In Wake of Tornado, Official Says 1,500 Are Unaccounted For

[The Straight Story]

In Wake of Tornado, Official Says 1,500 Are Unaccounted For

JOPLIN, Mo. — About 1,500 people are unaccounted for in this battered city, a Fire Department official said Tuesday, as rescue workers took advantage of a few hours of sunny weather to continue searching for survivors in buildings leveled by the country’s deadliest tornado in more than 60 years. At least 117 people have died.

While the number of those unaccounted for is alarmingly high in a city with only 49,000 people — and raises the specter of a far higher death count — it may merely be a reflection of the widespread breakdown of communication systems here in the wake of Sunday’s vicious storm. Many residents who fled ahead of the tornado or survived it may be unable to notify the authorities or family members who have reported them missing.

Capt. Robert Daus of the Maryland Heights Fire District, who is helping to lead a team of about 100 St. Louis-area firefighters in search and rescue operations in Joplin, said that in addition to the 1,500 people who remain unaccounted for, an additional 500 had been injured by the tornado, which cut a three-quarter-mile-wide path through this southwestern Missouri city and damaged as many as 30 percent of its buildings.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/us/25tornado.html?_r=1

[MilesColtrane]

1. Oh, no.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. The Tuscaloosa death toll was revised downward, for a gruesome reason.

Some of the deceased were counted by literal "remains" and later in the week, they realized there had been..well, let's just say ...double counting of various "remains" of the same persons.

Stands to reason the death toll in Joplin is uncertain for much the same reason, perhaps.

[catbyte]

3. With cell phones & power out folks can't connect

At least that's what I hope is happening.