Andy Nelson, Photojournalist

Joplin - All That Remains

On May 22, 2011, an F5 tornado devastated Joplin, MIssouri. The storm was among the deadliest ever recorded, claiming the lives of 158 people. It caused nearly $3 billion in damages making it the costliest tornado in U.S. history.  

I arrived in Joplin on May 24. The immediate shock of the storm was still fresh. My goal was not to make pictures that were the classic news photographs of people trying to salvage what they could of their lives and belongings. My intention was to shoot panoramic photos incorporating some of those who had been affected by the storm. I wanted to make pictures that 50 years after the storm would be able to answer the question - "What did it look like."  

  • Kay and Ed Boyd rode out the tornado in a closet. It is all that remains of their home. {quote}She wanted to get into the bathtub but I said {quote}No, you get in that closet,{quote} said Ed Boyd.Five minutes later they had lost everything.
  • Hugh Hills, 86, lived in his Joplin home since the 1960s. He lost everything in the tornado including a large collection of native american artifacts.
  • A makeshift cross rises over the remnants of a home.
  • A framed portrait of the Virgin Mary rests on a debris pile in Joplin.
  • William Hahn and Jamie Hahn were newlyweds when the Joplin tornado upended their lives, destroying their home. They believe their relationship will be stronger because they must pull together to overcome their losses.
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