Sarah Conard

Projects: Joplin Tornado

On May 22, 2011, the city of Joplin, Mo., was ravaged by an EF-5 tornado. 132 people lost their lives, hundreds of homes were destroyed, and each of the residents was forever changed.

I photographed Joplin one week after the tornado. The mood had changed from utter devestation and hopelessness to a spirit of resilience.

People were still sorting through their destroyed houses, but with the intent of salvaging what they could instead of mourning what they had lost. Volunteers arrived in droves to help with clean-up and offer support to the victims. The rain even stopped and the sun bore down on the city of Joplin once again.

05.31.11Volunteer Nelson Rumsey, of Quincy, Il., collects plastic flowers from a house destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
  
05.31.11Hugh Hills retrieves a framed photograph from the roof of his house which was destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
05.31.11A home destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
06.01.11Two kitchen chairs are all that remain of a house destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
06.01.11Trees damaged by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
06.01.11Homes destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
05.31.11Kathi Gale surveys the damage to her house which was destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
05.31.11Jamie Haun surveys the damage to her neighborhood which was destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
05.31.11A home destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
06.01.11An American flag hangs over the city of Joplin, Mo., destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado.
   
06.01.11Homes destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
05.31.11Shannon Spicer (L), Brad Carter (C), and Brandy Kendall (R) go through the belongings in their house which was damaged in the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
06.01.11Homes destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
05.31.11Hugh Hills searches through his house which was destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
06.01.11Volunteer Bill DeBruin, of Ashville, Nc., helps clear debris left from the May 22 Ef-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
05.31.11Volunteer Caleb Pate, of Memphis, Tn., removes a door from a house destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
06.01.11An old typewriter is found among the rubble in a house destroyed by the May 22 Ef-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
  
05.31.11A home destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
05.31.11Volunteer Jacob Busby, of Senatobia, Ms., cleans rubble left by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
  
06.01.11Trees destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
06.01.11Homes destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
05.31.11Volunteers Mark Luther, of Kennett, Mo. (L) and Manuel Pate of Memphis, Tn. (R) clean up rubble left by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
  
05.31.11Hugh Hills searches through his house which was destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
06.01.11Volunteers from Granby, Mo, help clean rubble left from the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
06.01.11Excavators begin clearing houses destroyed in the May 22 Ef-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
  
05.31.11A home destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
05.31.11A store destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
     
  
05.31.11A home destroyed by the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
   
06.01.11Rob Helfey, of Baxter Springs, Ks. helps clean his girlfriend's house which was destroyed in the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
  
06.11.11Volunteers from Stillwater, Ok., help with cleanup from the May 22 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Mo.