Joplin, Missouri: More Incredible Pictures and Videos of Devastation

The UK Mail online has some incredible photos and videos of the devastation in Joplin, Missouri.

As I mentioned before, Bro and I lived there in childhood, and Joplin has many special memories for us.

I was concerned about the fate of my elementary school alma mater, Irving School. I googled it and was dismayed to learn that Irving School is one of several that are declared "a total loss."  After all these years, the quaint red brick school building is now rubble.  I attended 2nd grade into 4th grade there, until we moved to California in January 1954.

Since our former home was near Irving School, it is a good bet that it was destroyed as well.

See the UK Mail online photos and videos at this link.

God Bless Joplin, Missouri, My Childhood Home

Mom, Little Brother and Sister
Joplin, Mo 1952

Bro and I lived in Joplin, Missouri as children, and our little sister was born there.  I attended grades 1 through 4 in Joplin, mostly at Irving School.  We were cub scouts there and had a great childhood exploring surrounding woods, setting off firecrackers on the 4th of July and swiping our dad's cigarettes and smoking them in the woods.  We got our first television set in that house (it barely worked), and I learned of the death of Hank Williams (Sr) there, too, something I will never forget.

Now Joplin is very much in the news, having endured the destruction of a major tornado, or as we used to call them, "twisters."  Bro and I spent the night in a cellar on two occasions when a twister passed over Joplin; one of these did some damage to the town, but nothing like this new one.  Much of the city is rubble and the death toll stands at 122, but is rising, according to news reports.

We lived in a little gray, stone house on South Pearl street.  Bro went back to visit Joplin after a 50 year absence, and the current residents of our old house allowed him in to reminisce.  I hope that little home is intact and its current owners are safe.

Here's a picture of our home with our mom, kid brother and little sister in 1952.

Related Posts:  See the BlogProf's Harrowing 1st Person Video of the Joplin Tornado.  He also has an AP video of the twister tearing up the landscape.

Tornado Watch for San Jose, Santa Clara and San Francisco Bay Area

A tornado watch is in effect in my neck of the woods -- namely, the Bay Area, including Morgan Hill, where my favorite cigar store is located.  Call out the national guard!  Sandbags now!!

Seriously, I have never seen a tornado in California, though I lived through several as a child in New Mexico and Missouri.  Winds have been strong here and it has been raining heavily.   My band practice was called off due to a prolonged power outage in San Jose.  Tornado?  I'll believe it when my roof disappears.

Right now the weather is fairly mild -- no wind, but the streets are still quite wet.

Update for Jan 21 (Thursday) -- The U.S. Severe Weather Map doesn't show any tornado warnings for California today, but there are plenty of warnings about possible flooding.  See the map here.