14 Years Ago Today: Missouri Faced a Tornado Disaster

Talk to anyone who lived in Missouri on May 22, 2011 and you'll likely find that they remember that day vividly. I do and I remember that the sky turned black and then it roared. Here are some memories of that day.

The morning of May 22, 2011 was a relatively calm one in Missouri. I remember sunshine started that day, but it certainly didn't end that way.

The trouble started with eerie storm advisories from the National Weather Service

I remember that the Storm Prediction Center sent out an advisory saying that conditions were ripe for explosive storm development especially in southwestern Missouri. It said ""explosive thunderstorm development," with a "strong tornado or two possible." By 2 to 3pm, thunderstorms were starting to pop. As one major supercell started to form on the Kansas/Missouri border, the radar eventually morphed into this horrific satellite signature.

By 5:34pm, Joplin, Missouri had a monster EF-5 tornado tearing through the southern part of the city. By the time it lifted 38 minutes later, 8,000 buildings were demolished and at least 158 lives had been lost. There's another type of damage and loss that few discuss and that's the mental effects that the storm had on many in Missouri that day. Post traumatic stress syndrome has caused many to seek therapy even now 14 years later. That May day in 2011 damaged Missouri in ways we're still dealing with.

Many of those who survived that day in Joplin have retold their story in The Twister: Caught in the Storm which is still available on Netflix.