Joplin mayor: Everything is completely altered

The New York Times offers a look at Joplin one week after the tornado:

But these days, even Joplinites have trouble navigating their transformed city. The mayor, Mr. (Mike) Woolston, for example, grew up in Joplin, went to a local middle school (now damaged), went to the local high school (now destroyed), left for a career in the military and returned more than two decades ago. He knows Joplin — or knew it.


“Particularly at night, but also during the daytime, areas that you’ve gone through thousands of times — you just don’t recognize,” Mr. Woolston said. “I have to stop and get my bearings to realize where I am at, simply because everything is just completely altered.”