Ominous dark clouds remain over Joplin, Mo., a few hours after a tornado cut a swath through the southwestern Missouri city on May 22, 2011.

Photo by Associated Press

Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Helping Joplin

REBUILD

Contractors work on modular classrooms for the temporary Joplin High School.

Work proceeds on installation of underground sanitary sewer pipes at the site of temporary modular housing in Joplin, Mo.

Q - Describe the extent of the damage.A - One hundred fifty-eight people were killed, about 1,000 injured, 8,000 homes were destroyed and total damage was estimated at $2.8 billion.Q — Was this the deadliest tornado in U.S. history?A — No. The Tri-State Tornado (Missouri, Illinois and Indiana) of March 25, 1925 killed 695 people.Q - What major organizations are participating in the emer-gency response? A - The Federal Emergency Management Agency tasked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with debris removal and con-struction of temporary housing as well as critical infrastruc-ture such as fire stations and medical clinics. The Corps aug-mented many other national, state and local organizations.Q - Who else is involved in relief efforts? A - FEMA, the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, Missouri National Guard, Jasper County Emergency Manage-ment Department, American Red Cross, Americorps, and many church-sposnored organizations from across the nation. (Continued on Page 2)

Questions and Answers ... on the May 22, 2011 Joplin, Mo., tornado

Army Corps of Engineers removes debris, builds temporary housing and restores infrastructure in Joplin, Missouri

Path of Destruction

By the numbers $2.8 billion — estimated damage

50,150 — population of joplin, MO in 2010

8,000 — Homes destroyed

1,000 — people injured

225-250 — top wind speeds (mph)

158 — fatalities

5:34 — afternoon time the tornado struck joplin

6 — miles of severe destruction across south side of joplin 3 — tornadoes have struck joplin since 1971

SOURCE: Associated Press

Q & A (Continued from Page 1) Q - Where are displaced residents staying?A - Many are with relatives; some are in hotels; and others are temporarily staying in Red Cross shelters. Q — Who is paying for disaster relief? A — Private insurance companies will pay for much of the $2.8 billion in damages. Congress has authorized $8.6 billion in disaster aid, which will pay the wages, food and shelter of relief employees and help fund construction of public infrastructure.SOURCES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, Associated Press

Old Glory symbolizes resilience in Joplin, Mo., as contractors remove debris in the background in July 2011.