Sunday, June 5, 2011

Joplin tornado aftermath

Photographing the devastation in Joplin was the toughest assignment I've had yet. My friend and coworker Roseann Moring put it into words better than I can, but all of our words and pictures just can't convey the overwhelming destruction and sorrow there.

Roger Dedick walks down 18th St. in Joplin, Mo., where his home was destroyed the previous evening by an EF5 tornado that razed about 30 percent of the city.

Carolyn Hall salvages a photo from her home at 2822 E. 18th St. in Joplin, as her sons Chase, 15, left, and Zach, 13, sort through the rubble on Monday, May 23, 2011.

Angela Harris (facing camera) hugs Michelle Trolinger on New Hampshire Ave. near 20th St. in Joplin on Monday, May 23, 2011.

Joplin firefighters pause their recovery efforts to take shelter from a thunderstorm inside the tornado-damaged Great Plains Federal Credit Union in Joplin on Monday, May 23, 2011.

Coworkers Cindy Albers, left, and Kim Hoosier hug on 20th Street near New Hampshire Ave in Joplin on Monday, May 23, 2011.

Richard Bashor looks for salvageable books at his home just south of Joplin High School on Wednesday, May 25, 2011.

An aerial view of tornado damage in Joplin on Tuesday, May 24, 2011.

Jason Boswell, left, and Leif Anderson watch Caleb Smith secure a flag to a tree branch at 24th and Iowa Streets in Joplin on Wednesday, May 25, 2011. "We're getting ready for Obama," Anderson said.

3 comments:

Aaron said...

I like the last one. It looks rough out there.

Clare said...

Wow. What terrible devastation. Especially like one and two, feel like I am right there.

register.christina said...

Hi! The first picture is of my dad!! Thank you so much for sharing a small part of our story! Your thoughts and prayers mean so much!

Sincerely,
Christina Dedick