The document summarizes the experience of the Communications Director for the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce in communicating during and after the devastating EF-5 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011. It describes how traditional communication methods were down but social media became the primary way to share information and updates with members and the public as cell service and internet were disrupted. Photos show the extensive damage throughout the city and rebuilding progress.

2. • Communications Director at Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
• 17+ years of experience in marketing and communications
• Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Ottawa
University, double major in Marketing and Theatre.
• Responsible for all marketing decisions, media and public
relations, governmental affairs, webmistress duties, editing,
writing and all creative design for area’s largest chamber of
commerce, serving over 1,000 business members.
• Manage social media for chamber and several other affiliated
organizations.
• Regularly offer social media sessions and seminars to chamber
members and others teaching the importance of social media as
a part of small business marketing plans.
Kirstie Smith
Communications Director
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
ksmith@joplincc.com | 417‐624‐4150 | 417.438.1738 (c)

3. Disaster Communications
How do you communicate when 1/3 of your community looks like this?

4. The multi‐vortex EF‐5 tornado that tore a 14 mile path through Joplin and
the neighboring community of Duquesne moved as slow as 10 miles per
hour, creating even more extensive damage due to slow movement of the
storm. If we still used the old Fujita Scale instead of the Enhanced Fujita
Scale to measure tornado strength, the Joplin Tornado would have been an
F‐6 or F‐7 …
Estimates put the wind speed at 300+ mph when the storm hit St. John’s
Mercy Regional Medical Center. What began at 5:41 p.m. was over by 6:12
p.m.
The Joplin Tornado destroyed nearly 1/3 of the city. 7,500 homes were
obliterated leaving almost 18,000 homeless. Nearly 600 businesses were
leveled. 5000 employees were potentially out of work.
The beastly storm took from us 161 of our friends, families and
coworkers…but by Monday morning, you knew that Joplin would survive.
Joplin, Missouri – Sunday, May 22, 2011 @5:41 pm

5. 5‐Star Chamber, disaster plan was a model
for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Never took the book off the shelf…it was a
great plan, if OUR office had been destroyed
First disaster communications training class
began at 5:41 pm on May 22nd
Disaster Plan: That’s great in theory…

6. Communications were down throughout the
majority of the city.
Text messages moved better than calls. Land
lines only worked intermittently.
We turned to the only way that we could
communicate with our
Members and the public.
Social Media: The only reliable outlet

7. KZRG – News Talk Radio 6:45 p.m.
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce 6:52 p.m.
Joplin Tornado Info 7:36 p.m.
Joplin MO Tornado Recovery 8:01 p.m.
City of Joplin 11:26 p.m.
• The first post made by the Chamber was hoping for safety of
all.
• At 8:14 pm, we posted critical information that was verified
and continued posting into the night.
• Monday morning we had no electricity in our office and no
access to our computer data.
• Network lines were down and remained down until Thursday!
Social Media: The only reliable outlet

8. E‐mail wasn’t the answer. But we did send out verified information on
Monday morning before 10:30 a.m. to anyone who still had access to their
email. I used my iPhone as a hot spot to power an internet connection for my
iPad to send the email. Two others in our office used the same connection.
Reaching out to the local media was not the answer either, though we tried.
The media wasn’t ready to share information in the early stages. They were
involved with rescue efforts. Finding people, looking for people. Facebook
was the best way to share information with our Members and the public at
large.
We Couldn’t Access Our Data…Neither could anyone else.

9. April Facebook Statistics
 955 “Likes”
 8,824 post views
 80 post feedback
May Facebook Statistics
 1627 “Likes”
 116,170 post views
 819 post feedback
Thanks to COW’s (Cellular on Wheels)
and local cell phone providers and repair
services, Joplin stayed connected.
Look Who’s Talking

10. Important Lessons learned:
• Verify. Verify. Verify.
• Assign task to staff person if possible or trusted volunteer
• Use established page to share information
• Set the tone early for your communications, confirms your
credibility

12. This was my apartment in 1993 where my husband and I lived as newlyweds.

13. My Husband’s childhood home

14. St. John’s Mercy
Regional Medical Center

15. You could see from Maiden Lane all the way to Range Line Road after the tornado…
Nearly 4 miles.

16. Thousands had a Moment of Silence at
5:41 p.m. on Sunday, May 29th, one week
after the tornado.

17. Joplin High School
The Joplin Schools lost 10 of their 20
school buildings. The Catholic school
system also lost their elementary school.

18. More than 90,000 volunteers have
flooded our community to help. We
would NOT be where we are today if
it weren’t for the help from so many.

19. Joplin residents rolled up their
sleeves and went to work.

20. Cut Loose was the first business to rebuild from
the ground up and reopen on JULY 3rd!

25. Home Depot
Before

26. Home Depot…After

27. Home Depot temporary store opened May 31st. The permanent store opens this month.

29. Jim Bob’s Steak and Ribs, a Joplin original since 1971.

30. Jim Bob’s Steak and Ribs after. The Gambles WILL rebuild.

31. We had to dig fire
trucks out of the debris
to help people the
night of the tornado.
Two stations had to be
rebuilt.

32. Walgreens rebuilt one store
from the ground up and had to
do significant repairs on a
second store. Both stores
reopened on August 22nd,
3 months after the tornado.
It was the fastest build in
Walgreens corporate history.
The damaged store served as a
triage center the night of the
tornado and continued to be a
volunteer resource station
throughout the construction.

33. Walmart rebuilt from the ground
up and reopened in November.

34. A FEMA Temporary Mobile Housing Unit

35. More than 500 families are living in mobile temporary housing units provided by FEMA.

39. Cunningham Park before and on the 6 month
anniversary. The ring below symbolizes the
wristbands worn by the volunteers…
The Miracle of the Human Spirit.

40. Mayor Mike Woolston
May 24, 2011
Anderson Cooper 360
Interview on CNN
“This is just not the type of community that is going to let a
little F‐4 tornado kick our a**, so we will rebuild and we will recover.”