Tornado In Joplin, Missouri

Last night, a destructive tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri, a small town about 150 miles south of the Kansas City Metro area.  The death toll is currently at 89 people, but the National Guard warned that numbers could grow today as search and rescuers continue their work at sunrise.

St. John's regional hospital took a direct hit from Sunday's twister.  Churches, schools, businesses, and homes are now reduced to ruins.  Jasper County emergency management direct estimated that 2,000 buildings were damaged.

One Joplin resident recorded the terrifying experience from the heart of the storm.  Although there is a lack of clear visual footage, the audio from inside is enough to scare anyone.  The Youtube user who uploaded the video wrote this about it:

 The video i took while at Fastrip on east 20th street. We huddled in the back of the store until the glass got sucked out , then ran into the walk in storage fridge. Sorry for the lack of visuals but the audio is pretty telling of how intense the storm was. The tornado hits at around 1:20 seconds.

"I've lived in this neighborhood my entire life, and I didn't know where I was. Everything was unrecognizable.  Completely unrecognizable," another Joplin resident said.  

St. John's has been updating its Facebook page since the storm hit.

Another Facebook page has been created to help located people in the area.  Emergency officials are asking people to stay away from the area while damage is assessed.  To volunteer, call 1-800-427-4626.

Nurses and doctors looking to help should call (417) 832-9500.