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Netflix documentary about Missouri tornado revisits one of the deadliest twisters in the US

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1 year ago

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Netflix documentary about Missouri tornado revisits one of the deadliest twisters in the US


The horror of the Joplin tornado is the subject of a new documentary film, released nearly 14 years after the twister struck Missouri with cataclysmic force, ripping into a hospital, destroying neighborhoods and killing around 160.

“You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing,” Kerry Sachetta, then the Joplin High School principal, told The Associated Press on the evening of May 22, 2011, after the school was destroyed.

“That’s really what it looked like,” Sachetta said.

As he spoke on that dreadful night, fires from gas leaks burned across town. The EF-5 twister, then the single deadliest in six decades, packed winds of 200 mph (320 kph). At times, it was nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide. Left in its wake was a hellscape of cars crushed like soda cans and shaken residents roaming streets in search of missing family members. About 7,500 homes were damaged or destroyed.

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“The Twister: Caught in the Storm” was released last week by Netflix following a recent spate of deadly storms that have unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust storms and wildfires.

Hospital became a disaster zone

Some of the most startling damage in Joplin was at St. John’s Regional Medical Center, where staff had only moments to hustle patients into the hallway before the 367-bed hospital was knocked off its foundation.

Flying debris blew out windows and disabled the hospitals’ exposed generators, causing ventilators to stop working. The winds also scattered X-rays and medical records around 75 miles (121 kilometers) away.

Five patients and one visitor died in the immediate aftermath. And other patients later died of injuries they suffered in the storm.

On the morning after the storm, Dr. Jim Riscoe told the AP that some members of his emergency room staff showed up after the tornado with injuries of their own but worked through the night anyway.

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“It’s a testimony to the human spirit,” Riscoe said, comparing the scene to a nuclear disaster. “Cars had been thrown like playing cards. Power lines were sparking. I couldn’t believe it.”

The building was so badly damaged it had to be razed the following year.

Recent grads and nursing home residents among the dead

The deaths from the storm were so numerous that a makeshift morgue was set up next to a football stadium in Joplin. Hundreds of others were injured in the city of 53,000.

Among the dead was 18-year-old Will Norton who was headed home from his high school graduation when he was sucked out of his family’s SUV through the sunroof. His father desperately held on to his legs. Norton’s body was found five days later in a nearby pond.

In the following years, his family kept his room as it was: an open pack of chewing gum, his trademark mismatched socks, his computer and the green screen that helped earn him a YouTube following for his travel chronicles.

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“It’s a little comfort to go in there, go back in time and remember how it was,” his father, Mark Norton, said close to the five-year anniversary.

Around a dozen died in a single nursing home after the tornado tossed four vehicles, including a full-size van, into the building. Those who survived were scattered to nursing homes in four states, their records and medications blown away. Widespread phone outages then complicated efforts to locate the residents, some of whom had dementia.

Officials still disgree about the final death toll. The federal storm center says 158 died while local officials count the deaths of three additional people, including a person struck by lightning after the tornado blew through the city.

Schools were devastated but persisted

The tornado forced school officials to end the spring term nine days early. Six school buildings were destroyed, including the high school. Seven other buildings were badly damaged.

The district scrambled to rebuild with federal funds, donations, insurance money and a $62 million bond, cobbling together a hodgepodge of temporary locations while construction was underway. Seniors and juniors took classes in a converted big-box store in a shopping mall, while freshmen and sophomores went to school in a building across town.

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Then-President Barack Obama was the commencement speaker during the high school’s 2012 commencement and then-Vice President Joe Biden attended the 2014 dedication of the new high school, calling the community the “heart and soul of America.”

The dedication included two live eagles, the school’s mascot. During the first home football game after the tornado, a single eagle flew over the football field and became a symbol signifying that the students, like the bird who returns to the same nesting spot each year, would come home again.





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Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted Thursday to approve the city’s $2.6 billion budget for 2026-27

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8 hours ago

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March 26, 2026

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Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted Thursday to approve the city’s .6 billion budget for 2026-27


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted Thursday to approve a $2.6 billion budget for the city’s fiscal year of 2026-27.

The budget includes $744 million in spending for public safety, including $26.3 million for a new Department of Community Safety and $4.2 million to hire 50 new KCMO Police Department officers, along with 10 call takers and 10 dispatchers.

“Our budget respects the strong fiscal foundation the taxpayers have helped Kansas City build, maintaining a rainy-day fund of over $200 million, increasing road resurfacing, hiring more public safety and city workers, and investing in all Kansas City neighborhoods,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a news release from the city. “In a city that can walk and chew gum, we are proud to welcome the world while delivering strong basic services for Kansas City’s families.” 

The council voted to spend $83.8 million for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to provide bus services, but the KCATA may have to make cuts in bus services even with a $6 million boost in funding from the city.

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In addition, the council approved spending $39.4 million for citywide street resurfacing and $1.5 million for tearing down dangerous buildings.
 
“This budget reflects a collaborative effort across the city, and provides a clear path for Kansas City to keep moving forward with discipline, accountability and a focus on service,” City Manager Mario Vasquez said in the news release. “Thank you to the council for its thoughtful deliberation and input in crafting this budget.” 

More information on the fiscal year 2026-27 budget can be found on the city’s website.

—





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Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for March 25, 2026

Published

20 hours ago

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March 26, 2026

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The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 25, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 25 drawing

07-21-55-56-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 25 drawing

Midday: 3-2-0

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 0-0-5

Evening Wild: 5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 25 drawing

Midday: 2-6-3-9

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 9-5-6-8

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 25 drawing

Early Bird: 07

Morning: 09

Matinee: 04

Prime Time: 14

Night Owl: 07

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Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 25 drawing

12-14-22-26-28

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 25 drawing

35-38-41-43-62, Powerball: 08

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

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P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
  • Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
  • Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
  • Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
  • Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
  • Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Missouri AG orders 13 unlicensed Kansas City dispensaries to stop selling products

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1 day ago

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March 25, 2026

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Missouri AG orders 13 unlicensed Kansas City dispensaries to stop selling products


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Dozens of dispensaries have been ordered to close after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said they are selling without licenses.

The AG’s office sent cease-and-desist letters to 33 dispensaries. Of those, 13 are in the Kansas City area, according to information provided by the state.

Each location is accused of selling cannabis or marijuana products without a state license, or selling other products deceptively marketed as marijuana, according to Hanaway.

Hanaway’s office also said testing found some products contained things such as lead, arsenic, and ethanol. They also used deceptive labeling and packaging, including designs that may target children, according to a news release.

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Here are the locations named by the AG’s office:

  • Big Chiefs Kush Waldo (Kansas City)
  • Dr. Smoke (Kansas City)
  • It’s A Dream (Kansas City)
  • KC Kush (Kansas City)
  • Main Smoke Shop KC (Kansas City)
  • Mr. Niceguy (Kansas City)
  • Prohibition Cannabis (Kansas City)
  • Center Smoke Shop (Independence)
  • Gray Area Cannabis (Independence)
  • Herb Depot (Independence)
  • Sacred Leaf (Independence)
  • Super E Cig Smoke Shop (St. Joseph)
  • Vapor Maven (Cameron)

The letters demand each of the above the businesses stop selling the products in question.

The full letter sent to the businesses is below.

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.



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