing and God knows how many displaced for who knows how long. Donations to the American Red Cross or Convoy of Hope if you care to share.

"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me. Speaking words of wisdom. Let it be."......The Beatles

Sorry, I got the date wrong in the title, it was the 22nd.

[Vick Vickery]

My heart goes out to those folks...reminds me very much of Katrina. :(

[lenser]

Hi, Vick. You are right. I was in New Orleans a few months after Katrina and saw many of the same kind of horrors. This feels even worse to me because I remember that even in the worst damaged neighborhoods, most of the trees were still in full leaf.

This is more like what I saw in Gulf Port and Pass Christian where everything looked like it was simply flailed and chewed into splinters.

[Tom J McDonald]

The first pic is spooky.

[lenser]

That first one is of a neighborhood adjacent to the hospital which suffered a direct hit and where several patients succumbed to the effects of the storm. The nine story hospital is being evaluated by engineers to see if it has to be torn down or can be restored. The trees you see were a blend of huge 100 plus year old oaks and many other kinds of very large and beautiful trees that practically formed a vast canopy over many of the houses and streets. This image is microscopic compared to the reality. It must be many dozens of blocks and hundreds of acres in just these areas near the hospital that all look exactly like this. It extends very widely beyond just this part of town.

[lenser]

The third image is of a small area of a 430 plus unit storage facility. This is one of the better preserved parts of the structure. Much of it was mowed to the foundations.

The other two are of ST. Mary's Catholic Church. The cross was installed in the 1940's and survived an earlier tornado in the early 1960's that seriously damaged the front of the building but didn't damage the cross. It again survived without visible damage as did the statue of St. Mary which someone leaned against remains of the entryway.

Feels like there is something particularly symbolic and defiant here in the face of the rage of this storm.

The damage is said to be up to seven miles long and more than 3/4 mile wide. Both the Walmart Supercenter and the Home Depot collapsed on untold numbers (but said on the news to be hundreds) of shoppers and workers. Only bits of walls remain.
It is far more graphic than my efforts could possibly show.

[lenser]

A strong word to the wise regarding insurance. One of my friends had a full storage unit shown in that third photo.

Her insurance company is denying her claim because it was not added as a location on her renters insurance policy.

I verified this with my agent that renters or home owners insurance does not cover a storage unit unless it is named on the policy by address and unit number(s). My own insurer does not charge extra for this. He confirms strongly that any claim on contents would be denied if the site is not listed.

[Paul Bujak]

I checked with my insurance company (the good hands guys) and the contents of my storage unit are covered as personal property. It is not necessary that I list the contents or the location. Of course, the building is not covered.