Not Over

Joplin Death Toll Reaches 117

As devastated town braces for more tornadoes.

As Joplin, Missouri recovers from the deadliest tornado in six decades, forecasters are warning of more serious thunderstorms across the region, and a high risk of tornadoes in several states, including Missouri. A spokesman for The Weather Channel said that atmospheric conditions are creating a “cap” on the storm system, which is expected to create “dangerous supercell thunderstorms” on Tuesday. The tornado that hit Joplin on Sunday killed at least 117 people, and the death toll is expected to rise. Seventeen people were pulled alive from the rubble on Monday. The twister had winds of 190 to 198 miles per hour, and it has been given a rating of EF4, the second highest rating assigned to twisters based on damage they cause. It is the deadliest single tornado since 1925 when a tornado in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana killed 695 people.