SLFS Review – JOPLIN MISSOURI: A TORNADO STORY

Review by Barbara Snitzer

JOPLIN MISSOURI: A TORNADO STORY screens as part of The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase on Monday, July 9th at 7:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Blvd.

Joplin native Chip Gubera’s documentary JOPLIN MISSOURI: A TORNADO STORY is a comprehensive, informative account of the devastation wrought on his hometown by a natural disaster and its subsequent recovery.

On May 21, 2011 the deadliest tornado ever recorded struck Joplin, an F5 in which wind gusts exceeded 200 mph. In fact, it was not a single tornado, but a multi-vortex tornado created by two converging storms. As local meteorologist Jeremiah Cook explained, this meant that the half mile wide tornado had several “fingers,” each an individual tornado, and the rains were so heavy one could not see them before they struck.

Narrator George Noory’s jovial voice and the monotone recollections of survivors belie the overwhelming scope of the devastation. Fortunately, director Gubera uses footage from weather satellite photos, security cameras, and police vehicle audio and video recordings to convey the immense power of the storm and the apocalyptic destruction it wrought.

Before the rain has stopped falling, the citizens of Joplin begin to come together to account for their neighbors and rebuild their town. Assimilating all the details of how this is accomplished, one begins to realize this disaster could easily be called the “Anti-Katrina”. Missouri state and federal programs contribute funds and facilitate applications for programs like SBA loans. National retailers set up temporary stores and assign some employees to help with cleaning up neighborhoods; local businesses keep their employees on their payrolls, despite lacking inventory or even a location. Church groups anonymously show up to help clean neighborhoods, asking nothing in return and refrain from proselytizing. Insurance agencies proactively file claims for their clients who may be too shell-shocked or depressed to meet deadlines. Donations from charities, celebrities, and countries as far away as, and as surprising as, the United Arab Emirates flow in.

Everything was not perfect; Joplin did attract looters and shady contractors. However, it becomes clear that the sense of community coalesced by the disaster was certainly the greater force. Bail bondsmen will not do business with arrested looters.

The question of why this disaster was so effectively handled compared to Katrina is overtly hinted at, even though it is beyond the scope of this film. However, it does linger in the background and highlights the lack of diversity in the community.

Fortunately, this movie creates a record of the disaster that cannot be had through news updates as it is unfolding. A complete picture is only possible with the passage of time that can allow for a full physical assessment of the devastation and the space survivors need to even begin to process their experience.