It was one of history's deadliest tornados. Now Netflix have made a documentary about it
The twister struck Missouri with cataclysmic force nearly 14 years ago, ripping into a hospital and destroying neighbourhoods in its wake.
The horror of the Joplin tornado is the subject of a new documentary film.
'You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing,' Kerry Sachetta, then the Joplin High School principal, told The Associated Press on the evening of May 22, 2011, after the school was destroyed.
'That's really what it looked like," Sachetta said.
As he spoke on that dreadful night, fires from gas leaks burned across town. The EF-5 twister, then the single deadliest in six decades, packed winds of 200 mph (320 kph). At times, it was nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide. Left in its wake was a hellscape of cars crushed like soda cans and shaken residents roaming streets in search of missing family members. About 7,500 homes were damaged or destroyed.
'The Twister: Caught in the Storm' was released last week by Netflix following a recent spate of deadly storms that have unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust storms and wildfires.
Hospital became a disaster zone
Some of the most startling damage in Joplin was at St. John's Regional Medical Center, where staff had only moments to hustle patients into the hallway before the 367-bed hospital was knocked off its foundation.
Flying debris blew out windows and disabled the hospitals' exposed generators, causing ventilators to stop working. The winds also scattered X-rays and medical records around 75 miles (121 kilometers) away.
Five patients and one visitor died in the immediate aftermath. And other patients later died of injuries they suffered in the storm.
On the morning after the storm, Dr. Jim Riscoe told the AP that some members of his emergency room staff showed up after the tornado with injuries of their own but worked through the night anyway.
'It's a testimony to the human spirit,' Riscoe said, comparing the scene to a nuclear disaster. 'Cars had been thrown like playing cards. Power lines were sparking. I couldn't believe it.'
The building was so badly damaged it had to be razed the following year.
The deaths from the storm were so numerous that a makeshift morgue was set up next to a football stadium in Joplin. Hundreds of others were injured in the city of 53,000.
Among the dead was 18-year-old Will Norton who was headed home from his high school graduation when he was sucked out of his family's SUV through the sunroof. His father desperately held on to his legs. Norton's body was found five days later in a nearby pond.
In the following years, his family kept his room as it was: an open pack of chewing gum, his trademark mismatched socks, his computer and the green screen that helped earn him a YouTube following for his travel chronicles.
'It's a little comfort to go in there, go back in time and remember how it was,' his father, Mark Norton, said close to the five-year anniversary.
Around a dozen died in a single nursing home after the tornado tossed four vehicles, including a full-size van, into the building. Those who survived were scattered to nursing homes in four states, their records and medications blown away. Widespread phone outages then complicated efforts to locate the residents, some of whom had dementia.
Officials still disgree about the final death toll. The federal storm center says 158 died while local officials count the deaths of three additional people, including a person struck by lightning after the tornado blew through the city.
The tornado forced school officials to end the spring term nine days early. Six school buildings were destroyed, including the high school. Seven other buildings were badly damaged.
The district scrambled to rebuild with federal funds, donations, insurance money and a $62 million bond, cobbling together a hodgepodge of temporary locations while construction was underway. Seniors and juniors took classes in a converted big-box store in a shopping mall, while freshmen and sophomores went to school in a building across town.
Then-President Barack Obama was the commencement speaker during the high school's 2012 commencement and then-Vice President Joe Biden attended the 2014 dedication of the new high school, calling the community the 'heart and soul of America.'
The dedication included two live eagles, the school's mascot. During the first home football game after the tornado, a single eagle flew over the football field and became a symbol signifying that the students, like the bird who returns to the same nesting spot each year, would come home again.
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Wales Online
12 hours ago
- Wales Online
Hospital hides the truth about 'strangers being let in to watch ops'
Hospital hides the truth about 'strangers being let in to watch ops' There has been a complete lack of transparency after serious allegations from whistleblowers The University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff (Image: Huw Evans Agency) Earlier this year we revealed allegations that staff at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff had invited their own friends and family members into operating theatres to watch surgery on unaware patients. When we put this to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, it vowed to investigate the claims and called them "deeply concerning". Five months on, we feel the same description applies to the health board's handling of the situation. It has concluded its investigation but won't tell us the outcome because of "s tandard HR practice". It refuses to even say whether the allegations were found to be true, or whether any changes will be made to prevent a repeat. The Welsh Government simply parroted the health board's line but our sources at the hospital — as well as politicians from Plaid Cymru and the Tories — are furious. To understand why, it's important to look at a wider context of scandals around Wales' biggest hospital. When we first reported on the claims of unauthorised spectators, we also revealed claims of illegal drug use, racism and bullying in the hospital's operating theatres. Those claims were probed in a separate investigation — a "comprehensive service review" — which concluded in May with a damning 22-page report that found: An "atmosphere of fear" had gone "a long way to destroying the bonds which allow people to work effectively together". Some anaesthetic practitioners were not always in theatre for the whole operation, instead watching Netflix in the anaesthetic room. Female staff felt unable to leave anything of value in the changing room because of the "regularity" of theft, which included money, phones, computers and clothing going missing. Staff felt there were "no consequences" after an illegal drug — understood to be speed — was allegedly found in the locker of one employee. There were "several occasions when pigeons were found in the trauma theatre or on the theatre corridor" as well as concerns over chronic leaks, faulty equipment, poor lighting and infection control problems. "Inappropriate and racist remarks" were made by a senior leader who said a group of Indian nurses needed name badges because they "all looked the same". When I attended the press conference for the release of that report, I asked questions about disciplinary matters — and, crucially, I did get answers. Health board bosses told me what had happened to the staff member accused of possessing speed (he continued to work at the hospital after a "full disciplinary process") and the manager who allegedly made racist comments ("removed from practice while a formal investigation occurred", then returned to work). Article continues below They also told me there could still be disciplinary action over some of the other findings. So why, a few months on, is the health board hiding behind "HR practice" to justify concealing its findings into the claims of strangers watching ops? Bear in mind the 22-page report went into lengthy detail on all kinds of allegations while still leaving the door open for disciplinaries. What makes this different? It's not clear why the unauthorised viewing of operations wasn't covered in the comprehensive service review, and instead got its own investigation. The complete lack of transparency after that investigation will inevitably lead to suspicions of a cover-up. 'An absolute joke' In 2023 the Welsh Government set up Llais, an independent body aimed at giving the public more influence in shaping health and social care. After the scathing report into operating theatre practices, Llais demanded "full openness and independent checks to make sure improvements happen". Yet when we raised the issue of the latest findings being kept secret, the Welsh Government would only say: 'We take all concerns about patient safety seriously. The health board has completed its investigation and the matter is now concluded subject to its HR process.' So the health secretary, Jeremy Miles, is content with the findings remaining hidden? When we asked, his spokeswoman simply said it was "a matter for the health board". One hospital whistleblower told us that stance "just boils my blood", adding: "Those people were in theatre when they shouldn't have been. It's an absolute joke. Why won't they tell us the outcome?" Andrew RT Davies, MS for South Wales Central and former leader of the Welsh Tories, questioned why the findings could not be made public with names redacted. He told WalesOnline: "Many service users feared that a health board-led investigation would result in a cover-up, and the failure to share the outcome of the investigation will only add to those fears. 'This failing health board has been found wanting in numerous reports, and hiding behind HR processes will do nothing to restore the confidence patients and staff need to have in the senior management team. 'Clearly an investigation should have been made by an external body but, in any case, there is no reason why the health board should not share the outcome of this investigation, with appropriate redactions, so service users can understand what happened and why following the shocking revelations that came out of the Heath hospital earlier this year. 'If the health board refuses to release the outcome, the Welsh Government must step in, conduct their own investigation, and release the facts to the public.' Also calling for transparency is Plaid Cymru MS and health spokesman Mabon ap Gwynfor, who said: "The health board must ensure that the scenes that played out in University Hospital of Wales are never repeated. We must now see appropriate and effective action taking place which means proper transparency in regards to their findings. "It's clear that there are fundamental issues within our NHS regarding institutional transparency and the power of the patient voice. That is why Plaid Cymru is committed to reforming the governance of our health system, to strengthen oversight and accountability so that patients receive a better outcome." 'Brushed under the carpet' Earlier this year the health board told us that "previous concerns regarding unauthorised people in theatres had been raised but not thoroughly investigated or completed", adding: "Following the deeply concerning allegations made around allowing members of the public to watch operations, the health board has launched an internal investigation." The concerns were understood to have started as far back as the Covid pandemic. Staff told us they had been ordered not to speak about the matter as it was "brushed under the carpet" . A whistleblower claimed: "They had no background checks and it was during Covid. The very little PPE [personal protective equipment] was being used by unnecessary people. They would have been a huge infection risk to not only staff but vulnerable patients." One source said the concerns over operations being watched had been "raised so many times" since the pandemic but had only been investigated after WalesOnline reported on the matter. The health board has now said: "The investigation is complete and, subject to HR process, has been concluded by the health board. As is standard HR practice, we cannot comment on confidential matters. The report relates to specific individuals who are subject to an internal process following the appropriate employment policy. This process must remain confidential, and the health board is not in a position to share this in the public domain. 'We would like to reassure patients that their privacy, dignity and safety when undergoing surgical intervention remains our highest priority and steps have been, and continue to be, taken to ensure that this is consistently achieved.' What those steps are — and exactly why they needed to be taken — remains a mystery. If public confidence in this troubled health board is to be restored, that has to change. Article continues below If you would like to speak to WalesOnline about anything we should be investigating, email us at
Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I flew to Turkey at 16 to have my ‘ugly' forehead reduced… it's no different from getting braces or hair extensions
Yas Labidi reveals the shock cost of the gruelling seven-hour operation while detailing her recovery HEADS UP I flew to Turkey at 16 to have my 'ugly' forehead reduced… it's no different from getting braces or hair extensions Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT used to be that women fretted about having a big nose, wonky teeth or a droopy neck. But the biggest beauty woe for 2025 seems to be worrying about having a forehead that is too high - and clinics are being inundated with ladies looking for a solution. Teenager Yas Labidi is one of those who has taken drastic action to reduce the size of the space between her hairline and her eyebrows, after spending years agonising about that area of her face. 10 Yas Labidi, pictured after her op, is pleased with her new hairline and has stopped hiding her forehead 10 Yas, pictured before the surgery, chose to travel to Turkey for a hair transplant, despite being just 16 Credit: SWNS 10 Nine months on, Yas is much happier with how she looks Credit: SWNS The content creator was so self-conscious that in November 2024, she travelled to Turkey to reduce it by 2.5 cm with a hair transplant, despite being just 16. Her mum Natasha, 44, from Nottingham, gave consent for the procedure – which UK clinics refused to perform until she was 18 – because she wanted to ease her daughter's worsening distress about her appearance. 'Her mental health was suffering because she was so unhappy about it,' says the mum-of-four who runs an events company. 'I realised she was going to do it in a couple of years anyway so why not now? 'It's not like I let her have a risky operation like a BBL or nose job. That would've been 100 per cent no. 'This was a simple, safe procedure, a bit like getting braces for her teeth or hair extensions.' Yas adds: 'I already had my heart set on doing it as soon as I turned 18, putting aside every penny from my bar job and TikTok work. 'I'd miss nights out with friends to save. Mum knew I was serious.' Yas started feeling self-conscious about her hairline aged 13, religiously covering it with headbands. Despite being a social media star since childhood, when her mum filmed her unboxing toys for YouTube, she claims being on screen did not trigger her insecurity. 'No one ever bullied me or made comments,' she says. 'It was just something I became increasingly aware of. The Traitors star Meryl Williams reveals results of secret forehead reduction surgery 'I avoided slicking it back in a bun or ponytail and styled my baby hairs at the front into edges to try and hide it. 'But it got to the point where I'd not go out without a hairband or hat on. I hated looking at my photo. I felt so ugly. 'Felt so ugly' 'One day, in desperation, I searched 'how to make forehead smaller' and saw a solution – a hairline transplant.' 'I was dead against it and reassured her she looked fine,' says Natasha. "I told her it would be a waste of money. But she went on holiday with her grandmother in May 2024 and spent the week covering her head, even though it was boiling. 'When they got home, even my 65-year-old mum agreed that she should have it.' After doing research, Yas was offered a reduced price of £900 by the Clinic Centre in Turkey, including seven nights in a hotel, if she agreed to share her transplant on social media. While the cost varies depending on the extent of the transplant, full price would likely have been £1,600 with just one to two nights accommodation included. Flights were an additional £90 per person return. I avoided slicking it back in a bun or ponytail and styled my baby hairs at the front into edges to try and hide it Yas Natasha accompanied her daughter for the trip, with the procedure taking seven hours. It involved shaving hair at the back of the head and cutting out follicles, which were implanted along the forehead to move the hairline. 'It was done under local anaesthetic and at one point, I fell asleep,' says Yas. 'The worst pain was the injection.' Nine months on, Yas's hair is slowly growing and she's happier with how she looks. 10 Follicles were taken from a shaved area at the back and transplanted into Yas's forehead Credit: SWNS 10 Yas's procedure took seven hours Credit: SWNS 'It isn't an immediate fix because there is scabbing and shedding while the hair gets established,' she says. 'But I already feel so much better and I'm not hiding my forehead anymore.' 'I expected to be trolled for allowing it but I've actually had other parents asking for more information to help their kids,' says Natasha. 'I don't regret it – she's like a different girl now, so much happier.' While Yas's story might sound extreme, experts say there's been a significant rise in women getting these transplants done. 'So much happier' Treatment Rooms London saw a 43 per cent rise in female hairline transplant inquiries from 2023 to 2024, with a 41 per cent increase between January and July this year, compared to the same period last year. The average age of patients in 2024 was 36.9, with the procedure costing £6,000 to £8,000 in the UK. 'Often they are patients who have always noticed their hairline is slightly high or they have high temples, usually inherited from their mum or grandmother,' says co-founder and surgeon Dr Roshan Vara. 'It has hampered their ability to style their hair and they now realise there is a way to change that.' He says a good doctor will ensure the new hairline looks natural and is not created too low. 'We look at brow position, temple position and what would look aesthetically pleasing long term,' he says. 'It takes six to eight hours overall as we need to knit the new hairline to blend in with the angle it already grows.' But a transplant isn't the only option. Some women are choosing a more invasive surgical forehead reduction, where a section of tissue is removed and the hair-bearing scalp brought forward. The operation takes two to three hours, usually under local anaesthetic, and costs £5,000 in the UK, with patients needing two weeks off work afterwards and a full recovery promised by six weeks. But side effects can include bruising, swelling and soreness, it leaves a small scar and it's not suitable for people with a family history of pattern baldness. 10 I already feel so much better and I'm not hiding my forehead anymore, says Yas 10 Yas with mum Natasha, who says other parents are already 'asking her for more information to help their kids' Credit: SWNS 10 The worst pain was the injection, reveals Yas Dr Vara's clinic does not offer this but says it can be a better choice for certain patients. 'They might have a nice hairline already and just need it brought forward,' he says. 'Also, for people in the public eye, the final result comes much faster. 'I have to warn my patients that it can take up to 18 months to get to your normal length after the transplant, although they should have a stylable fringe within nine.' FOREHEAD REDUCTION FREED ME 10 Chloe Walker was bullied over her hairline and decided to remove 2.5cm from her forehead Mum-of-two Chloe Walker had a reduction op last month, removing 2.5cm from her forehead, to overcome a lifelong insecurity triggered by childhood bullying. 'I've been called a spam head,' says the 34-year-old from Hornchurch, Essex. 'As a child, one person joked, 'If we run out of paper we'll just write the rest of the work on Chloe's head'.' For years, she dreaded haircuts because her forehead would be on show and went through 'thousands of bottles of hairspray' to keep her fringe in place. Chloe even became too uncomfortable to take her kids swimming and edited family photos to 'shrink' her forehead. Pictures of her wedding to husband Ben, 34, an abseil window cleaner, three years ago have never been printed because of her paranoia. 'I worried about getting worse and never leaving the house, a gust of wind would panic me,' says the quantity surveyor. 'My friends bought me a personalised bandana for my hen do in Dubai because I always wore one on holiday. 'I'd told them I didn't like my scalp to burn. They didn't know I was trying to cover my hairline. 'Ben eventually offered to pay half for the operation, telling me, 'I don't want you to be so upset anymore, I want you to stop hiding yourself away'.' I feel like I can walk down the street and I'm a free person finally Chloe Chloe went to the Signature Clinic in London, where she could be awake for the procedure, admitting she found it 'petrifying'. 'I was laying there not knowing what was going on with my head,' she says. 'There were funny smells, which was your skin burning, and the noises were strange.' The surgery reduced her forehead from 9cm to 6.5cm but the recovery has not been easy. 'The first four days were awful with swelling and bruising, it was hard to sleep and I couldn't wash my hair for a week,' says Chloe, mum to Florence, ten, and Henry, seven. 'Five weeks on, I still can't feel the top of my head, but the scar looks great. I know it will take six to 12 months to fully recover.' After sharing her story on TikTok, as a way to normalise the procedure, Chloe has received messages from all over the world. 'Some girls are a week behind me on the surgery - they want to know what it's like. 'These treatments are normally spoken about by men. It seems to be okay for men to get their hair done but we don't think about how women might feel insecure too.' However, Chloe has also been targeted by trolls who claim they see no change. 'But I've seen a difference, especially when I look back at pictures,' she says. 'I also didn't want to look completely different. I wanted my kids to still recognise me. Now that it's all done, I'm looking forward to letting them splash me without worrying, putting my sunglasses on my head, brushing my hair back. 'I hid away for so long but the surgery has given me so much more confidence. 'I feel like I can walk down the street and I'm a free person finally.'
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
I lost 3.5st without fad diets or Ozempic, here's how I got a toned tum after 2 C-sections without going to the gym
Read on for the best workout for weight loss WEIGH TO GO I lost 3.5st without fad diets or Ozempic, here's how I got a toned tum after 2 C-sections without going to the gym Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MUM has shared how she finally got a toned stomach after having two C-sections, without using Ozempic or fad diets. Bethanie Kendra, from the UK, revealed her top weight loss tricks and the one exercise that finally got rid of her lower stomach. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Bethanie Kendra shared how she lost weight and toned up after two C-sections Credit: tiktok/@bethaniekendra 2 I lost 3.5st without fad diets or Ozempic – Pilates finally got me my toned tum back after 2 C-sections, , TAKEN WITH NO PERMISSION:, Credit: tiktok/@bethaniekendra In the clip, she shared before and after images of her stomach which was now toned and slender. She said the first thing you had to do was lose weight, and she was able to shed 3.5 stone. "The only way you can lose weight is a calorie deficit. You want to focus on nutrition and diet, nutrition and diet, nutrition and diet," she explained Bethanie focused on whole foods, high protein, fibre and healthy fats rather than trying to stick to a fad diet. READ MORE WEIGHT LOSS STORIES NO WEIGH I lost 18st without fat jabs - I didn't cheat my way to new body by using Ozempic Next, the mum-of-two revealed she focused on doing pilates with some light weights. Pilates focuses on strength training, especially the core, which helps tone the stomach. "As somebody who has lost and gained a lot of weight three times, twice from having children and I've had two caesareans, I can honestly say Pilates, after the fat loss, is what has really toned up my stomach and build it out with definition and muscle," Bethanie added. "Almost everything is working your core and it focuses a lot on breathing and I don't think we realise, generally speaking, how important breathing is to activate and engage your core, your deep core properly." The best part is that Bethanie didn't have to leave the house to get her workout done as she used online pilate workouts on YouTube. Bethanie added in the comments section that the only other form of workouts she did to lose weight and maintain was to make sure she got 10,000 steps in a day. I'm a personal trainer - these 5 at-home core slider exercises mimic reformer Pilates (1) She said: "To lose the weight, yes, I did do cardio and now I do 10k minimum steps a day & 2 heavier cardio days a week." She added that heavier cardio includes doing the stair master or an incline walk on the treadmill. The clip posted to her TikTok account @bethaniekendra soon went viral with over 87k views and people were quick to thank her for the weight loss advice. One person wrote: "I did my first Pilates with Izzy this morning after your recommendation and loved it, I'm looking forward to getting up early and doing day 2. Thank you for inspiring me." Another commented: "You've inspired me to do at-home Pilates. The fact you do most things from home just proves you don't need the best membership to get these goals like I always thought you did. I hate going to the gym." "Me too! Lost 13kgs doing Pilates only and just recently joined the gym as I hit a bit of a plateau so needed to ramp it up a bit," penned a third. The 5 best exercises to lose weight By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you? As a PT and fitness journalist, I've tried everything. I've taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates. Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas! The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit. My top five forms of exercise, especially if you're trying to lose weight, are: Walking Running Pilates High-intensity interval training (HIIT) Strength training Meanwhile a fourth said: "Needed a proper explanation and you did it brilliantly!" "Yesss it's amazing to see people losing weight the right way. Each to their own but I'm fed up of seeing everyone doing Mounjaro. Good for you,' claimed a fifth. Someone else added: "Couldn't agree more about calorie deficit and nutrition. Interesting that you've achieved such amazing results with Pilates!"
