April 2013 Joplin Mission Trip
This website is to provide a daily report of some of the things we did, so that those that could not be with us can follow our progress. Please use the navigaion buttons to the left to see each days log.
This should be a great mission trip. This year we have about a dozen people from four different churches. We will be getting our direction from Catholic Charities again this year. They have done a fabulous job of organizing all of the volunteers from all faiths and from all over the country. Some of the projects they have indicated that we may be working on are:
- 765 N. Aster: drywall finish on ceiling of dining room, needs new patio door, drywall repair around bathroom door and case, case around master bedroom door, new back door, new front door and storm door, drywall finish in master bedroom, attic insulation, blocks on foundation knocked out need replaced, soffit and facia need installed on whole house, and guttering entire house.
- 2122 Moffet: electrical (upgrade from 100 amp to 200 amp service and new panel box inside), guttering, fireplace
- 3010 Wall: cracked stone work (tuck & point)
- 2812 Pearl: electrical (2 rooms)
The Statistics
- 159 fatalities (Deadliest single U.S. tornado since 1947)
- Total damage estimate: $2.8 billion
- 7,500 residential dwellings damaged affecting more than 17,000 people
- Ranked #3 in the Forbes Top 10 Worst Tornadoes in US History
Joplin is having some difficulty getting started with the rebuild because so many of the homes that were destroyed were rentals. (I have heard about 85%). The landlords have taken the insurance money and are not rebuilding. This leaves vacant lots and no one to rebuild. There simply are not enough folks in Joplin who want to purchase a new home. Also, the community leaders are attempting to plan some sort of new age community development much like Greensburg Kansas and this takes time.