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
Sporadic but strong tornadoes were reported in all four states on the afternoon of the 28th. A strong F2 tornado produced $45 million in damage in and around Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio, and additional tornadoes were reported across southwest Pennsylvania, southwest New York, and at Saint Joseph, West Virginia. The Saint Joseph supercell produced large hail a considerable time before this tornado occurred, and the parent supercell later produced the most severe weather recorded during this outbreak, after crossing into Virginia and Maryland.
The worst damage of the outbreak was seen in parts of Virginia and Maryland. A supercell thunderstorm that had earlier produced the St. Joseph, West Virginia tornado crossed the central Appalachian mountains, producing numerous hail and wind damage reports. The supercell has also spawned an F2 tornado in Shenandoah County, Virginia, blowing multiple vehicles and trucks from Interstate 81.