At about 6 p.m. last night in Joplin, Missouri, a gigantic tornado touched down and tore through the town, leaving devastation in its mile-wide wake. Buildings were left in ruins, electrical fires started, and cars were thrown through the air. So far, 89 people have been reported dead by local authorities. This morning, images of the burned and shattered St. John’s Regional Medical Center, the local hospital, have been filling television news reports. The Joplin storm was not the only deadly one to hit Missouri yesterday — violent weather struck across the state, including a tornado in Minneapolis that left one dead and many injured. Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard; President Obama is sending FEMA to help.
Below, Good Morning America rounds up some of the most intense up-close footage of the storm.
