The title of the presentation was "Healing Joplin" and the presentation was by Vicky Mieseler, Ozark Center
May 22, 2011 at 5:41PM, our lives changed forever...
It was a Sunday, two storms combined. The "rain curtain" went all around the tornado, which gave it its power
It was noted that when a storm threatens, "Women go to shelter, and men go outside to look at the weather."
For some people with no basement, they go to their crawl space.
After the event there was no phone service, but texting did work intermitently.
The damage was surreal, you could be two blocks away and not know about the extent of the damage.
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Five stages of loss.
The hospital that was destroyed, was raised up four inches and twisted six inches during the tornado. This was a multi-storied building.
There are so many different populations when you are talking mental health. Schools, nursing homes, etc.
161 Dead, 6,954 homes destroyed, 5,000 job affected, 18,000 cars destroyed; 500 businesses destroyed; 28 churches destroyed; 150 medical and dental offices destroyed; 3,500 students displaced; 45% of Joplin destroyed; 3M cubic yards of debris;
since May 22nd, 2011:--The bad and ugly of Disaster
- 20 suicides
- 20% increase in child sexual trauma
- Alcohol and drug use up 80%
- 50% increase in domestic violence
- Gambling increased 40%
Joplin has a population of 60,000. It is the big city to a very rural area.
This is one that rang a bell for me: Families and the medical examiner have two different missions. You need a mental health person there to help. The families want the bodies of their loved ones. The coroner wants to make sure bodies are identified and released to the appropriate people.
They used 73 volunteers for six weeks. Lots of workshops on how trauma affects people.
