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Disaster Recovery after 2011 Joplin, MO Tornado: How One City Healed
- 1. HOW ONE CITY HEALED DISASTER RECOVERY AFTER 2011 JOPLIN, MO., TORNADO Jill Cornett, Executive Director Harry S Truman Coordinating Council EDA Regional Conference Denver, Colo. August 2, 2016
- 2. MAY 22, 2011 • EF-5 tornado (Enhanced Fujita) with 200+ mph winds • 10 mile path (in and around Joplin), up to ¾ mile wide • Total track 22 miles (NOAA) • 1/3 city affected • 161 dead; 1,300 injured • 9,200 residents displaced
- 3. DAMAGE TO BUSINESS • $2.8 B damages • 7,571 homes & 531 commercial businesses • Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Walgreens, Academy Sports • Many banks, restaurants and small retail businesses. • 531 commercial buildings
- 4. BUSINESS RECOVERY • 500 businesses back in operation • 300 NEW businesses • 4,500 public/private sector employees affected • 90% jobs recovered • Multiple large employers (ie, Mercy Hospital and Walmart) kept 3,000 employees on payroll – “a defining factor for the area’s economic stability immediately after the tornado” (Joplin, Missouri, Regional Disaster and Economic Recovery and Resiliency Strategy, report to EDA, Sept. 30, 2014)
- 5. RESIDENTIAL RECOVERY • 586 FEMA trailers • Formed Joplin Housing Assistance Program (JHAP) • $13M CDBG Disaster Recovery • Harry S Truman Community Development Corporation, assisted in CDBG grant administration for residential construction. • Habitat for Humanity built more than 88 homes in tornado zone • Rebuild Joplin, Catholic Charities and Economic Security Corporation assisted in home construction and repairs.
- 7. MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE • Emergency Sirens Damages • Two Fire stations destroyed • Six City parks/recreation centers damaged • Transportation corridors damaged/destroyed. • CISCO Aironet wireless system blown off
- 8. MUNICIPAL RECOVERY Two rounds CDBG Disaster Recovery = $158M • New fire stations • Storm Sewers, Sidewalks, Curbs, Gutters • Public Parks • Transportation projects & Streetscapes • Crosslines ministry to low-income facility EDA funding for public facility development = $20M • NEW Joplin Public Library (+ $4M State Tax Credits)
- 9. EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES • Twenty school district buildings were damaged or destroyed (600,000 sf “educational space” • $100 million in damage • 4,000 students without a school to attend.
- 10. TREES & BUTTERFLIES An estimated 25,00 trees were lost. Donated trees and labor have replaced nearly twice that number. SOURCES: • Mo. Dept. Natural Resources • FEMA/AmeriCorps • Arbor Day Foundation • Alliance for Community Trees • Forest Relief of Missouri • Missouri Dept. of Correction in St. Joseph
- 11. TREES & BUTTERFLIES “God was there.” (Surviving parent) Surviving children spoke of “Butterfly People,” who protected them and carried them to safety. Butterflies as symbols of protection and survival.
- 12. RECOVERY FUNDING FEMA: • FEMA funds for debris removal • 820 FEMA employees in Joplin • Direct, temporary housing • Disaster Unemployment Assistance • $5.3 M Disaster Case Management • $4.8 M for crisis counseling and intervention programs SBA • $43.4 M low interest loans (Homeowners, Businesses, Nonprofits)
- 13. RECOVERY FUNDING CONT’D HUD/CDBG: • $158M Disaster Recovery EDA • $20M 20th Street Corridor – New Library • Funding for Disaster Recovery Coordinator at City Hall VOLUNTEERS More than 1.5 MILLION hours of service
- 14. THE FUTURE New Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences facility. Infrastructure improvements in major commercial corridors, including areas leading to the college.
- 15. THE FUTURE New Chamber of Commerce Technical Training Center. Disaster relief funds are being used to remodel a former technical school into a training facility for advanced manufacturing advanced welding, computer networking, CAD and community health.
- 16. FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT … Jill Cornett, Executive Director Harry S Truman Coordinating Council EDA Regional Conference Denver, Colo. August 2, 2016
Editor's Notes
- On May 22, an enormous tornado whipped across Joplin from West to East. This was the 7th most deadly tornado recorded in US history.
- You all likely witnessed news reports about this event, as it made national news for several weeks in 2011. The tornado swept along the ground for 10 miles, clearing a path up to ¾ mile wide. This affected, in one way or another, 1/3 of the City of Joplin. The tornado left 161 dead and 1,300 injured. Additional deaths have been reported as a result of long term physical effects. The tornado created almost $3 billion dollars in damages to homes and businesses. 9,200 residents had to relocate from their damaged or destroyed homes.
- Top left photo is remains of Home Depot. Lower Right is Academy Sports. These businesses were located on Rangeline Rd., the major north-south corridor of retail activity in Joplin. Although the tornado was moving west to east, the immense size of the storm affected an area more than one mile wide.
- This is a photograph of the former St. John’s Hospital, which was destroyed by the tornado. The Sisters of Mercy rebuilt the hospital in a new location, and are completing the construction of a huge memorial park where St. John’s used to sit. There are a couple of few advantages that lead to business recovery in Joplin. First, Joplin’s labor force is well-balanced with no one industry representing more than 15% of the employment base. The ensuing influx of volunteers, builders and others created an environment that increased the sales tax revenues. Additionally St. John’s and Walmart kept workers on payroll, which help stabilize the economy during recovery.
- FEMA set up nearly 600 temporary residential trailers. FEMA extended program through 2013. All were gone by Summer 2013, setting a precedent for a disaster of this magnitude. JHAP was formed to help allocate resources for the construction of new homes. Nearly $13 million of HUD’s $47 million CDBG-DR1 funds were allocated for homeownership programs focusing on Low and Moderate Income families. The Joplin City Council approved an agreement with the Joplin Housing Authority to assist more than 80 low-income residences affected by providing $290,000 for rental assistance. Joplin also authorized $210,000 to repair damaged homes that insurance and FEMA could not address. Our own sister organization, the Harry S Truman Community Development Corporation, has been instrumental in administering CDBG grants to rebuild homes in both Joplin and Duquesne – an adjacent community that was also devastated by the same tornado. Habitat for Humanity was able to gear much of its home building activity to rebuilding in the affected areas,. And Rebuild Joplin, Catholic Charities and Economic Security Corporation assisted in home repairs. Rebuild Joplin was a local nonprofit spearheaded by the St. Barnard Project, based out of New Orleans.
- This is a picture of Cunningham Park, across the street from the hospital that was destroyed. There were families in the park when the tornado struck, and afterwards they were trying to get over to the hospital to care for their injuries. But the hospital was being evacuated. So they piled people into cars and trucks and hauled them to the nearest medical facilities that could accept emergency patients.
- Several major funding sources are in play in the recovery effort. EDA awarded monies for disaster recovery coordinators to organize project and identify funding sources. The Joplin Redevelopment Corporation a Mo Chapter 353, worked with the master developer to help with land acquisition and projects approved by the City Council. The new library
- This is an aerial photo of the Joplin High School after the tornado. Graduation ceremonies had just taken place that afternoon in another location at Missouri Southern State University. 60 percent of the student population was displace from their homes as a result.
- One of the most enduring losses caused by the tornado is the destruction of trees that were in its path. Nearly 25,000 trees were destroyed. Through generous donations from a variety of sources, those 25,000 plus another estimated 20,000 have been replaced on public and private properties. The Mo. Dept. of Corrections allowed volunteer offenders at the Diagnostic and Correction Center in St. Joseph raise donated trees for three years prior to sending them down to Joplin for permanent planting. In May of this year, a seedling from a 9/11 Survivor Tree was planted outside the new Mercy Hospital. The tree is a product of its original parent that grew back in New York City following the 9/11 attached in 2001.
- Stories of the Butterfly People have become legendary. Parents report their kids claim to have seen butterlies during the tornado. Or butterfly people, with big beautiful wings. The butterflies have endured as a symbol of hope and recovery. They appear on murals and other arts projects around town. Recently the Joplin Chamber of Commerce launched a project called Fly High and Proud. 5 x 5 foot butterflies crafted from watercut metal are being sold for display in yards and businesses. Proceeds will be used to fund educational programs and events.
- While there are other funds that I am not accounting for here from the private and nonprofit sectors, the greatest of the federal funding sources are listed on this and the following slide.
- While it is impossible to count the actual volunteer service hours, the City calculated one and a half million hours of service from REPORTING organizations.
- Work on infrastructure continues on major commercial corridors. New and improved streets, sidewalks, water and sewer projects. But one of the biggest net gains is the new Kansas City University of Medicine facility, which will house a College of Osteopathic Medicine. This is the first new medical school location to open in Missouri in the past 44 years. The building originally served as a temporary Mercy Hospital facility while the new hospital was being constructed. The Mercy Health Care System donated the property and building to KCUMB. Area leaders hope the doctors who study in Joplin will choose to stay or return to Joplin to practice.
- Franklin Technical Center has served as a local training facility in Joplin for many years. At one time they occupied a building adjacent to the Chamber of Commerce. The structure sat empty for several years. Taking advantage of CDBG disaster relief funds, the Chamber acquired the property and is now renovating it to house adult education programs presented by Crowder College, an area-wide community college.
- Things are going extremely well in Joplin. Not to say that there haven’t been a few major hiccups. The City Manager was ousted from his position shortly after the tornado. The Council requested one of its members to resign based on a conflict of interest. The consulting firm of Wallace Anjali, whom the City had contracted as master developers for the rebuild of Joplin, left town abruptly and without notice, leaving the City leaders to figure out how to proceed in their absence. The consultants took $1.5 million in advanced fees with them. But … The last few months have seen a surge in activity, as the City strives to complete projects within the timeframe of the CDBG grants. It’s fast and furious , but it’s looking good. As the song goes … The future’s so bright, you gotta wear shades!