Gripping New Tornado Vid From Joplin Captures Tossed Cars, Injured Dog
- Posted on June 8, 2011 at 12:43pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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When I first saw a headline earlier this week noting new footage of the Joplin, MO tornado that wreaked havoc last month, I didn’t click. That was a mistake. I encourage you not to follow suit.
What you’re about to see is probably the most incredible footage from that fateful day. It’s from Jeff Piotrowski and TwisterChasers.com. We featured some of his videos during the immediate aftermath of the storm, and he captured some amazing footage then. But this outdoes all previous videos.
Why?
This video doesn’t just show the tornado and its destruction. What you see is how Jeff and his wife Kathy experienced it, almost in real time. You hear Kathy screaming for Jeff to drive away as shards of debris hit their vehicle, shattering a passenger window and cracking the windshield. You also experience along with them the shock and horror of coming upon two motorists as they struggle to escape their car that had just been tossed about by the twister. And in a heartbreaking series of images, you see Jeff trying to coax an injured dog out from beneath the wreckage of a mangled car.*
The first part will resemble some of the footage you’ve probably already seen, but the second part will blow you away:
*UPDATE:
We have reached out to Jeff for information on the people and the dog seen in the video and are waiting to hear back.
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Comments (80)
Countrygirl1362
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 4:08pmFirst prickling in my spine them tears. Prayers still go out for all those affected. At any time it could be any one of us instead of the other person. But for the grace of God go I.
Report Post »jeckelmyhyde
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 3:42pmMy heart is beaking at breakneck speed just watching this video. It is a very sad situation for all in Joplin, may God be with you.
Report Post »Smoke Ranch
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 3:23pmWow, sad, so sad.
Report Post »Realist
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 3:18pmIncredible I lve in hurricane country and have been through 2 storms one of which was pretty scary and the after math was toppled trees, powerlines, debris all over the place, but nothing like the complete destruction of homes and certainly not the immediacy of having only a few minutes to get to any type of sheltor if it exists. Truly terrifying these storm chasers look under funded basic vehicle, camera, dash cam and head gear, but they did a great job and risked their lives doign so.
Report Post »moreteaplease
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 3:15pmI was worried about what they would find in that overturned car. The power of these tornadoes is unbelievable. I’ve heard people call tornadoes the finger of God. Makes me think every time I see one of these videos.
Report Post »andertuba
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:53pmH.E.A.R.T.b.R.E.A.K.I.N.G!
Report Post »TopOfTheMuffin2u
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:49pmheartwrenching…
Report Post »BellaMia7
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:45pmIt is a brave thing to chase storms, and someone has to do it to provide us with important information. I have a question: this storm had been predicted for days, so why did the high school have their graduation? Let us learn from the mistakes of others.
Report Post »AmericanHorse
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:28pmWow. that’s all I have to say
Report Post »adiabat
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:12pmJeff is one of the finest tornado chasers in the business. He knows how to chase better than anyone, and was far from danger. He also didn’t get in the way of responders… there weren’t any that were available.
Report Post »AwwwYeah
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:59amAbsolutely right! How could this guy and his wife get in the way of “first-responders” when they had to be the first-responders! Let’s not abdicate all of our responsibilities to each other and believe that we have to sit on the sidelines and wait for the professionals to arrive (not to diminish the importance of the trained pro’s, we do need them, too).
You can see this everywhere these days. Like a whole crowd of people standing in a circle around someone suffering a heart attack, or worse, like the guy who was shot in NY and caught on security cams. People just stood there waiting for someone else to do something! Put some freakin pressure on the wounds and try to stop the bleeding!
I was eating lunch one day at a Subway in a grocery store strip mall. The kind with the parking lot divided up by rows of hedges and landscaping. When all of a sudden…OH MY GOD! One tiny section of one of these hedges was smoking. Not on fire, just smoldering from some idiot’s discarded coffin nail. Most people just stared, a few grew a little anxious, and finally someone said to the store owner, “call 911, quick!” WTF! I intercepted him before he got to the phone and asked, “Dude, you got a bucket to mop these floors?” I followed his gaze to where the bucket was, grabbed it, filled it with some stuff called water and dumped it on the damn thing- twice for good measure! That pissed me off cuz it really was a demonstration of how little people are willing to take SIM
Report Post »AwwwYeah
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 1:00amSIMPLE things on and just git-er-done.
Report Post »jpurdy99
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:01pmI’m grateful to this man and people like him. They catch footage like this to remind us to be better. To help others in need. To come together during trials to become stronger. God bless the people of Joplin.
Report Post »ibsoonerfan
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:54pmThe dog is a friend of a friends, he actually started out at home in a crate when the house was hit. Just a few stitches but he is fine but the home is destroyed.
Report Post »GeeWhiz
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:41pmThat guy got WAY too close. I understand storm chasing but the first rule is not getting in the way of the first responders. The second, is don’t risk being a victim yourself. He broke rule two. Lucky both he and his wife aren’t dead.
Heartbreaking.
Report Post »Its Gonna Getcha
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:33pmWhat’s frustrating about understanding what these tornado victims go through is being limited by the frames of our TV & computer screens. There are things in life that no photograph or video can duplicate (at this point). But this video here comes damn close. It’s almost “Spielberg-like” in it’s ability to put you there. It’s also eery and apocalyptic. It’s one more piece of evidence of us humans amazingly getting through it, as if by a Spirit having remained invisible and silent until that point.
Report Post »IvanK
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:12pmUmmmm, ONELEAFTREE , not sure you noticed that the article concerned a Tornado?
Report Post »larman
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:10pmOmg that was sad.
Report Post »SICKANTIRED
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:08pmJust Mind Numbing..wow
Report Post »suran
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:06pmJust the still image of that beautiful, tender dog makes me cry. I’m sorry, I can’t watch it either.
Report Post »escape_from_socialism
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:05pmNothing about Bilderberg meeting right now in Switzerland?
Blazers, Truth has no agenda right?
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:38pmBet no one in Joplin is worried about a Bilderberg meeting right now!! Get a grip on what is important! Bilderberg, CFR, NWO, anybody else cannot define us……only we can do that. Do something about the things we can affect.
Report Post »bravjim
Posted on June 11, 2011 at 11:43amTo Vennoye:
Report Post »While what happened in Joplin is sad, devastating, and scary, and my heart certainly goes out to those folks up there, remember that it is just one town. What we are witnessing around the world, including with the Bilderberg group, affects all of civilization. His response may not be appropriate for this particular thread, it doesn’t change the size and scope or importance of what those clowns are up to. Joplin was devastated, and hopefully they will be able to rebuild better and stronger. If the Bilderberg group gets their way, then it will be devastation on a much larger scale.
DarthMims
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:01pmThis video was absolutely gut-wrenching. It was so reminiscent of what I saw in Tuscaloosa, AL in April. I drive through an area every day on my way to work that is still scarred by broken trees and piles of debris that used to be buildings. It is a constant reminder of the power of nature.
Report Post »Drum Man
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 12:56pmJust incredible footage. So sad.
Report Post »iLovecheese
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 12:55pmwow!
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 12:51pmif you aren’t crying in minute 4, you’re a rock. that dog and that car will stick with us forever.
Report Post »The Big Pickle
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:03pmDid the person in the car with the dog die? They must have been dead…right?
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:17pmAbsolutely right – that chaser was lucky he didn’t get blown away himself. OMG – what a video! http://wp.me/pYLB7-12S
Report Post »GeeWhiz
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:40pmPickle, if there was someone in that car, they didn’t make it.
Report Post »Tusker
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:27pmI cried! I cry every time something like this or other natural disaster happens. THEN reading the stories and seeing the videos… Fukishima? I cried like a baby. I live close to the coast in Southern Alabama and it’s hurricane season now. It’s an unnerving time of the year for us along the Gulf Coast. You never know what‘s going to happen and you pray it doesn’t happen to you!
Report Post »MCB1
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 3:59pmSomeone said later on in these posts that the dog and the owner were reunited. Some stitches but they’re OK. Their house was destroyed though. I watched this today and it made all my complaints about work, etc., seem VERY insignificant.
Report Post »Tusker
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 8:24pmThanks for the nice update MCB1. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my pets especially in a situation like this.
Report Post »787
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 12:51pmWow. Unbelievable.
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:09pmI can think of a few ****** that visit this site, that would say they deserve this! SHAME ON THEM!
God Bless America!
Report Post »Untameable-kate
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:34pmcrackerone
SHAME ON YOU. If you had any concept of who the people on this site are, you would not be able to conceive of them saying anything so horrible. We do get visited by heartless leftist trolls from time to time (like you) who make horrible comments but the conservatives posting here would NEVER say such a thing. You disgust me.
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 5:25pm@ Kate
Think you should re-read my post. I see posts (not a lot) but posts that could be written by members of the Westboro Baptist Church. I have reported a few, that a day latter they are still there, so I’m assuming they are considered free speech. Some of these despicable things they post make want to smash my computer. My point was, I hope they do not post on this story.
Perhaps I didn’t structure my post properly.
God Bless America!
Report Post »OneLeafTree
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 12:50pmSome of the commentors here keep trying to find ways of impeaching Obama or getting him out of office…I want to remind you all of one thing, let’s not forget his predecessor Biden!!!
Eliminating Obama and putting Biden in his place at this point may and, in my personal opinion, will be a worse option. Extending the credit card that Obama has been using on our personal account has been exasporated…let’s not extend that credit card to a new hand that is likely less intelligent and less willing to listen to those around him. At least at this point Obama is being shut down from many angles and forced to accept his failures…bringing in Biden who hasn’t had the finger pointed at him yet in the publics eyes will only compound this problem.
We have to ride this thing out…hope that Obama doesn’t “F” things up any worse and pray that he get’s forced out in the next election.
Our time to heal this nation will come, it always has and it always will. The democrats are folding under their own mistakes, the public will not be able to forget Obama’s negative impact come election time. The Republicans will bring out all the stops and numbers to prove once and for all that Pres. Obama is and will continue to be a failure if he stays in office.
Let’s just hope we have a decent forerunner, someone that this nation can lean on in these hard times.
Report Post »ISeeDanger.com
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:01pmand that has to do with a tornado how?
Report Post »Untameable-kate
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:07pmDid you miss that tornado video? It is terrifying, definitely makes you take a moment to pray for those poor people who lost everything in this disaster.
Report Post »What were you saying again?
DarthMims
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:08pmUh, OK. Nice commentary on the tornado footage.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:21pmThe storm chasers got their rush.
Report Post »The Big Pickle
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:29pmGood news…I contacted the guy that took the video and he said the dog owner is alive and they are reunited.
Thank God for small miracles.
Report Post »WSGAC
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:35pmBiden is not his predecessor, moron! Learn the English language before using words with more than two syllables.
Report Post »getalong
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:36pmI couldn’t help but cry. God bless those who were lost during this tornado. God Bless Joplin.
Report Post »Untameable-kate
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:41pmBig Pickle, thank you for posting that news. It made me feel at least a little better.
Report Post »No1YaKnow
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 1:53pmI was watching the tornado video, not thinking about Obama and Biden. Furthermore, you can never let the fear of something worse keep you from eliminating pure evil. Do you not think that the American people are awake? Biden wouldn’t have the luxury of pulling the race card.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:11pmHey man, we’ll deal with the Jackass (figure of speech) when the time comes.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 2:58pmWow, certainly would be horrible to go through that, the awesome power of Gods’ natural world. But you would think that those who live in these high tornado areas would build cement houses with reinforced concrete walls, it might help. Certainly a storm shelter underground.
Very scary
Always pray for those in need, prayer works.
Report Post »Susanna
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 6:05pmONEleaftree says it all.
Report Post »imreddog
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 11:29pmI went through a tornado in Pryor, Oklahoma in 1942 where we lost everything but a hand full of clothes. I was not quite 5 years old, but I’ll never forget the destruction. I recently read that it was the 5th worst tornado in Oklahoma. The Joplin tornado looks to be a lot worse. The loss of life in the Pryor tornado was just over 100 people. You will never see me chasing a tornado… I’m just not that stupid.
Report Post »savarulz
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 11:37pmWow being close to Joplin this just makes my heart go out even more, what a f’n scary video.
Report Post »el_gancho
Posted on June 8, 2011 at 11:58pmUmmmmm, other than a lot of wind, what does this have to do with the Joplin tornado?
Report Post »seminolebri
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:28amIf it wasnt for the storm chaser 100′s more would have died….
Report Post »epmonroe
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 6:00amWhy are you posting that here? Jerk.
Report Post »sjayruss
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:53amOkay, Oneleaftree, I don’t know what your post has to do with the tornado story, but I can’t let this pass. A predecessor PRECEEDS and a successor FOLLOWS. Please attempt to educate yourself before making an A** of yourself. NIMROD!
Report Post »YesNdeedie
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 5:52pmI’d be willing to take a chance ……….it’s hard to imagine even bumbles being worse than oBUMMER.
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