family i lost we lost contact. reporter: frantic, uncertain hours followed, but then word finally came through, first from his daughter, then his wife, they re okay. but someone was still missing. his father. we went to my parents house. he was there, he was stuck in the rubble. he was stuck in his room pep couldn t get out. reporter: as in so many scenes that have played out all over joplin, dr. zaidi was forced to dig to save a loved one. we found a path and we cleared up stuff and we just kind of pulled him out from there at 2:00 in the morning. reporter: throughout this temporary red cross shelter,there are stories of
we lost our home, you know, the hospital is destroyed, and i my office is destroyed. reporter: dr. zaidi was at st. john hospital when the tornado cut through it. i had no idea what my family i lost we lost contact. reporter: frantic, uncertain hours followed, but then word finally came through, first from his daughter, then his wife, they re okay. but someone was still missing. his father. we went to my patienrents h. he was there, he was stuck in the rubble. he was stuck in his room pep couldn t get out. reporter: as in so many scenes that have played out all over joplin, dr. zaidi was forced to dig to save a loved one. we found a path and we cleared up stuff and we just
reporter: as in so many scenes that have played out all over joplin, dr. zaidi was forced to dig to save a loved one. we found a path and we cleared up stuff and we just kind of pulled him out from there at 2:00 in the morning. reporter: throughout this temporary red cross shelter,there are stories of dramatic rescues, close calls and agonizing losses. we are homeless, jobless and carless. but believe me, i think that we are so lucky to survive this. and right now we just have to start from scratch. it was a big question this week in joplin, where dot sick and injured go when their town s main hospital is blown away? we ll take you inside st. john s hospital next.
president obama promised the people of joplin, missouried to the federal government would stand by them as they rebuild from last sunday s f 5 tornado. cnn white house correspondent dan lothian. reporter: well, drew, as you last week the president was overseas building relationships with european partners. during that time white house aides said that he was updated frequently on the situation here in joplin. well,ed to the president got to see the devastation up close. reporter: before touching down, air force one flew over joplin, missouri, giving the president an aerial view of the devastation. what took months and years to build was destroyed in a few moments. homes, businesses and anything else in the tornado s path. on the ground it was an somber president surveying the breath-taking damage up close, meeting with officials, survivors, and promising not to abandon the city. what i ve been telling every
that is a monster tornado. reporter: battle hardened storm chasers in awe of nature s power. oh, my gosh. this is awful. dude, the trees. the trees are debarked! reporter: residents running for cover anywhere they could. in a crowded convenience store some 20 people hunkering down in a darkened commercial refrigerator. can we go in the cooler? [ screaming ] go! oh, dear heaven. god! reporter: at the same time a security camera in a nearby frozen yogurt shop catches the chaos. workers moving customers to the back and then everything goes flying. the massive tornado mowing down everything in its path. people s lives churned up and spewed out. here s the gas station that we were at. reporter: this is the convenience store now. this would have been where we walked in. reporter: all across the city, thousands and thousands of people in shock, taking the first steps on the long road to recovery. make no mistake, joplin, missouri, will rebuild, but it will