Happy New Year! Visiting Friends in Joplin and the Book That Sparked an Obsession

Happy New Year friends! I hope 2023 is being kind to you so far. 

Mother Nature decided to mark the new year with her own fireworks, as severe storms impacted Oklahoma, Arkansas and other southern states Jan. 2. Several storm chasers caught footage of their first tornadoes of the year, including some that caused damage in Arkansas. No injuries or deaths have been reported, thankfully.

I was in Joplin, MO, for New Year's, visiting my good friend and chase partner, Mira, and her family. The weather was unseasonably warm for New Year's Day, so we spent most of the day outside, walking her dog at a nearby park. The day prior was also pretty pleasant, so we ventured into Joplin to a local hardware store that's closing after 100 years in business. The store had a few interesting items, and I picked up a weather radio for my younger sister. Mira and I also got little LED flashlights. I've stashed mine in my backpack as part of my "just in case" gear.

After the hardware store visit, we went to Cunningham Park in Joplin to view tornado memorials. Mira lived in Joplin in 2011 when a massive EF-5 tornado ripped across the midsection of the city, killing 161 people and injuring thousands of others. She still lives with PTSD from that day, from what she saw and heard and experienced. I don't like to ask her about it. I know she did what she could to help people in the aftermath; she and I are both extremely compassionate, and we hate seeing people in pain. Tornado damage is difficult for people to comprehend at times, but major destruction of neighborhoods and businesses from an almost mile-wide, rain-wrapped, deadly wedge tornado is unfathomable, even for people who study severe weather.

This information board is one of several placed around Cunningham Park. Prior to the 2011 tornado, the park used to be in the middle of a neighborhood, full of homes and families. Playground equipment sat in the middle of the park, which was just across the street from St. Johns Regional Medical Center. 

After the tornado, the neighborhood and playground was gone, with homes reduced to piles of lumber scattered haphazardly. St. Johns, a multi-story concrete hospital, was shifted a few inches off its foundation, however there were no fatalities inside the building. The hospital was later razed, and now the area which used to be full of trees and homes is more sparse, dotted with young vegetation and quiet memorials to the victims and volunteers who came to help clean up after the tornado.

The memorials are beautiful, and contemplative. There's a butterfly garden and large mural depicting the "butterfly people" that children claimed protected them during the tornado. Here's an editorial from 2021 recalling "butterfly people" accounts from children and adults. It's a fascinating piece of a largely depressing story. There's also a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article from 2011 detailing tales from kids who said a "butterfly" or "butterfly person" kept them safe from the tornado by wrapping its wings around them, shielding them from debris. I can't imagine enduring such horror as a child.

Because it was a sunny day Dec. 31, the somber memorials echoed with laughter from children playing on the playground and barking from boisterous dogs. We paid our respects and left the park to get some cold drinks.

The Cunningham Park visit reinforced for me the importance of being prepared while storm chasing. More on that to come in later blog posts.

After a day of being out and about, we returned to Mira's house for New Year's Eve dinner and card games. I also showed her the newest book in my little library -- the one that started my obsession with storms, tornadoes in particular.

The book that sparked an obsession.

In the late '90s and early 2000s (sheesh I'm getting older), I went to elementary school in Protection, KS, in USD 300. I remember the library in the K-8 building was on the second floor at the end of the main hallway. It must've been kindergarten or first grade when I discovered a copy of the above book. It was hardcover and had clearly been heavily thumbed through by previous students. 

The cover is what got me at first. That huge dark cloud scraping the ground was a great visual introduction to tornadoes in Kansas. I soon learned that the place where I lived was a bit of a hotspot for severe thunderstorms. I checked that book out a lot.

This book also features a ton of great (and scary) color photos submitted by Kansas residents showing the storms of 1990 from their view. It amazes me how clear and detailed some of the images are. 

Having this book in my collection is like a reconnection with my childhood self. It inspires feelings of youthful nostalgia coupled with sheer fascination for tornadoes, along with awe at the raw power they possess. Those feelings have only enhanced my desire to chase more storms this year, and tornadoes being reported on Jan. 2 lead me to think Mother Nature will be more active this spring. 

My younger sister Melinda got the book for me (thank you Lindy!). We had Indian food for New Year's Day dinner in Topeka. She's ready to do some more chasing this year as well. 

It's been a long time since the Sunflower State has had an active tornado season like what occurred in spring 1990. When it happens again, Mira, Melinda and I will be ready to go. I better save up some vacation days for this spring...

Until next time!