National Weather Service confirms Monday night storm produced 2 EF1 tornadoes

May 8—The storm that rolled through the area late Monday night produced two EF1 tornadoes, one in Joplin and one near Carthage, according to the National Weather Service station in Springfield.

Meteorologist Mark Burchfield said a team that inspected the damage Tuesday found evidence of rotation.

City officials said damage to structures in Joplin formed a spotty line on a map from 41st Street and South Virginia Avenue to the northeast to East Newman Road and North Travis Acres Road.

"There was damage outside of this path — wind damage," Burchfield said.

The Joplin tornado touched down at 11:29 and lifted near Missouri Southern State University. Its maximum width was about 100 yards.

"It (the storm) continued on and produced another tornado just to the west of Carthage," Burchfield said. It touched down around 11:38 p.m., and also was about 100 yards wide.

Carthage also suffered damage from winds of 70 to 80 miles per hour as part of the storm.

No injuries were reported in the region from the storm.

An EF1 tornado can produce winds of 86-110 miles per hour, according to the weather service.

Tree limb drop-off site opens

Joplin will operate a tree limb drop-off site from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Saturday, May 18, to help residents dispose of downed branches and limbs following the storm late Monday. The site will not be open Sunday.

The drop-off site is at 1702 North Schifferdecker Ave., half a mile north of the intersection of Belle Center Road on North Schifferdecker Avenue. Look for the sign and turn onto the driveway on the west side of Schifferdecker Avenue. Bring identification showing a Joplin address.

City officials continue to assess the amount of debris in the community to determine the most efficient neighborhood cleanup and will provide updates in the upcoming days.

Elderly residents or those with trouble moving debris can call the city's Planning, Development and Neighborhood Services to request assistance at 417-624-0820, ext. 1542 or 1539.

Residents who would like to help with debris removal may also call that number to volunteer.

For smaller manageable amounts of debris, Joplin residents may place tree limbs out with their trash on the regular trash pickup day with Republic Services. Limbs should be cut to a maximum of 4 feet and tied in a bundle that weighs no more than 50 pounds.

The diameter of each tree limb must be no larger than 4 inches.

For more information on general storm cleanup, call the city of Joplin at 417-624-0820, ext. 1564, 1566 or 1204, or visit www.joplinmo.org.

The city asks that people do not leave tree limbs at the gate if arriving after the site has closed for the day.

The site is is for tree limbs and foliage only. Building and construction debris will not be accepted.

Burn ban lifted

The Joplin Fire Department has lifted the burn ban within Joplin city limits effective through May 25. The city will not require a fee or a burn permit for burns during this time. To determine if the fire department allows burning on that day, according to weather conditions, call 417-623-0403 and give the address of the planned burn to Joplin Fire Department officials. Only residential vegetative material such as tree branches may be burned in piles that are less than 6 feet in diameter and 4 feet high.

City tips

In a statement Wednesday, the city of Joplin also issued the following tips for those affected by the storm.

If the property is insured, contact the insurance company as soon as possible. The insurance company may have specific instructions regarding how to document the claim, clean up and recover the costs of cleanup.

The City Council will discuss the next phases of the cleanup plan during next Monday's work session. The city's cleanup process may last months.