Please Pray For Joplin

Yesterday when I posted the tornado sirens were going off here in Pittsburg.  We quickly ascertained that the worst of the storms were going to pass just south of us (the sirens go off when a tornado is spotted anywhere in the county).   This felt like pretty typical spring weather here in S.E. Kansas.  This is what the radar was showing.

We sat down to eat supper while listening to the news on TV and learned that a tornado had touched down in Joplin, MO, just 30 miles to the southeast of us.  While that was troubling, we expected to hear that a few trees were maybe toppled and some roofs damaged. 

The radar turned to this. You can see both Pittsburg and Joplin clearly.

What a shock as the news started to filter in.  Joplin took a direct hit with what may turn out to have been an F4 tornado that cut a swath through the center of town.  One of the two large hospitals was heavily damaged (St. Johns).

This is the same area.

There are pictures all over the web if you Google Joplin, MO tornado and many, if not all, of the major TV networks are covering the story.  The death toll is now up to 89 and climbing.  One of our granddaughters is a police officer and her husband is a fireman. They were both called out last night from their hometown of Neosho. 

Please pray for those affected by this storm and for those who are working so hard to find people still missing.

This morning another severe storm is building to the west of us.