May 22, 2011

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May 22, 2011
Tweet Topic Started: May 11 2013, 11:17 PM (578 Views)
The Red Shadow	May 11 2013, 11:17 PM Post #1
The Seeker Posts: 6,189 Group: Staff (Ret.) Member #120 Joined: February 4, 2008	In 11 days it shall be the two year anniversary of the deadly tornado that struck the city that I live in. I've been trying to decide (for two years now) just how to deal with the events that happened that day. I've wanted to share my tale with all of you but I have difficulties with it at times. But I figure I can either continue to bury it inside or I can just come out with it. I feel very comfortable on this forum and consider quite a few of you to be friends, regardless of distance and that whole internet nonsense. I think its high time I do this. Tonight I'm going to start with pictures. Nothing tells a story like a visual image or two. Or several. As I feel more comfortable I will share some stories about the disaster, from both my perspective as well as the city itself. Thanks to all of you who check this out and who respond. It isn't necessary but it is appreciated. Some shots in and around my former Walmart store. This one is particularly unsettling as it shows everyone packed in tightly just a few minutes before the tornado hit. As you can see, there were plenty of children along with the adults. I was in electronics which was to the right of this picture. This van belongs to a customer who was in the store that day. It was wrapped around a tree near the building. Other parts of Joplin: Portion of the high school The Goodwill store This was a storage place that my dad had stuff in. They wouldn't allow anyone in for a few days which caused him much anxiety. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I think I've said enough, but only for now. More to come soon.



Phantom	May 11 2013, 11:29 PM Post #2
Veteran Posts: 1,833 Group: Senior Members Member #1,105 Joined: November 20, 2012	I know i haven't been on this sight very long but i consider you a friend here, I can understand the difficulty of writing about this it must have been a very traumatic thing to go through, but you know the saying better out than in. Even if you just post bits at a time im sure alot of people on the forum would like to here your story about it including me, im sure people will respect the difficulty of you doing this aswell. Edited by Phantom, May 12 2013, 01:47 AM.



DeeMoney	May 12 2013, 05:36 AM Post #3
Outback Adventurer Posts: 6,734 Group: Admin Member #658 Joined: November 10, 2011	That's horrible mate. No one should have to go through something like that. I also look forward to more mate. Thanks for sharing
	Nintendo Network ID - DeeMoney19 PSN Network ID - hallxx81xx Xbox Live Gamertag - DeeMoney 2K19


scooter77	May 12 2013, 01:12 PM Post #4
New Zealand Member Posts: 1,395 Group: Senior Members Member #730 Joined: January 25, 2012	Thats just incredible, i cant comprehend the forces behind something that can pick up a van like tat and wrap it around a tree let alone destroy buildings like that, just frightening, thanks for sharing.
	"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein PAL Collection: 243/243 NTSC-U only Exclusives: 50/50 NTSC-U / NTSC-J Exclusives: 11/11 NTSC-J only Exclusives: 85/85 64dd 0/9 Only 9 to go.


clarky_n64	May 12 2013, 01:25 PM Post #5
Modding Monster Posts: 2,184 Group: Staff (Ret.) Member #366 Joined: September 27, 2010	That must have been hugely traumatic buddy so I can completely understand your feelings with this We're very fortunate here and don't get such natural disasters but whenever I see something like this my heart goes out for all that have had to suffer. The only good that comes out of something's like this is that communities unite and sort things out together, rich or poor.
	Clarky & Smithy Creations YouTube Channel


bluedogrulez	May 12 2013, 02:16 PM Post #6
Racing for Fulcon Capital Posts: 9,322 Group: Admin Member #281 Joined: March 8, 2010	Red, those are some truly horrifying imagines. I can only hope that event has forged you and your community...few of us will ever have to endure a natural disaster of that magnitude.
	Switch Friend Code: SW-0786-9287-1202 (bluedogBDR) MK8Deluxe Tourney: N64Forever.com 2332-7277-8283 Nintendo Network ID: BDR2010 / Twitter: @bluedogrulez


YogurtStorm	May 13 2013, 11:34 AM Post #7
Your mom is a nice lady Posts: 1,957 Group: Senior Members Member #1,189 Joined: January 7, 2013	That is awful... To think all of that horror could happen on such short notice, just like that. It definitely can change one's perspective on a few things overnight, I'm sure...
	My Youtube Channel: All game. No bla-bla. PS4 ShareFactory gameplay Home of Conker's Corner


The Red Shadow	May 16 2013, 08:34 PM Post #8
The Seeker Posts: 6,189 Group: Staff (Ret.) Member #120 Joined: February 4, 2008	Thank you, everybody, for the responses. I've been trying to decide what to share next and I think I'm going to post up a YouTube video after all. There are a lot of them on YT of before, during and after the storm, but this one seems to be the most similar to the experience I endured at Walmart. It contains some of the same kind of sights and sounds, to a point. This occurred at a Fastrip gas station that wasn't actually too far from my store. Anyway, next time up I will get into the events of that day from my perspective from start to finish. For now, the video. Viewer discretion is advised, of course.



bluedogrulez	May 16 2013, 08:50 PM Post #9
Racing for Fulcon Capital Posts: 9,322 Group: Admin Member #281 Joined: March 8, 2010	Pretty amazing stuff there Red. Gives support to your phrase "the good people of Joplin".
	Switch Friend Code: SW-0786-9287-1202 (bluedogBDR) MK8Deluxe Tourney: N64Forever.com 2332-7277-8283 Nintendo Network ID: BDR2010 / Twitter: @bluedogrulez


Grizzmeister	May 16 2013, 08:56 PM Post #10
Latter-day Nostradamus Posts: 3,243 Group: Legendary Member #457 Joined: March 8, 2011	The pictures do an incredible job of showing just how bad the devastation really was. All I can say is, WOW.
	"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer


The Red Shadow	Jul 29 2013, 10:37 PM Post #11
The Seeker Posts: 6,189 Group: Staff (Ret.) Member #120 Joined: February 4, 2008	I've put this off for far too long. I had trouble getting back into this subject in May what with the anniversary looming and everything but now I'm ready to proceed. This time around I want to describe the day of May 22, 2011 from my perspective. My day, my actions, the sights and sounds, etc. It was a Sunday unlike any other for many reasons, even beyond the tornado. I was scheduled to work an evening shift of 1pm to 10 pm, which was unusual because my typical shifts are earlier in the day, such as 7am to 4pm. Walmart rotates managers over different areas of the store every six months or so and this newer guy was over my area and he wouldn't budge on the schedule (there is this brilliant system in place where the computer makes the schedule and only certain managers will change it to fit the needs of the associates instead of what corporate mandates) so I got the shaft on the shift. A few days earlier I had received a somewhat unexpected house guest: My dad. For most that wouldn't be a big deal but, as much as I love my dad, we find it hard to co-exist at times. I wasn't really prepared for him to be around, even if for only a couple days. But he showed up and decided to stay with me while he was in town. That day I had to go in to work later, as mentioned, so I left him there at my place and made my way in to another super awesome fun time day at Wally World. My life at the time was pretty hard and stressful. I'd separated from my wife the year before and was living on my own after a year with my dad and grandma. My grandma had passed away a few months prior and my dad and I had went our separate ways. I was finally living on my own again for the first time in 9 years. I was getting to see my daughter on a regular basis and maintaining a friendly enough relationship with my ex-wife to keep things civil. There had been some other stressful situations and massive failures on my part earlier in 2011 but I was managing. I had lost 75 pounds the year before (which, sadly, I've almost put back on). I just wanted things to stay sane. That wasn't to be on May 22. The first hours of my shift that day were pretty typical. Help customers, answer phone calls, get TVs out of the back room for potential buyers, shoot the st with my fellow workers and yearn for quitting time. When lunch rolled around at 5pm I mulled over going home but decided against it as my dad was there and I just didn't want my time to relax to be burdened with the kind of conversation my dad liked to indulge in. Instead, I sat on a bench and reflected on all of life's mysteries for about 25 minutes until I made my way to the deli where I grabbed some popcorn shrimp and proceeded towards the front registers to find a drink and make my purchase. As I was walking toward the front of the store I noticed some of the managers talking on their walkies and looking concerned. I paid no attention to the fact that it was ominously dark outside, grabbed a drink and paid for my hasty lunch. I decided the photo center next to electronics would be a good place to eat my munchies and visit with my friend, Doug, so I made my way back there. It wasn't long after arriving there that we heard the first page for a Code Black. That's the Walmart code for severe weather and I have heard it countless times over my near 11 years there. Usually it draws all of us together to the middle of the store and people huddle around listening to a weather radio or checking cell phones for the latest news and before you know it the Code Black is cancelled and we all go back to our respective departments. But on this day we had a new meeting point at the back of the store where our layaway counter used to be located. This little alcove was just around the corner from electronics so I stayed put in the photo center as I expected this to be like any other weather situation and end quickly with no incident. Oh how I was wrong. Doug and I talked, I texted my ex-wife to make sure she was aware of the weather and was somewhere safe with our daughter and I chomped on my shrimp for a minute or two before a zone manager told us we all needed to get closer together in the back. I rolled my eyes and tossed my empty shrimp container in a trash basket and followed Doug towards electronics. I almost went behind the electronics counter to wait it out but I noticed Doug had went into a small aisle of cell phone accessories on one side and CDs on the other. We stood nervously and waited. The tension seemed meatier than ever before and I was starting to get a little worried. I could see many customers and a few of my co-workers around me. I was feeling very surreal as I looked at the familiar surroundings for what would be the last time. I could hear thunder outside and a low, dull sound along with it. People were talking nervously and a few more people were running into the back of the store. The lights flickered a few times and the sound of the storm was growing louder. And then I saw one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. Something I'll never forget for all my days. The ceiling tiles began to dance. If you go into a Walmart these days, especially in bigger cities or in a store that has been remodeled recently, you'll see that they don't have ceiling tiles anymore. Instead, you'll see the grid of metal rafters that prop up the ceiling and roof and the skylights that we employ to save on energy. But my old store was just that: Old. We still had tiles and, therefore, a false sense of security due to not being able to see the bad things that can be happening up in that chaotic sky of ours. It was like having a second blanket over you as a kid when you were scared of the monster in the closet. So when the tiles started to ripple and dance and fall back into place, we all knew things were about to go bad. And they most certainly did. That "freight train" sound that people talk about when recounting tornado encounters? Its for real, yo. The thunder had been replaced with a grim sound of power and force that was gradually increasing. The tiles were dancing and the power was losing its hold on the interior lights. Finally it was gone and we were plunged into a murky darkness that only seemed to set the stage for the horrors of that evening. The tornado was upon us. I remember two things in that next moment: The very distinctive voice of a co-worker named Roger shouting "Get down! Its here, its here!" and the southwest corner of the roof peeling away. Suddenly the ceiling tiles had lost their rhythm and were blowing away in chaos. I hit the tile floor and waited. I can't describe it in any other way. I was looking around, clutching at a shopping cart that was directly in front of me. I was aware that Doug was on the floor next to me but I was somewhere else altogether. I could hear the destruction above me but I was detached in some way. I waited for it to be over as all my years of interest in meteorology had taught me that most tornadoes are small and pass quickly. Only this one wasn't complying and I was starting to get angry. That was the feeling that eventually took the reins when fear and confusion weren't getting the job done. I started to get downright pissed. I started to shout at the whole situation, pleading with it to be over. I yelled at the tornado to hurry up and let us be. And eventually it did. I was starting to calm down and get ready to pull myself up before I heard several people (including Roger) yell that we were only in the eye of the tornado and not to stand up yet. I felt like I'd been punched in the sternum. They were right. A few seconds later it all started up again. Only now we could all look up and see the sky and its brimming turmoil. I didn't watch it for long, though, as I was seriously afraid I'd see a car come tumbling down on me and I didn't want to bear witness to that. The rest of time it took for the tornado to pass is lost to me. I only remember everything becoming calm and looking around once again and seeing people starting to climb out of whatever wreckage they had to contend with. For me, it was a television that had been mounted on the back wall that was now on top of me. That, plus the wall itself. It had toppled over and landed on the merchandise fixtures that comprised the aisle Doug and I had stood in. I slowly slid the detached TV up and over myself and wriggled somewhat free, but I realized that something...or someone...was on my leg. Thankfully, it was a customer who was able to pick themselves up and we all sort of pushed the TVs off of us and tried to assess our situation. I could hear people all around talking, crying, screaming. The tornado was gone but now the rain and hail was depositing itself directly on us in the open spot that used to be the electronics department. It wasn't really cold but I was shivering. Perhaps it was shock. I heard someone yell at another person to put out their cigarette as there was surely ruptured gas lines in the wreckage. People were trying to help others out from under things and a few resourceful folks were taking garbage bags out of a cart and handing them out so we could be a little better protected from the elements. I managed to text and even Facebook that I was all right but that the store was destroyed. I didn't manage to get a phone call out for almost two hours, though. Eventually we had to gather ourselves and get out of the building. Some of the people who were in the restrooms, the backroom and the former layaway area had to climb over the store's back walls while those of us in the department had to head to the front of the store. We filed out slowly and in disarray. I saw destruction everywhere but thankfully never saw any of the deceased. The official count for my store was 3 dead. If that number is true then it is amazing as we had well over 200 people in the store that day between the customers and those of us who had to work. By the time I reached the front doors I was among the last people to get out of the building. There were people already arriving at the store but some of them were getting a little overzealous and were saying there was looting happening. Truth is, it was just some of us grabbing things to protect ourselves from the weather above. Regardless, I was out the door and hoping to find some solace but there was none to be had. The parking lot was a mess. It made the aftermath of any Destruction Derby game look like a child's Hot Wheels in a sandbox. I met up with another friend, a new guy who had only been at the store for a week (what poor timing), named Cory. We wandered around the parking lot looking for our vehicles and surveying the damage. He found his car to be in decent shape. Only a few shattered windows. He grabbed an extra coat from his trunk for me and we went further out to find my Isuzu Trooper I had only owned for 5 months. It was gone, never to be found. We walked around that parking lot and talked for almost two hours. We met up with fellow associates who were working that night as well as with several who came to see what had happened and if they could assist in any way. At one point I was trying to get a call out to my dad and I noticed that I could see the hospital from the parking lot. You couldn't see it before due to all the trees and houses in between. The hospital was about 4 miles away after all. It was yet another surreal moment in a night full of them. I managed to reach my dad finally and he was stunned to hear what had happened. He'd been in the shower at the time it was going down. He heard a knock on the door of my house a little while later and it was my ex-wife telling him what had happened at my request. He was close to the store when I had finally gotten through to his cell phone and was walking to where I was. He finally showed up and I gave him a hug. I was pretty exhausted mentally and physically and just wanted to leave. We had to walk a few blocks to where he was able to park and I climbed into his truck (the same one I own now) and just sank into the seat. I didn't want to see any of the damage so I just looked down. The worst damage was south anyway and we were heading north. I told my dad to take me to my ex-wife's house so I could see my daughter. We rolled up and I made a beeline for the front door. I knocked and my ex-wife opened the door and looked stunned. She opened the door and asked the obligatory "Are you all right?" questions. I assured her I was fine and she called out my daughter. I gave her a big hug and then immediately worried that I might have gotten something on her from the store wreckage that would make her sick. I was on the verge of tears. For the first time all night I was feeling emotions other than anger and confusion. After spending time with my daughter and talking to my ex I left and went home with my dad. I got cleaned up and patched up my right elbow, which I discovered I'd cut. I'd say I got off quite lucky with only one minor injury. I spent the next few hours watching the news, reaching out on Facebook to my friends and co-workers and trying to "degauss" myself for lack of a better term. Eventually I went to bed and had no problem sleeping due to being utterly exhausted. Some might wonder if I had any issues with nightmares of tornadoes and crumbling buildings and the answer is that I never did. I only remember dreaming about the tornado two or three times over the last two years. It was only when I was awake that I had to deal with the trauma, the memories and the flashbacks. And I'll post about that another time. I felt it was pretty important that I get through all of the above and I'm glad that I did. Thanks for sticking with me in this. Edited by The Red Shadow**, Jul 29 2013, 10:46 PM.



DeeMoney	Jul 29 2013, 11:43 PM Post #12
Outback Adventurer Posts: 6,734 Group: Admin Member #658 Joined: November 10, 2011	Thanks for sharing mate. A very interesting read I'm glad you come out of it with no major damage physically or mentally. There are probably a lot who did.
	Nintendo Network ID - DeeMoney19 PSN Network ID - hallxx81xx Xbox Live Gamertag - DeeMoney 2K19


scooter77	Jul 30 2013, 01:22 PM Post #13
New Zealand Member Posts: 1,395 Group: Senior Members Member #730 Joined: January 25, 2012	Thanks for sharing your story with us red, that cant have been easy to write that and relive that time again, i cant comprehend what you went through and i hope i never have to but i did feel your fear in your story and did move me.
	"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein PAL Collection: 243/243 NTSC-U only Exclusives: 50/50 NTSC-U / NTSC-J Exclusives: 11/11 NTSC-J only Exclusives: 85/85 64dd 0/9 Only 9 to go.


The Red Shadow	Jul 30 2013, 05:30 PM Post #14
The Seeker Posts: 6,189 Group: Staff (Ret.) Member #120 Joined: February 4, 2008	Thanks, guys. I appreciate the comments. It was hard but not nearly as bad as two months ago. It always seems to hit me at random times and I just do what I can to get through it. It seemed odd not to take part in any special events this year like I did last year. I guess we all just move on.



YogurtStorm	Jul 30 2013, 06:05 PM Post #15
Your mom is a nice lady Posts: 1,957 Group: Senior Members Member #1,189 Joined: January 7, 2013	Powerful words man... I felt like I was following you through that situation, right there, though I'll never imagine the mental strength it must've taken to keep your wits about. You're a strong person and that was an incredibly touching story. I'm glad that most things turned out alright for you, minus your poor Trooper (it really was never found? Not even a wreckage?). Keep your chin up bud, you've already proven you're strong.
	My Youtube Channel: All game. No bla-bla. PS4 ShareFactory gameplay Home of Conker's Corner


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