Day Two in Joplin: “Barren, Smoky Wasteland”

Tuesday, 24 May 2011 | by Pat's Picks

The St. Louis Post Dispatch has a moving account of a woman and her son, who survived the Joplin, Missouri tornado on Sunday, and the family’s grandmother, who did not. Standing in what used to be her front yard the woman profiled by the paper kept repeating, “this is happening. It’s really happening. This is all gone.” Rescuers echoed the woman’s sentiment, saying their search for bodies has yielded little but a “barren, smokey wasteland.” So far, 116 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage.

Scroll down for a look at front pages from around the state. Or scroll further down to see footage of the actual twister, which was caught on tape: