tornadoes

Five counties in mid-Missouri hit by severe storms and tornadoes in late April will get assistance from FEMA for impacts to infrastructure.

If they heed the warnings, people in Kansas City have taken shelter more than usual this season — the 1,438 severe weather warnings issued so far is the most on record. But staffing cuts to the National Weather Service have resulted in less warning time for some storm systems.

Storms already delayed the opening of Kansas City's FIFA Fan Festival. With more thunderstorms and tornadoes possible this weekend, organizers say they have an evacuation plan and shelters, but those details have not been made widely available.

Human behavior researchers say catastrophes can bring out kindness in surprising ways. 15 years after Joplin, Mo., came together to rebuild after a deadly tornado, a community service spirit lives on.

The EF5 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, became the deadliest in modern history — killing 158 people. Although little damage is now visible to the naked eye, to the survivors, volunteers and healthcare workers, the scars remain.

Area health departments are putting the finishing touches on plans to keep residents and travelers healthy during the FIFA World Cup. Officials are hopeful increased wastewater surveillance and unified messaging will help prevent outbreaks.

Missouri reports about 40 tornadoes in a typical season — but it's surpassed that number all of the last three years. Unusually high temperatures in March and April brought more frequent storms.

Tornado warning sirens have been a frequent sound in the Kansas City area so far this year. This month is likely to be much of the same, according to Zachary Leasor, a state climatologist with the University of Missouri.

FEMA has warned of relief delays due to federal funding. Monday's storm tracked 36.51 miles across the town of Slater, Gilliam and Glasgow, with a max wind speed of 115 mph.

El área metropolitana de Kansas City ha sufrido recientemente una sucesión constante de fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, entre otros la amenaza de tornados y las estridentes alarmas que los acompañan. Los residentes generalmente se confunden con esas sirenas porque otros medios de comunicación no mencionan el peligro.

Relentless rainfall has flooded Kansas City neighborhoods east of I-435 near the 23rd Street exit, as meteorologists note a historically high amount of storms and warnings this year. Several businesses have had to close indefinitely, as they wait for the city to respond and drain the water.

The Kansas City metro has had a steady stream of severe weather recently, including the threat of tornadoes and the piercing sirens that accompany them. Residents are often confused by those sirens, when media reports are not telling them they're at risk.