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5:41
At 5:41 p.m. May 22, 2011, the deadliest single tornado to hit the United States in 50 years tore its way through Joplin, Missouri. By the time it completed its murderous course, 160 lives were lost, and those who survived have stories they can tell for the rest of their lives.
Two veteran southwest Missouri reporters, Randy Turner and John Hacker, share some of those stories in 5:41. The book features photos taken by Hacker within moments of the deadly tornado and details about some of the horrific moments that came to symbolize May 22, 2011, in Joplin, Missouri.
The book includes the following:
-First person stories of the horrors of the tornado
-Photographs taken moments after 5:41
-The obituaries of those who died May 22 or later from injuries received in the tornado
-Details from three hospitals that served the community well, including one that was hit by the tornado
-The nightmarish experiences of those who had just graduated from Joplin High School moments before the tornado destroyed the building.
-The outpouring of volunteering that made Joplin stand for hope in the days after May 22.
-The complete text of the Joplin Tornado Memorial Service held at Missouri Southern State University, including the speeches by President Barack Obama, Gov. Jay Nixon, and Rev. Aaron Brown
-The final National Weather Service report
-The heroes who gave their lives to save others
This book offers a revealing look at the day that changed Joplin, Missouri, forever.
Two veteran southwest Missouri reporters, Randy Turner and John Hacker, share some of those stories in 5:41. The book features photos taken by Hacker within moments of the deadly tornado and details about some of the horrific moments that came to symbolize May 22, 2011, in Joplin, Missouri.
The book includes the following:
-First person stories of the horrors of the tornado
-Photographs taken moments after 5:41
-The obituaries of those who died May 22 or later from injuries received in the tornado
-Details from three hospitals that served the community well, including one that was hit by the tornado
-The nightmarish experiences of those who had just graduated from Joplin High School moments before the tornado destroyed the building.
-The outpouring of volunteering that made Joplin stand for hope in the days after May 22.
-The complete text of the Joplin Tornado Memorial Service held at Missouri Southern State University, including the speeches by President Barack Obama, Gov. Jay Nixon, and Rev. Aaron Brown
-The final National Weather Service report
-The heroes who gave their lives to save others
This book offers a revealing look at the day that changed Joplin, Missouri, forever.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 17, 2026
This is a difficult book to review because I want to give it more credit than I have because it was very emotional to read at times. That said, it is very much a collection of stories, and it feels like it was maybe hastily put together, forsaking editing and a more comprehensive picture of this terrible story.
While a collection of essays, many of them are not professionally written (or even edited), making the book feel like a hodge podge of personal conversations, sometimes full of typos. At times, it feels a bit repetitive, which is a hard thing to admit because the content of the stories are so horrific at their core. Many of the essays are deeply religious, offering a clear glimpse into the nature of many of the people there. There are also transcripts of the various speakers from the memorial service, as well as the preliminary damage report from the National Weather Service. (I am not sure why the final report was not included, especially since the book was published almost 2 years after the storm.) And the book concludes in a very stark way: 150+ obituaries of each life lost to the terrible storm.
The book, unfortunately, does not include a lot of interesting stories that have since come out of the storm, such as the "butterfly people" of Joplin, nor does it address any of the social issues like complacency surrounding warnings (although loosely referenced) or even access to proper shelter. There is no big picture view around the storm, absent maybe the preliminary storm report. There is a LOT to tell about the storm in Joplin, and it feels a shame that so much was missed.
While I deeply appreciate the stories individually told, I look forward to a more professionally-written book that examines the storm and its impact from a more comprehensive perspective.
While a collection of essays, many of them are not professionally written (or even edited), making the book feel like a hodge podge of personal conversations, sometimes full of typos. At times, it feels a bit repetitive, which is a hard thing to admit because the content of the stories are so horrific at their core. Many of the essays are deeply religious, offering a clear glimpse into the nature of many of the people there. There are also transcripts of the various speakers from the memorial service, as well as the preliminary damage report from the National Weather Service. (I am not sure why the final report was not included, especially since the book was published almost 2 years after the storm.) And the book concludes in a very stark way: 150+ obituaries of each life lost to the terrible storm.
The book, unfortunately, does not include a lot of interesting stories that have since come out of the storm, such as the "butterfly people" of Joplin, nor does it address any of the social issues like complacency surrounding warnings (although loosely referenced) or even access to proper shelter. There is no big picture view around the storm, absent maybe the preliminary storm report. There is a LOT to tell about the storm in Joplin, and it feels a shame that so much was missed.
While I deeply appreciate the stories individually told, I look forward to a more professionally-written book that examines the storm and its impact from a more comprehensive perspective.
June 23, 2018
Fascinating account!
We have all heard that truth is stranger than fiction, and that is true of this book. This book gives interviews of people who were actually in the powerful tornado that hit Joplin that evening.
We have all heard that truth is stranger than fiction, and that is true of this book. This book gives interviews of people who were actually in the powerful tornado that hit Joplin that evening.
Did Not Finish
April 7, 2020I have tried but the formatting is all wonky and it’s super hard to read. I would be interested in finishing this if the formatting was fixed.
August 4, 2020
A step by step collection of different people who survived the Joplin tornado.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews