The Violent EF5 Tornado That Tore Through Joplin, Missouri and Killed 158

On the evening of May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, leaving behind a level of destruction many survivors said looked like a war zone.

More than a decade later, the tornado remains one of the deadliest and most devastating storms in modern American history. Renewed attention from Netflix’s 2025 documentary The Twister: Caught in the Storm has brought the disaster back into public view, this time through the eyes of survivors who remember exactly how quickly an ordinary Sunday became one of the darkest days in Missouri history.

The massive tornado killed 158 people directly, injured more than 1,000 others, and destroyed large portions of the southwest Missouri city in less than an hour. Entire neighborhoods disappeared. Schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses were flattened by winds estimated at more than 200 mph.

For many residents, it is still a day they can replay minute by minute.

The Tornado Grew Violent Within Minutes