but in five miles it became 200 miles per hour and more. just five miles. had the storm, had this spot right here, been maybe 15 miles farther to the west and so the spotters were out on it, saying, look out, this is a huge killer tornado, get out of the way, get out of the way, get out of the way, maybe the immediacy would have been a little more. people would have been out of their cars, out of buildings. a lot of people died in cars. you saw what happened to those cars. cars were destroyed. it was a giant tornado. there was some times just nothing you can do about it. there s an question. that s joplin, that little word right there. this is what we call a hook echo. this is a monster cell. but it wasn t it wasn t a tornado on the ground until it got right there. and then when the tornado got on the ground, it just rolled and ripped through joplin, missouri, got bigger and bigger and bigger. at some point in time, a 20 0 miles per hour, even if you re
reporter: blown away. a town, a community torn apart. he lost his hospital, his home and nearly his father. i was just calling him out. i was yelling his name, dad, dad, are you there? he nearly lost his life. i thought i was going to die, truthfully. reporter: like so many trying to pick up the pieces of their life in joplin, missouri, this doctor and john ness have been ravaged by this disaster. but they have both found faith and purpose at this makeshift red cross center on the campus of missouri southern university. we ve been sleeping in the dormitory area. reporter: ness is lucky to be sleeping anywhere. when this tornado devastated
or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. ask your doctor about plaque build up. and if crestor is right for you. [ woman ] i love what we ve created here together. [ male announcer ] if you can t afford your medication, astra-zeneca may be able to help. the signature of last sunday s tornado in joplin, missouri, was it s size and power. earlier this week i asked cnn meteorologist chad myers how a tornado of such ferocity can form. it s a volatile mixture of heat and moisture. the storm developed in the five miles from just west of joplin, right over here, the storm was just on the ground as an f-0, small little tornado.
from his mother s arms by the sheer force of this storm, drew national attention, tens of thousands to a facebook page to locate him. tips led that he may be in kansas city, springfield, but none of that turned out to be true. a great aunt identified his body on wednesday. we learned today the body of will norton, the teen who had just graduated from joplin high when the tornado hit one week ago, his body was found in a pond. the 18-year-old was racing home ahead of the tornado, less than an hour after he eped is his deputy loma. he was in the family s hummer with his dad. the tornado sucked him out through the sun roof. his father survived. it is the survivors trying to make sense of the ka fasty that up-ended their lives and destroyed almost everything around them. as casey wian tells us, some are fining faith and hope at a red cross shelter.