Nearly 14 years after the catastrophic Joplin tornado tore through Missouri, a new Netflix documentary titled “The Twister: Caught in the Storm” revisits the tragic event that killed around 160 people and caused unparalleled destruction.
The EF-5 tornado, with winds reaching 200 mph (320 kph) and spanning nearly a mile wide, struck on May 22, 2011. Entire neighborhoods were flattened, cars were crushed, and fires from ruptured gas lines burned across the city. St. John’s Regional Medical Center, a 367-bed hospital, was severely impacted, with windows shattered, generators disabled, and life-support equipment failing.
Former Joplin High School principal Kerry Sachetta compared the scene to the devastation of World War II, while Dr. Jim Riscoe, a local physician, described it as resembling a nuclear disaster. Despite injuries, medical staff worked tirelessly through the night to tend to the wounded.
The documentary serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience of the Joplin community and the enduring impact of one of the deadliest tornadoes in recent U.S. history.
