Community Corner

City of Hazelwood Law Enforcement, Firefighters and EMS Help Joplin Tornado Victims

The agencies are looking to collect new items including perishable food products, clothing, toys and hygiene products for Joplin tornado victims.

Just one month after and businesses, Mother Nature's wrath struck Missouri with what is being called the one of the most deadly tornadoes in state history.

The tornado that ripped through the town of Joplin May 22 has killed 140 people and injured hundreds. In days since the tornado hit, the number of deaths continue to increase as emergency responders sift through the rubble. Many are trying to collect the salvageable and figure out next steps.

“We don’t know whether the Joplin tornado will be the worst in Missouri history,” said Ben Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s (NWS) St. Louis Office. “It’s too early to say because we don’t have all the information yet.”

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Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency in Joplin and deployed the National Guard. Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is coordinating state and local responders through regional mutual aid agreements and requests filed with the agency.

HELPING HAND

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Many area fire departments and EMS crews went down to aide in the recovery efforts like the Rock Community Fire Protection District. Those that did not are also coordinating fundraising  and other efforts to do their part.

"They don’t even have the basics such as food, shelter and clothing,” said Sgt. Don Routh, N.A.T. Supervisor/Volunteer Coordinator for the Hazelwood Police Department. “Both the city’s police and fire departments have been inundated with phone calls from many of our compassionate residents, asking us what they could do to help the folks in Joplin.

"So we decided to pool our resources and start a Joplin Disaster Relief Campaign.”

In a joint effort between the , and , a disaster relief collection campaign has begun to give local residents and businesses an opportunity to donate items or cash. People are welcome to bring new donated items and money contributions to the following drop-off locations:

  • (City Hall), 415 Elm Grove Lane
  • , 6100 N. Lindbergh Boulevard
  • , 6800 Howdershell Road
  • , 5480 Brown Road

Dave Radel, Hazelwood's assistant fire chief, said the need for donated supplies is urgent.

“Most of these people are literally starting from scratch," he said. "So any basic items you think you would need on a daily basis would be greatly appreciated. Time is of the essence.”

Some of the items needed include:

  • Nonperishable food
  • Bedding
  • Personal hygiene items (i.e. soap, deodorant, tooth brushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, hair shampoo; towels/wash cloths)
  • Women’s personal hygiene products; cleaning supplies (i.e. bleach, mops, plastic gloves; laundry detergent, dish soap)
  • Baby supplies (i.e. disposable diapers, formula, baby food, clothing)
  •  Socks
  • Other clothing itemsfor people of all ages

The most requested items include:

  • Socks
  • Disposable Diapers
  • Infant formula
  • Baby Food
  • Baby Clothing
  • Cleaning Supplies (ie. bleach, mops, detergent)
  • Personal Hygiene Items (ie. soap, deodorant, tooth paste, tooth brushes, wash cloths, towels)
  • Women's Personal Hygiene Products
  • Children's Plush Toys
  • Dog and cat food and related pet supplies

Donations brought to the drop-off locations will be gathered, loaded and transported to Joplin where The Salvation Army will handle the distribution of these items. Cash donations will also be accepted by the police and fire departments as well. Checks should be made payable to The Salvation Army, and the phrase “Joplin Tornado Relief” needs to appear on the memo line.

“Many of these people have lost everything," Routh said. "There’s nothing left to salvage – not even family heirlooms or precious photo albums. It’s all gone."

TORNADO ALLEY

It’s been a busy severe weather year for the St. Louis area.

On April 22, tornadoes hit Ferguson, Maryland Heights, Bridgeton and other North St. Louis counties, forced Lambert St. Louis International Airport to close and caused significant damage to the surrounding region. No one died in that tornado.

On New Year’s Eve, a tornado swept through Sunset Hills and Fenton caused major damage to area homes, businesses and churches. A Fenton resident died of injuries she received during that tornado after winds lifted her car off the ground and threw it into a concrete median in Fenton.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ben Miller said Missouri's tornado season is from March through June.

“But we can and do have tornadoes at other times of the year like we did on New Year’s Eve, and storms typically tend to be a lot stronger during the colder months,” he said.

Pat Guinan, a climatologist at the University of Missouri Extension’s Commercial Agriculture Program, said Missouri averages 32 tornadoes a year.

He said the state’s deadliest tornado occurred in St. Louis on May 27, 1896 when 137 people were killed and 800 injured.

Listed below are Missouri tornado statistics for the last five years from the National Weather Service.


2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Total MO Tornadoes 65 45 93 42 102 32 Deaths    4* 3 19 3 13 1 Injuries 19 11 232 3 273 7

* There was one death that occured in 2011 from the New Year's Eve tornado that hit Fenton in 2010.


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