On Sunday, May 22, 2011, the city of Joplin, Mo., was struck by an EF-5 tornado that killed 161 people and caused $2.8 billion of damage. It was the deadliest single tornado in the United States since 1947 and the costliest in U.S. history.
After a few days, the mood in Joplin changed from utter devastation and hopelessness to a spirit of resilience. People were still sorting through their destroyed homes, 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.