One year later – Joplin, MO

On May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, cutting a mile-wide swath of destruction that ultimately left 150 dead and destroyed many more homes and livelihoods. ASPCA Senior Director of Field Investigations and Response Tim Rickey is a native of Joplin, and less than a day after the storm touched down, he and his team were on the scene, preparing the ASPCA’s multipronged response to the crisis.