JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Eight years to the day after a devastating tornado killed 161 people and injured more than 1,100 in Joplin, another big twister ripped through another Missouri community, Jefferson City, but with a far different result: No deaths, no serious injuries.
The two storms share a May 22 date, the same state, and both happened in cities of similar size. Both tornadoes ravaged residential neighborhoods and business districts.
But experts cite several factors that worked against Joplin and helped spare lives in Jefferson City. Chief among them was simply the size of the Joplin tornado, a rarely-seen EF-5.
Then there was the timing. The Joplin tornado hit on a Sunday afternoon, as people were out and about. The Jefferson City twister arrived in the middle of the night, meaning most people were already inside and close to shelter.
