Witnessing Resilience: Covering the Joplin Tornado's Aftermath in 2011

In my 13 years working in TV news, the Joplin tornado on May 22, 2011, was undoubtedly the most significant event I covered. That weekend was hectic with breaking news. The day before the tornado, I was on call for a water rescue in Oswego and a fire in downtown Pittsburg, thinking those would be major stories to follow up on during the week.

On May 22nd, it was unusually hot for May in Kansas, with temperatures in the upper 90s. I had spent the day mowing the lawn, and by the afternoon, I noticed storms moving in. Near Crestline, Kansas, the sky turned ominously dark. At my parents’ house, we experienced heavy hail and strong winds. As the storm passed, damage reports from Joplin started coming in over the police scanner. I texted Lisa Olliges to ask if I should head over to shoot video, and she confirmed they needed help with coverage.

Driving through Galena into Joplin, I had no idea what to expect. The closer I got to Main Street, the more debris I saw on the roads. By the time I reached 20th and Main, the scene was chaotic. Growing up in Southeast Kansas, I knew Joplin well, but the destruction was so extensive that it was hard to recognize familiar places. Street signs were gone, and most homes were destroyed. I saw officers helping people out of the wreckage while others frantically searched for loved ones amid limited cell service.

Our newsroom was scrambling to locate our reporters and anchors, including Steve Slivka and Jordan Aubey, who lived in the storm's path. It took a few hours, but we eventually connected with them. Back at the station, I edited video and uploaded it for CBS news broadcasts. My boss, Kristi Spencer, asked me to go on TV to share what I had witnessed. Despite still being in shock from the devastation, I went to the studio. That night, colleagues Brandon Spiegel and Angela Greenwood anxiously asked if their apartments were affected. I couldn’t give them an answer at the time.

I left the newsroom at 11:00 pm, preparing to be live at Mercy Hospital for the morning show. The reality of the tornado’s impact hit me when Zach Fletcher and I arrived at the hospital, which was swarming with over 50 news crews. The morning was filled with live shots and interviews with officials about the damage. This story dominated our coverage for the entire summer.

President Obama visited Joplin twice that year: a week after the tornado and again for the Joplin High School graduation in 2012. The one-year memorial was both somber and uplifting. The tornado's aftermath revealed extraordinary acts of kindness as strangers helped one another, and donations poured in for those in need. Witnessing the community rebuild Joplin was truly inspiring.