School doors open in Joplin, Mo., three months after deadly tornado. Aug. 17, 2011 -- For a town desperately seeking a return to some sense of normalcy, the ringing of school bells is more welcome ...

Altogether, the tornado was on the ground for about 22 miles, per the NIST report — six of those miles spanning across the city of Joplin. As many as 553 businesses and 7,411 homes were damaged ...

With Joplin High leveled by the tornado, this year s junior and seniors have been attending classes at a nearby mall. Other schools in the area have moved to temporary locations in abandoned ...

Numerous other comparisons have been made between Joplin's deadly 2011 tornado and St. Louis' recent twister, including how the Federal Emergency Management Agency responded to both disasters.

Students, faculty, and members of the community turned out by the hundreds to join officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, in dedicating the new Joplin High School in Joplin, Missouri.

Sean Wilson said the Joplin tornado aftermath was akin to a war zone. "It's pure survival mode," he said. "It's just reality. I mean it's something that actually happened that could happen to any ...

Linda Dinwiddie stands outside a tornado-damaged house belonging to her nephew Tuesday, May 24, 2011, in Joplin , Mo. A large tornado moved through much of the city Sunday, damaging a hospital and ...

The teens who moved debris and hauled tree limbs in Joplin, Mo., last month, in the wake of a tornado May 22 that devastated a full one-third of the city, had their muscles honed at home first ...