Joplin Tornado Anniversary: Remembering The Heroes

On the one-year anniversary of the tornado that claimed 161 lives and injured 1,150 people, Joplin, Mo., residents can take comfort in reflecting on the stories of their heroes. The men, women and children who stepped up to make a difference during moments of severe crisis.

Heroes such as Mark Lindquist, the 51-year-old who risked his life to save three developmentally disabled people. There was also 9-year-old Maddox Prier who only learned speak at age 5, yet managed to warn his family in time to find shelter.

Read through the slideshow below to learn of the hope that arose during a time of utter destruction.

SLIDESHOW:

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• Mark Lindquist

  Mark Lindquist, 51, risked his life -- and sustained critical injuries -- while trying to protect three developmentally disabled adults during the tornado that tore through Joplin, Mo., <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/miracle-tornado-survivor-_n_1027186.html" target="_hplink">the AP reports</a>. Both houses of the Missouri legislature honored Lindquist for his heroism, but he was left with astronomical medical bills, has no insurance and was denied workers' compensation. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/miracle-tornado-survivor-_n_1027186.html" target="_hplink"> here</a>.

• Abi Almandinger

  To help rescue the priceless memories that were strewn across Joplin, Mo., in the wake of the tornado, Abi Almandinger started <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joplins-Found-Photos/200537796658232" target="_hplink">Joplin's Found Photos</a>. The mother of two put her job on hold as she gathered nearly 5,000 pictures. She's already given back more than half of them. Read the whole story <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/almandinger_n_1507761.html" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Young Professionals

  Many young professionals who once called Joplin home, left their cushy corporate jobs behind to help rebuild their tornado-torn city. Zach Tusinger, a St. Louis University law graduate whose aunt and uncle were killed in the tornado, was one such volunteer. "We saw our whole world turn upside down," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/in-joplin-young-professio_n_1273957.html" target="_hplink"> Tusinger told the AP</a>. "When I went back to work, it was killing me." Read the whole story <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/in-joplin-young-professio_n_1273957.html" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Christopher Don Lucas

  When the tornado struck, Christopher Don Lucas rushed his co-workers and customers at the Pizza Hut where he worked into the restaurant's protective giant freezer. The 27-year-old father of two, who was engaged, was eventually pulled from the freezer and died. "He went out facing the tornado head-on," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/04/joplin-tornado-death_n_871424.html" target="_hplink">his father Terry Lucas told the AP</a>. "He didn't flinch." Read Lucas' and other heroes' stories <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/04/joplin-tornado-death_n_871424.html" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Maddox Prier

  Though Maddox Prier only uttered his first words at 5, at 9 years old, <a href="http://www.kspr.com/news/kspr-joplin-tornado-autistic-boy-saves-family-from-joplin-tornado-20120513,0,3798243.story" target="_hplink">the boy with autism was able to say the phrase that saved his family's life</a>: "I hear the horns." Because he alerted them to the tornado sirens, Maddox and his family had enough time to crawl to safety in the bathtub, <a href="http://www.kspr.com/news/kspr-joplin-tornado-autistic-boy-saves-family-from-joplin-tornado-20120513,0,3798243.story" target="_hplink">KSPR reports.</a> Read the whole story <a href="http://www.kspr.com/news/kspr-joplin-tornado-autistic-boy-saves-family-from-joplin-tornado-20120513,0,3798243.story" target="_hplink"> here</a>.

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Comments

[John David King]

05:23 AM on 05/23/2012

Yesterday, I performed a marriage ceremony for a couple from Joplin. They met following the tornado that devastated their homes and lives. They fell in love and chose to be married on the one year anniversary of that tragedy, bringing hope and renewal out of the ashes of their, and Joplin's, destructive experience. It was a joyful and hopeful event. I will not forget it.

[hepdrip]

03:12 PM on 05/22/2012

The sadness of this day is resounding. I was on a cross country trip and drove through Joplin 4 months before this happend. The town was beautiful and the people so nice. I thought at the time what a wonderful place to raise a family. I remember the people so clearly and they were wonderful. In times like that you wish you cound do something that can positively impact peoples lives. I hope that these people recovered as much as they could have under those circumstances. God Bless

[Nightman Cometh]

07:36 PM on 05/22/2012

F&F - great comment