Tenth Anniversary of the Joplin Tornado Approaching

Jaime Green's camera was pointed directly at the
tornado but it was completely invisible

May 21st is the tenth anniversary of the horrific Joplin Tornado which killed 161 people. It was one of the rare cases of the tornado warning system failing during a major storm. When combined with the fact the tornado could not been seen as it approached people were caught completely off-guard. This is why we urge you to act on the tornado warnings rather than going outside (and putting yourself in danger) to look for the storm. 

Because we never want "another Joplin," I wrote and published a book about this unique, horrific storm. It is available for just $2.99, here. We set the price very low because we want everyone to learn the lessons of Joplin so this never happens again. 

When the Sirens Were Silent was meticulously researched. Here is a review from Amazon.com written by a victim of the storm. 

Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars I just read an accurate description of what I 

experienced that day.

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

Mr. Smith's timeline and reporting of the warnings received is spot-on. The book is a 

short read but it makes his points clearly understandable. My son and I are alive 

because of my own gut instinct that came from living in Joplin since I was nine. 

Neither the Joplin emergency management nor the NWS played any role.

One aspect Mr. Smith did not hit on is the policy of cable providers overriding your 

channel selection and forcing your cable supplied televisions to switch to The 

Weather Channel. I don't remember what I was watching on TV before my cable 

box was forced over to The Weather Channel. But, I do remember that I was

 switched over to a TWC show that I had no interest in watching that offered a 

written scrolling warning at the bottom of my TV screen. What I read was 

that the storm was travelling northeast and that Carl junction was in its path. 

Despite the reassurance from TWS and NWS I did what I always did in bad 

weather, go judge for myself. There were NO sirens when my son and I 

took shelter at our apartment complex at 21st and Connecticut. There was only 

gray skies, weird vibes and the sense of doom.

Another factor that I believe played a role in the number of deaths is the simple 

fact that it was a warm late Sunday afternoon in a small city surrounded by smaller 

communities. People come to Joplin to shop, eat, go to the movies, etc. When looking 

at the long list of obituaries well after the storm, I thought it was notable that many of 

the deaths were of people who lived outside of town. I wonder how many were killed in 

businesses they were seeking shelter in.

This is a well-written book and I encourage anyone who is concerned about the risks of 

tornados or who, like myself, is still trying to put together the pieces of what happened to 

us that day to read.

In addition to the story of the tornado, When the Sirens Were Silent has comprehensive storm safety suggestions for home, schools and businesses. This short read should be part of your preparedness for tornado season 2021.