As some of you may know, IAT is in Joplin, Missouri. Yesterday afternoon, a powerful tornado hit Joplin, leaving a mile wide path of destruction that basically split the city in two. All of the IAT staff and our families are safe & accounted for, but we’re going to be putting the site on hold for a few days.
I’ve lived here in Joplin for thirty years and thought I was used to seeing the damage that severe storms can cause, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the devestation I saw today. You use businesses and landmarks to know where you are in the city, but today I found myself straining to recognize the frame of a sign or a piece of a building to get my bearings in some parts of town. It just seemed impossible, and to know it wasn’t was frightening.
The scariest thing for me today was that I snapped a few photos while my wife and I were out volunteering our help. In the background of one of the pictures was my brother’s truck, flung on top of another car. With everything going on, I didn’t even notice it was his until later when we were able to locate him and meet up. He was in the truck with his girlfriend when the tornado hit, but thankfully they’re both home safe tonight.
As I said, all of the IAT staff and our families are safe as well. I haven’t gotten to meet up with any of them yet. They all live on the north side of town and were able to get together and did get a few text messages and tweets to me on the south side to let me know they were okay. I hope to be able to get over to them in the next few days when the roads are clear. We were very fortunate, but thousands of others weren’t as lucky.
The site will be back to daily updates here soon. We really appreciate all our readers, running a site like this isn’t easy, and it’s because of you guys that we push ourselves to bring new content as much as possible. It’s just that, right now, there’s so much that needs to be done here and we all want to get out and help anyway that we can. We know you’ll understand and we promise we’ll be back soon!
Glad to hear the IAT crew is safe……we were all worried about that. The damage sounds horrible, hopefully many others were as fortunate as you. Take all the time you need and hang in there.
You fellas were the first folks I thought if when I saw the news. We’ll be praying for you and yours, Noisy!
Glad to hear y’all at itsalltrue are well. Your area as withall the others area that have been hit hard this year are in my thoughts.
Y’all do what y’all gotta do… Family comes first!
I love IAT, but I’ll be happy to wait for you guys to take time off and recoup. My thoughts are with you and yours!
Family first, website second.
It’s simple really.
It’s a pretty empty offer seeing as I’m broke and I live in the uk, but please don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.
The worst that can happen is that I get a restraining order.
Glad you are all safe. My prayers and thoughts. I’ll have to see what I can send up to help in recovery.
Be safe, guys, and good luck! We’ll be here when you get back.
You IAT folk were the first people I thought of when I heard the horrible news, too.
Very relieving to hear you are OK, but very sorry to hear about such devastation.
Glad to hear all you guys are doing fine. My thoughts are with you and your town as you recover now. May some sense of normallacy return to your community soon, and may those who’ve suffered loss be comforted and supported by those around them.
I’ve come to feel deep friendship (well, you know, the internet kind 🙂 )for you all and I am very glad that you and yours are safe and sound.
I bet it’s Mattel’s fault! 🙂
Do what needs done, I’ll be here when you can come back. Stay safe!
yup, you guys take care of home, when IAT is ready to get back to running, i’ll do what i can to fire up the hype machine. be safe, be smart… people in bad disaster areas have a nasty habit of losing their greedy minds. take care of each other.
My prayers are with everyone in Joplin. I lived in Springfield for a long time, so this kinda hits close to home.
If anyone in the Joplin area needs help, we’ve opened up Hurley’s Heroes at 10th and Maiden Lane to anyone and everyone. We have limited supplies, but we will do whatever we can. Call at 417-782-6642 if we can help.
Just glad to hear from you guys. After seeing the pictures I’ll take our forest fires over your wind storms any day. Well keep the lights on at the forum while you help your neighbors. As I said in my email, let me know if I can help.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys! Glad you’re all okay. God bless.
Glad to know all of you are all right. We’ll be praying for you and your community.
Thinking positive thoughts for you guys and your town. Let me know if there’s anything I can do!
Glad everyone’s okay, take your time and if you need us just let us know what we can do!
Good to hear that everyone’s loved ones and friends are okay, bad to hear what’s happening in your neck of the woods. It’s especially heartening that you guys have started volunteering already. Sending hope for the best.
Glad to hear you guys are okay. I live in KC Ks. so I am familiar with the location of Joplin. I remember going there a few times when I visited my brother attending Pittsburg State. Hope you guys pull through okay and you and your families will be in our prayers.
Glad to hear you and yours are safe Noisy.
Hope everything works out with the minimum of hassle.
Glad you’re guys are all safe. We’ll be keeping you guys in our prayers.
Glad you guys are safe, be safe and careful!
Really glad that you all are Ok. Thanks for keeping this great site up! You’ll all will be in my prayers.
Glad you and your friends & family are safe. Come back after you’ve taken care of the important stuff!
Thank goodness. Indeed, toys can take the back burner for the time being. Take care of yourselves.
Glad to hear you’re all safe and accounted for. I wish you all the best during this rough time!
Wish you the best and hope you all can overcome this hardship love the site and will wait , take care of yourselves please
Wow, be safe, we will be here when you guys get back.
Good Luck Noisy and Crew, just glad you are ok – thoughts and prayers to you all, and especially to those families that weren’t so fortunate.
Wow it’s a small world after all. Glad to hear you guys are safe. My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone effected.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. God Bless and take care!
Be safe, guys! Our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.
Just wanted to send my well wishes to you and your entire town.
Glad to hear that everyone from IAT is safe. Take your time, help your neighbors, and we’ll all be here when you guys are ready to update again.
If you guys need anything, just holler.
Cripes, you guys keep getting hit over and over it seems! A day without thunderstorms would be good for you! My prayers and wishes for everyone!
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, everyone. Joplin’s got a lot of cleaning up and rebuilding to do, but I know that all will be well (yes, I’m a Blue Lantern at heart). Thank you, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We’ll all see this through. I know it.
Lots of love,
Sil (aka. Mrs. Noisy)
Good to hear from you Sil!