Video: Powerful Tornado Hits Joplin, Missouri. At Least 25 Dead

Powerful Tornado Hits Joplin, Missouri. At Least 25 Dead

A powerful tornado hit Joplin, Missouri on Sunday. The tornado demolished homes, damaged fire stations, commercial buildings and schools, destroyed a Home Depot and Wal-mart and stripped bark from trees. A large hospital in Joplin took a direct hit and suffered extensive damage. Here is a video that shows some of the damage to the exterior of the hospital.

It is after dark now in Joplin. This CNN video of aerial footage shows fires burning in Joplin. Take a look:

The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes was the first to report on the scene. the Weather Channel says the tornado is estimated to have been at least a mile wide. The Weather Channel has photographs of the damage here. The News-Leader also has a photo gallery here.

The full extent of the damage will become more clear tomorrow. Reports indicate that at least 25 people were killed by the tornado. Local coverage of the devastating tornado can be found at joplinglobe.com, news-leader.com, KOAM and Fox 14.