Tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011
On May 22, a large, devastating EF5 tornado tracked through Joplin, Missouri, leaving behind catastrophic damage. It was a multiple-vortex tornado in excess of wide. Mainly the southern part of the city was affected with most structures in the area either damaged or destroyed. 162 people were killed along the path through Jasper and Newton counties in Missouri, making it the deadliest U.S. tornado since 1947, and one of the deadliest single tornadoes ever recorded. Among the most heavily damaged structures was St. John's Hospital (pictured right), which later was torn down due to the severity of the structural damage. Damages were estimated at around $2.8 billion (2011 USD).
Tornado outbreak of April 27–28, 2002
Farther south, tornadoes also produced damage in the City of Bedford, Virginia, and near Emporia, Virginia, along I-95 just north of the North Carolina state line. A total of $125 million in damage, four fatalities, and 122 injuries were directly caused by the Maryland storms (the most expensive in the history of the state). Another $8 million in damage, along with 17 injuries were reported in Virginia.