Buzzfeed has posted an alleged before-and-after picture from a Joplin, MO neighborhood that shows just how utterly devastating the F4 tornado from earlier this week was.
This is reportedly the E 24th St. area between Kentucky Avenue and Grand Avenue. The first picture, from Google Street View, shows what the neighborhood looked like before:
And this is the after:
These are the pictures side-by-side. Besides some slight variations, which can be accounted for when you take perspective into account, the pictures seem to match up:
The death toll from the storm has now hit 117, the single deadliest twister in the past 60 years according to National Weather Service.
Until this week, the single deadliest tornado on record with the National Weather Service in the past six decades was a twister that killed 116 people in Flint, Mich., in 1953.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (142)
quarter horseman
May. 24, 2011 at 12:16pmI shouldnt but I will: 2 bad this one didnt hit Flint instead of Joplin. Sorry I had to, Flint sucks and not much there to destroy the dem’s havent already.
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workinghard
May. 24, 2011 at 12:08pmObama is doing them a favor. The last thing I would want to see in that situation is a racist President who lies constantly telling me how things are going to be just great. He’s should spend the next 18 months catching up with grandpa’s white relatives. Do us all a favor.
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Goyo
May. 24, 2011 at 12:03pmThese two pictures are not of the same location. The stop sign is on a curved curbside. The guy in the second picture is standing in front of a driveway. The curbs are different. Probably the same neighborhood, but not the same street corner. My prayers are with the good people of Joplin.
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SHOOTnCRASH
May. 24, 2011 at 1:00pmI don’t even think they are even the same neighborhood. The before shot is a straight level street that gently rises toward the top. the after shot is a street with a decline at the front quarter that does not exist in the before shot. Also the houses on the right are on a slight hill that doesn’t exist in the after shot. the curb where the guy is standing in the after shot doesn’t exist in the before shot. The more I look at this the more I’m sure these are not the same places at all.
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JJCon
May. 24, 2011 at 2:42pmThe pictures are not the same location. Click on the highlighted word “reportedly” in this article and it’ll take you a site with the corrected street-view photo comparison. The difference isn’t quite as dramatic, but still intense.
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SHOOTnCRASH
May. 24, 2011 at 4:28pm@JJCon thanks for the heads up. the “reportedly” link seems to be the same spot.
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ksagpilot
May. 24, 2011 at 12:01pmWe live 50 miles from Joplin, go there for shopping and Doctors. I’m fearful it will never recover. God bless the people of Joplin.
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joelack55
May. 24, 2011 at 11:52amWhy is Obama doing this to all those poor crackers
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Sugabee
May. 24, 2011 at 11:45amWhy is the guy in the forefront in the exact same body position in both pictures??
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UlyssesP
May. 24, 2011 at 11:56amConspiracy! Its CGI!
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Blazerilla
May. 24, 2011 at 11:44amOh, and one more thing…the media is calling Joplin a small town. It’s not. It is the main population center of the fourth largest metropolitan area in Missouri, and 1/3 of it is gone. Amazing.
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Outlaw_Josey_Wales
May. 24, 2011 at 11:44amThe left said president Bush was a racist, for doing a fly-over New Orleans at 1700 feet in airforce 1 to survey the damage caused by hurricane Katrina.
What has president Obama done in Joplin, MO……..NOTHING
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BurntHills
May. 24, 2011 at 2:36pmobama will get around to Joplin next Sunday, after the streets have been cleared a little so the MO democrat governor can set up a grecian-columned stage for obama to campaign to the survivors from.
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Rillobymorning
May. 24, 2011 at 4:16pmHe hasn’t bothered to fly over Texas either to see the devastation caused by over 2 million acres of land and 900 structures burned by wildfires, but he certainly had time to fly to the TX border for a photo op about immigration (amnesty).
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Bushie
May. 24, 2011 at 6:56pmHim and his ugly wife are too busy stuffing hamburgers while they jet around the world ON OUR MONEY.
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yiska8
May. 24, 2011 at 9:53pmWe thought the President would eventually tour the damage, but he went in for an amnesty photo op on the border. He’ is a truly, callous human being. Joplin has so much to deal with along with the neighboring areas that used Joplin as their main metro area. They’ll need so many prayers and help on the level of New Orleans. Here in Texas we got zero fed help for wildfire damage over millions of acres lost. I don’t know what he’ll promise Joplin, Missouri, but the FEMA red tape alone, will make it so much harder on those good people. Get ready for the pretty words and his “let me be clear” remarks. I’m so sorry Joplin. This Texan has you in her prayers. Blessings.
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ronaldg261
May. 24, 2011 at 4:50pmamazing
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SHOOTnCRASH
May. 24, 2011 at 11:41amI’m gonna question this.The before shot is a straight level street that gently rises toward the top. the after shot is a street with a decline at the front quarter that does not exist in the before shot. Also the houses on the right are on a slight hill that doesn’t exist in the after shot. the curb where the guy is standing in the after shot doesn’t exist in the before shot. The more I look at this the more I’m sure these are not the same places at all.
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waymoregooder
May. 24, 2011 at 1:05pm…I have to agree. Yes, this is so very sad and tragic,
I don’t think this is a photo of the same intersection.
Also, it’s so heartwarming to see the outpouring of aid and that the global community is joining together to help us just like we help everyone else in the world following a natural disaster (????)
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chips1
May. 24, 2011 at 1:50pmI got home from there at 2 am. The intersection is a couple hundred feet past the man. It’s worse in person. Can’t even find my wife’s brothers house or even tell where it was. He is fine in Carterville. When you live there your whole life, you can’t even figure out where you are. It is MAD MAX time here. A prayer wouldn’t hurt.
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taxedenuf
May. 24, 2011 at 11:32amI don’t see our President. He must not care about the white folks in rural Missouri, just as he accused Mr Bush of not caring for the black residents of New Orleans because Bush didn’t fly immediately to Louisiana. Have a pint Obama in memory of the town of Joplin Missouri.
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zcactus2
May. 24, 2011 at 12:37pmNot only that, where was he when he bomb lybia…Rio!! and where are the complaints from NBC MSNBC about the President going to Ireland instead of Joplin!
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DUGinFLA
May. 24, 2011 at 11:29amIt just blows my mind how everything is just…..gone. Nothing was spared. We’ve had some nasty hurricanes here in FL, but nothing in which I’ve seen entire communities removed. Heavily damaged, yes, but never entirely removed.
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UlyssesP
May. 24, 2011 at 11:54amProbably has to do with building codes as well. So. Fl. codes are very specific about hurricane damage resistance.
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4blackhorses
May. 24, 2011 at 6:47pm@ ULYSSEP, While I respect your opinion on the building codes of Florida vs. those of Missouri, may I state that the wind speed of a Categor 5 Hurricane is around 155 M.P.H. While a tornado’s wind speed, and I suspect one of this size did, may reach the wind speed of 250 M.P.H.!
My son, who farms 5 miles outside of Joplin told me that the monsterous storm sounded like he was in it, something you don’t usually experience unless you actually are. He’s in Joplin now with the surrounding farmers and friends, their tractors and other equipment trying to clear the debris.
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seanscythe
May. 24, 2011 at 11:27amIt’s amazing how quickly something that took years to develop could be erased in moments. And they say man is destroying the planet. The planet seems to have no problem cutting down it’s own trees and filling the skys with ash blocking out the sun or burning or cracking out it’s self. The good Lord gives and he can take it. This will only strenthen those affected with the faith and will to rebuild and push on.
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Jezreel
May. 24, 2011 at 11:26amWashington D.C. will be laid waste worse than that in the days to come. You can be assurred of that.
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Blazerilla
May. 24, 2011 at 11:25amI live 25 miles from Joplin and am grateful that we missed it. So many places I know are wiped out and I wonder if people I know are OK. Everyone, please do what you can to help. You can donate at http://www.redcross.org.
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Drum Man
May. 24, 2011 at 11:21amMy heart, prayers and money go out to these unfortunate folks.
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BOMUSTGO
May. 24, 2011 at 11:19amJust like Bush caused the desruction of New Orleans.
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goodgrubguy
May. 24, 2011 at 11:19amUN – F’N – BELIEVABLE!!! This is absolutely heart wrenching to see sie by side. I’m crying and praying as I type this – god bless the people of Joplin.
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Sinista MACE
May. 24, 2011 at 11:18amAbsolutely surreal.
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J.C. McGlynn
May. 24, 2011 at 12:04pmSimply stated and accurate. My dad was in Europe, mobile artillery, and this looks just like some of the pictures he took after shelling a town. Total devastation.
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TraceyM
May. 24, 2011 at 11:17amWow, just amazing. God bless those people.
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katiefrankie
May. 24, 2011 at 11:16amIt makes me think of a war zone.
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Sky0bserv3r
May. 24, 2011 at 11:14amWOW!!!! May we help them any way we can. God bless them.
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satotbs
May. 24, 2011 at 11:13amAmen. May we all help our countryman as best we can.
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Stoic one
May. 24, 2011 at 11:13amI am SO BLESSED… we only have power out and a couple of trees down. This is from the same system but here in SW Ohio
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BOMUSTGO
May. 24, 2011 at 11:21amWhere at in SW Ohio??? I was born in Dayton, and left in1982 to join the USAF.
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BOMUSTGO
May. 24, 2011 at 11:22amI remember Xenia, Ohio like this back in the 70′s after it was hit by a tornado..
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Stoic one
May. 24, 2011 at 11:23amLoveland / Miami Township……. on the NE side of the 275 beltway
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Stoic one
May. 24, 2011 at 11:25amPower will not be on until Weds noon. in 1999 a small twister came through the area and crossed the 275/71 junction……..as the crow flies about two miles.
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Untameable-kate
May. 24, 2011 at 12:25pmYou guys are braver than I am. I looked at a house in SD that was for sale, thinking I might move there. The idea that a tornado might come through that area someday was enough to deterr me from moving there. I live in Arizona, we don’t have any kind of natural disasters here. The midwest is beautiful and seems to have the nicest people, I really loved it every time I have been that far East. Tornados, earthquakes and hurricanes are enough to keep my rump in Az where all we get is hot!
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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
May. 24, 2011 at 1:00pmAround Cincinnati. Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont, Brown, Clinton counties. My power was out all night and when I left for work this morning.
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nfbailey
May. 24, 2011 at 1:01pmUntameable Kate…..I too live in AZ. The unbelievable heat in July and August is nothing at all compared to the rest of the nation’s “what ifs”. We do however have “micro bursts” which are invisible mini tornadoes that can do a lot of damage, like snapping off trees, and relocating things as large as storage sheds in yards, etc. They come with our monsoon season in the summer.
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Gomek
May. 25, 2011 at 8:38pm“I remember Xenia, Ohio like this back in the 70′s after it was hit by a tornado”
I lived in Detroit during that time, and we got a couple twisters off that same storm, albeit, not as bad as around southern Ohio. But I was about 7 and still remember all of us hudled in the basement under the stairs and afterwards going outside and seeing pitch black clouds heading off to the NE and several big elm trees uprooted on my street. Our aluminum shed got tossed into the neighbours yard and there was no damage to most of the houses including ours. But I remember seeing the devastation on the evening news and the thing that sticks out, is seeing a damaged house and the siding was gone, and you could see where the wall leading to the basement collasped and pinned a dog trying to run down the basement but was frozen in mid stride something you don’t forget. Here’s a great site about that days events
http://www.xeniatornado.com/
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WhassupWiDat
May. 26, 2011 at 8:49amKate… We may get Tornados, and Hurricanes, but we don’t get the Tsunamis of ILLEGALS, every night when the sun goes down that y’all do in AZ. And if Hussein Obama and his ‘minions’ has their way, the Illegals, like Locusts, will destroy the US Economy, just as sure as a tonado can do what it has in many parts of the US during this horrendous season. And AZ will be the 1st to get taken out…
God Help and Bless ALL of the people effected by the Weather Crisis everwhere, in this recent rash of storms.
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BOMUSTGO
May. 24, 2011 at 11:12amThe first picture should have a caption, “Before Obama was president” and the second should say,”After Obama became president.” This is a picture of what he is doing to our country. Last week I mentioned that every time ill policy is made toward Israel, disaster strikes America,either natural or man-made.We have sown to the wind and now we are reaping the whirlwind!
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chickenlittle
May. 24, 2011 at 11:53amA little off-topic, but I really agree!
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GdHUs
May. 24, 2011 at 12:16pm@BOMUSTGO
I agree with you, BO is a lousy president. But don’t trivialize this tragic act of nature just to take a cheap political shot at someone. It shows me how much you really care about these people’s suffering.
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yiska8
May. 24, 2011 at 12:26pmI think Obama’s people are hoping the people of Joplin will get it together in time for” The Great Obama “to make an appearance after his Euro vacation on Sunday. A whole week after one of the worst tornadoes in history. The people of Joplin don’t have enough to deal with. Now they’ll have to deal with Secret Service and his propagandists cherrypicking people for photo ops. No shame. He’ll head for the Red Cross shelters and shake some hands,give empty hugs, and pose. I hope no one talks to this guy. Deny his minions any interviews ,as he has turned his back on average Americans. Of course this is all contingent upon his ability to squeeze this trip into his world hopping schedule.Maybe he’ll only be there an hour or two. My God, even Israel’s Netanyahu had warmer, more believable words for the people of Joplin and the MidWest. Blessing upon the people of Joplin.
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grandmaof5
May. 24, 2011 at 4:56pmThe people of Joplin will hopefully be somewhere else (maybe Ireland checking of their heritage) when POTUS comes to town. He would be the last person I would want to see, just another chance to deliver a campaign speech.
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Please-sir-I-want-some-more
May. 24, 2011 at 11:08amGod bless those poor people!
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SLARTIBARTFAST
May. 24, 2011 at 11:20amAmen to that. What more can be said, other than our prayers?
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ozchambers
May. 24, 2011 at 11:32amunbelieveable. The tornados this year are ferocious.
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ozchambers
May. 24, 2011 at 11:33amreminds me of Homestead, FL years ago after a hurricane.
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Gold Coin & Economic News
May. 24, 2011 at 11:39amThe weather is mimicking what our President has done for the last 2.5 years and what congress has done for the last 6, total destruction.
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Robert-CA
May. 24, 2011 at 11:44amUnbelievable .
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chickenlittle
May. 24, 2011 at 11:51amI live about 60 miles from this Joplin tornado area. While we are very much used to tornadoes in this area (especially in the spring), the devastation of one this big going through such a heavily populated area, is especially difficult.
As a special NOTE for all us political people:
The city of NIXA, Mo. has decided not to keep maintaining the warning sirens in the area. Not only are they unwilling to maintain them, I see where they are paying to REMOVE them! They cite BUDGET concerns! One in particular that they are removing is about a mile from me… right in the area we had a major F3? in 2006, causing major damage but no loss of life if I remember (It missed us by 1/2 mile and this area is particularly prone to tornadoes for some reason.
This is a prime example of selfish officials using extortion to promote higher taxes. As usual, there are many different things any sensible human could think of to cut… but this makes for more dire headlines. Seems to me that the actual SAFETY of citizens should exactly what we pay for with taxes, instead of all levels of government being in the financial development business. Luckily we are over the border in another town where they haven’t resorted to this particular one yet. I can only speak for me, but we do actually have to rely on sirens… as opposed to the weather alert radios (which we also have), that can’t always be monitored 24/7.
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J.C. McGlynn
May. 24, 2011 at 12:01pmAnybody else notice that our fantastic president, on his Irish trip, has said absolutely nothing about this?
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BlazingPatriot
May. 24, 2011 at 12:10pm~ ~ ~ I stand with Israel ~ ~ ~
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chickenlittle
May. 24, 2011 at 12:13pm@ J.C…. very interesting observation! Probably doesn’t want to interrupt his vaca…… errrr… policy discerning junket.
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mtnclimberjim
May. 24, 2011 at 12:26pmThese people need to rebuild underground. The technology of underground homes is amazing. They can be set up that you get more daylight than a standard home, not to mention the efficiency of power use. To many positives not to consider.
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chirodoc007
May. 24, 2011 at 12:44pmThe “Before and After” shots make the “After” shots so much more powerful. I don’t think that you can appreciate the damage without knowing what was there before the tragedy struck.
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GODSAMERICA
May. 24, 2011 at 12:47pm@ChickenLittle
We will be praying that something happens that will either bring enough light on this that they reverse their course or that something happens that will allow them to stay in place and be monitored properly. Using something like this is of the lowest of the low and it goes way beyond them needing to feel ashamed. If something happens and someone dies I believe that they should be held accountable for it if they are removing them for what you said which I can easily believe.
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unsalvageable.org
May. 24, 2011 at 12:50pmWhen will the POTUS begin to address the issuses happening here. While he is out traveling the world to discover his “heritage”, thousands of people are suffering here. Come home Mr. President and show those that have been devistated by these tornados that you care about them and be a leader for once! http://www.unsalvageable.org
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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
May. 24, 2011 at 12:53pmYou can’t disturb the president on his vacation, he is having so much fun trying to act Irish. Why is he always gone when we have a catastrophe? During the BP crisis, he MADE himself scarce. The guy hates his job, but loves campaigning.
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obamanation
May. 24, 2011 at 1:00pmI’ll take California earthquakes & wild-fires any day over that. I feel really bad for those people.
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imreddog
May. 24, 2011 at 1:09pmThis reminds me of a tornado that I was in in 1942 in Pryor, Ok. My dad was doing construction work for the war effort and the government had us move often… I remember being in one place for 1 week. Because of the frequent moves and the problem with housing, we lived in a small trailer.. people would call it “ruffing it” now. Anyway, the tornado wrapped our trailer around a telephone pole that tore a hole about 8′ wide in both walls and the roof. Our car had the roof flattened down to the seats. My dad jacked up the roof of the car high enough to drive to trade it in on another car. We gathered a hand full of clothes and went to my grandparents where we started over. In those days there weren’t all of the govt agencies to help. I was about 4-1/2 when this happened, but I’ll never forget. This is why I try to give to the Salvation Army when something happens like this tornado. We had other personal disasters throughout my life, but the tornado was the most devestating. If you can afford to give, please help financially… these people have lost everything. “Thoughts and Prayers” are appreciated, but they don’t buy the food and clothing that these people need.
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chickenlittle
May. 24, 2011 at 1:36pm@GODSAMERICA…
Your sentiments are appreciated. You might be interested to know that within a week of this news of the sirens’ removal being in the local paper, crews were out taking them down. They even had signs to put in place of them, at the base of the poles, notifying people they were doing it. I can get you a picture of the one I see a mile from here. That’s just more proof that government can act VERY fast if the change is going to be controversial… and very slow when they don’t want to do something that is desired by the people… witness the Obamacare fraud ram-through.
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glashole
May. 24, 2011 at 3:27pmLord knows that none of us want this to happen to anyone, weather we know them or not, weather we agree with their political views or not. It is begining to look like God has a stimulus plan all his own. Rebuilding America caused by storm devistation all over the US.
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old white guy
May. 24, 2011 at 4:57pmi sincerly hope God does bless those who survived and those who lost love ones.
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psychosocial1
May. 24, 2011 at 6:32pmFirst of all, positive thoughts and prayers to all of the people in the town of Joplin, MO. Second, I think it is in very poor taste to make ANY kind of political statements regarding a tragedy of this scope, but I realize that most of you folks will use any and all situations to take a shot at anyone without an R after their name. For those folks I’ll leave you with this link demonstrating what “compassionate conservatism” is all about.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55513.html
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HairOfTheDogSob
May. 24, 2011 at 7:06pmI for one pray a twister hits the white house…with the place full of obaumas..AMEN
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savarulz
May. 24, 2011 at 10:02pm@ JC Yes King Obama didn’t say anything but Prime Minister Netanyahu did.
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Parnell3rd
May. 24, 2011 at 11:41pmAmen to the prayers. I was in Huntsville, Al. a couple of weeks ago and saw a neighborhood that was hit by tornadoes. My heart goes out to everyone affected. I was blessed with much help from family, friends, and strangers last year during the Tennessee floods. I try to help with more than prayers when I can.
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Shoalster
May. 25, 2011 at 8:36pmUh…… I don’t think underground homes would really be the answer. Many deaths were in the hospital, vehicles , workplace ,Home Depot, and other commercial buildings.
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CommonSence411
May. 26, 2011 at 10:14amAll prayers going out to the people in Joplin.
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