2011-05-22 Joplin, MO tornado thread

[Jeff Duda]

My grad school adviser went on a damage survey with Tim Marshall this week. When I met with him today he told me that he spoke with someone (I forget their profession, but I was given the impression that they knew quite a bit) who said that he thinks the death toll is going to end up much higher than what it currently is. Again, this is 3rd hand information, but I have heard something like this.

CORRECTION: I need to make a correction to my statement above. I think what I was reading influenced my memory of my meeting with my adviser. He said that they suspect some corpses will remain buried in the debris. He said at least one body was discovered in the debris after the search and rescue was called off.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

If that is true, then it would be the most deadly tornado in US history.
Not that I necessarily believe this account; but I did wonder why the media didn't bring up the numbers of missing.
If they did - I missed it.
Hmmmm . . .

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Dude, I cant even begin to comprehend this. I hope your very wrong.

You would think that if this were true, and there were in fact 2,000+ corpses than the list of missing people would be huge... like multiple pages long. I find it rather hard to believe that they have 2,000 corpses.

 

[Elaine Spencer]

the number of deaths is grossly higher than the number being put out.. That because of so many unidentifiable corpses, they can't officially confirm someone's death until they have been identified. She told me there's 2000 + dead

Is it possible that your friend heard or overheard something about a large number of unidentifiable "remains" being found and wrongly assumed that it referred to the number of individual bodies that had been found?

Notice the quote about halfway through this story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110529/ap_on_re_us/us_joplin_tornado

"State officials say there are 142 sets of human remains at the morgue handling those killed by the storm and some could be from the same victim."

 

[Jeff Snyder]

The death toll now stands at 139 from the tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, a week ago, with more than 100 people still unaccounted for, officials said today.

--> http://abcnews.go.com/US/joplin-missouri-tornado-death-toll-rises/story?id=13711107

I suppose that "more than 100 people" does include 2000+, but I find it unfathomable that they'd use such a low number if they have so many bodies. Also:

Missouri officials said Saturday the number of people unaccounted for stands at 100. The Missouri Department of Public Safety said that within that number, nine people have been reported dead by their families, but state officials are working to confirm those.

--> http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110528/NEWS03/110529509

I find it extremely unlikely that the death toll will rise significantly (50+) from where it is right now (139).

 

[Andrew Burnett]

the number of deaths is grossly higher than the number being put out.. That because of so many unidentifiable corpses, they can't officially confirm someone's death until they have been identified. She told me there's 2000 + dead

Is it possible that your friend heard or overheard something about a large number of unidentifiable "remains" being found and wrongly assumed that it referred to the number of individual bodies that had been found?

Notice the quote about halfway through this story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110529/ap_on_re_us/us_joplin_tornado

"State officials say there are 142 sets of human remains at the morgue handling those killed by the storm and some could be from the same victim."

Yeah this specific rumor has been debunked every day during the press conference for the last 3 days. They don't have any more bodies than what they are counting. I wish folks would quit repeating it.

 

[Bob Hartig]

I disbelieve that figure. While I don't credit the media for infallible accuracy, 2,000 fatalities--1,861 beyond the count given--goes far beyond the pale, and I can't fathom any reason to conceal such a number. If that many people had really died, the truth would inevitably be discovered. This disaster is already sensational, and as such is exactly the kind around which rumors get propagated.

 

[Andrew Burnett]

Very good friend and reliable source told me the number of deaths is grossly higher than the number being put out right now. A family memberof my friend works for the coroner's office there and told her this. That because of so many unidentifiable corpses, they can't officially confirm someones death until they have been identified. She told me there's 2000+ dead. A lot of these come from the home depot and walmart and old neighborhoods.

Now I was told this last night. I just wanted to enjoy a nice dinner with my family at a restaurant my friend works at and got this bomb dropped on me. Shes from Joplin, her family being one of the most well known there and has lived there forever.

It's wrong.. it's been floating around for days. Any public official would be commiting job suicide to withhold info like this. The City manager has debunked it during each of the last 3 pressers. The count given is likely higher than it should be, not lower. The count INCLUDES unidentified remains and may actually duplicate counts. I can also think of no other thing of this nature where count was withheld due to not being identified. It's just not standard practice.

 

[STurner]

The death toll could sadly end up being around 200 or so give or take a few, but 2,000 sounds way too far fetched. I think the death toll now stands at 142.

 

[jeremy wilson]

-->


I find it extremely unlikely that the death toll will rise significantly (50+) from where it is right now (139).

I agree jeff. In the age of instant information, 2000 dead would have inevitably leaked by now.

 

[Scott Vanzandt]

My friend who is a Joplin police officer says they found bodies 75 miles away. I don't think I can believe that. Does anyone know if this is possible? That's a long way for a body to travel in a storm.

 

[Timothy Schaffer]

My guess is that he miss-typed. Meaning 200 instead of 2000.

though i find 200+ at this point quite a stretch.

 

[rdale]

My friend who is a Joplin police officer says they found bodies 75 miles away. I don't think I can believe that. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Raises hand

Not possible.

 

[John Vandehei]

My friend who is a Joplin police officer says they found bodies 75 miles away. I don't think I can believe that. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Put me in the impossible category as well. However, I found this article interesting. Debris (paper) from the Joplin tornado was found over 500 miles away. This seems more plausible.

 

[rdale]

Debris (paper) from the Joplin tornado was found over 500 miles away. This seems more plausible.

You missed the followup

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/201...debris-didnt-go-500-miles/UPI-91971306531219/