The spring season of devastating storms continued when a tornado potentially classed as an EF4 ripped through Joplin, Mo. late yesterday. The tornado roared through the most densely populated sections of the 50,000-person town and left widespread death and destruction in its wake. One of the two major hospitals is destroyed and an estimated one of every four buildings in the city suffered damage.
Tour pro Randy Blaukat is a lifelong resident of Joplin. The tornado struck as he was returning home after the Red River FLW Tour – when he was less than an hour from the city's outskirts. He and his family are okay, he confirmed for BassFan this morning, as he drove through the rubble of his hometown.
"It looks like a nuclear bomb went off," Blaukat said. "Unless you see it, you can't even imagine it. It's just overwhelming. It missed our (home) by about three blocks, but three blocks away it's total devastation. I got into town about an hour after it hit and it was just chaos – people walking around all bloodied up."
He also told BassFan that he hasn't yet seen National Guard troops, but expects to soon. Currently, law enforcement, firefighters and medical staff from Missouri and surrounding states are attending.
"It's just unbelievable – it doesn't even look like the same city. It went right through the heart of Joplin – from the west side to the east side. So it went right through the most densely residential area. Looking at it, as you see the destruction, you wonder how anyone could survive it. Our good friends had their whole house destroyed. They were inside their bathtub and survived."
There is not yet, to Blauakt's knowledge, any centralized private donation or relief fund, but he'll update the angling community when he learns more.
