Emergency communication system
161 people were killed and at least 990 injured when an EF5 multiple-vortex tornado hit Joplin, Missouri. Because Joplin is located in a tornado-heavy area of the country, many people considered the tornado sirens routine and ignored them. Instead, many residents waited until they received confirmation from another, non-routine, source, such as seeing the tornado, a radio or TV report, or hearing a second siren. In the aftermath, an assessment team recommended that emergency warnings take risk perception into account to convey a sense of urgency. NOAA Officials are considering ways to change the warning system to distinguish smaller tornadoes from more deadly ones.
Tornadoes of 1969
An outbreak of at least three tornadoes impacted Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. A devastating F4 tornado traveled through Mississippi, killing 32 people and injuring 241. The worst damage was in Hazelhurst where 11 people died, 140 were injured, and 175 homes were damaged or destroyed. The community of Sardis was also destroyed, with 8 people killed. One school bus was carried and rolled a quarter mile while another was overturned, injuring 14 students The tornado killed another 2 people south of Harrisville, and 10 people in 4 farm homes. In Rankin County the tornado leveled homes and tossed pickup trucks, but did not cause any deaths. An F2 tornado west of Dover, Tennessee destroyed 5 homes and 10 tobacco barns, injuring 3 people. An F1 tornado also touched down in Caldwell County, Kentucky.