#41 Our Take on Netflix’s Joplin Tornado Documentary

🌪️ May 22 marks 14 years since the EF5 tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri. In our latest episode, we unpack the Netflix doc The Twister: Caught in the Storm—and what it teaches us about being prepared when disaster strikes.

What’s Inside:

• A Harrowing Look: How the film captures the raw, personal stories of teens and young adults who had just celebrated graduation before the storm hit.

• Ignored Warnings: Why many Joplin residents didn’t respond to sirens—and what we can learn from that.

• Unfiltered Reality: The documentary’s use of real-time, first-hand footage from phones and cameras.

• Stories of Survival: Memorable accounts from people like Mac, Kaylee, Eric, Cecil, Steven, and Chad.

• Emotional Aftermath: How the tornado affected survivors mentally and emotionally for years to come.

• Preparedness Tips: What this disaster teaches us about being ready, even when away from home.

• A Community Rebuilt: How Joplin pulled together to recover and rebuild.

Joplin Tornado Snapshot:

• EF5 tornado with winds over 200 mph

• Over a mile wide

• 158 lives lost, 1,000+ injured

• 7,500+ buildings destroyed

• Among the costliest tornadoes in U.S. history

  
  

  📚 Resources Mentioned in This Episode

  • 📺 The Twister: Caught in the Storm — now streaming on Netflix

  • 🌪️ Skywarn — National Weather Service’s volunteer program for storm spotting and weather education (weather.gov/skywarn)

  • 📱 Weather Tools — Radar apps and YouTube storm trackers for real-time severe weather updates (e.g., RadarScope, MyRadar, Ryan Hall Y’all, Reed Timmer)