Tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011
The tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011 was one of the largest tornado outbreaks on record which affected the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States. Most of the tornadoes developed in a corridor from Lake Superior southwest to central Texas; isolated tornadoes occurred in other areas. An especially destructive tornado destroyed one-third of Joplin, Missouri, resulting in 158 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. The Joplin tornado is the deadliest in the U.S. since April 9, 1947, when an intense tornado killed 181 in the Woodward, Oklahoma area. Tornado-related deaths also occurred in Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. Overall, the tornado outbreak resulted in 184 deaths, 6 of those non-tornadic, making it second only to the 2011 Super Outbreak as the deadliest since 1974, and the second costliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history behind that same April 2011 outbreak, with insured damage estimated at $4–7 billion.
Tornado outbreak of June 18, 2001
The Siren tornado was the outbreak's only fatal storm, killing three people and injuring another 16. Damages from the tornado were estimated at approximately $10 million USD. The tornado caused the most damage in the village of Siren, where most structures were completely destroyed. 240 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the tornado, and over 100 firefighters helped rescue people trapped in buildings and clean up. Residents reported cows and other livestock flying through the air during the tornado. Despite a tornado warning being issued, Siren's only civil defense siren failed as a result of a lightning strike in April or May. Police took to the streets, sounding their horns and shouting warnings to local residents. The siren system had been scheduled to be repaired the following week.