One state representative from Joplin and several residents from the area have been named to a new state commission to assess Missouri’s disaster recovery efforts.
Plans for the committee — the Interim Commission on Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery — were announced by House Speaker Steve Tilley on Thursday. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will chair the commission, which will include state Rep. Bill White, of Joplin, and area residents Bennie Crossland, Crossland Construction; Morris Glaze, a member of the Joplin City Council; Dwight Douglas, Freeman Health Systems; and Jim Honey, Jasper County associate commissioner.
House Speaker Shane Schoeller, R-Willard, was named as vice chairman of the commission. Tilley said Schoeller would be an asset to the committee because of the knowledge he gained as chairman of the Interim Committee on Disaster Recovery in 2011.
White also was on that panel, along with state Reps. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, and Tom Flanigan, R-Carthage. State Sen. Ron Richard served on a similar group named in the Senate.
The goal of the commission is to take a detailed look at how the state responded to disasters, such as those that occurred in 2011, to be better prepared for the future.
Tilley cited tornadoes that hit Joplin and other communities, and flooding that affected other parts of the state, saying the panel will “assess the role played by state and local governments, and whether they have provided the best possible service to the people of the state.”
He said some weaknesses in the state plan had been exposed by the incidents in 2011.
“I look forward to working with the commission to find areas where we can improve our level of preparedness and our response efforts in the future,” he said.
Schoeller said the commission’s work would differ from that of panels a year ago because communities including Joplin are farther along in responding.
“When we were holding hearings a year ago, they (officials in disaster areas) were still responding and gathering information about the impact,” he said. “It’s important for us to be able to find out what’s been learned, a year later.”
Though Tilley’s announcement cites disasters across the state, also mentioning flooding in agricultural areas, the only rank-and-file members of the committee are Joplin-area residents.
White said he had not heard of other appointments, adding “my interpretation is that is because the costs were so high here in terms of lives and dollars.”
The panel is to submit its findings by the end of the year.
Members
Other committee members are Rep. Don Gosen, R- Chesterfield; Rep. Steve Hodges, D-East Prairie; Shelley Keeney, R-Marble Hill; Rep. Sylvester Taylor, D-Black Jack.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Local representative, residents named to disaster study panel
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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Illinois youth group arrives in Joplin to assemble house
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Last of 586 FEMA trailers in Joplin to be prepared for move
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Civil engineers release study of Joplin tornado damage
It did not take much wind to flatten houses in the Joplin tornado zone because so many were poorly constructed to withstand wind, according to a study released recently by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Rescuers, tornado victims reunite at Quapaw station
There were lots of hugs exchanged, pictures taken and memories summoned when fire crews on Friday met the two youngsters they pulled, critically injured, from the wreckage of Joplin’s 2011 tornado.
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Quapaw tribe’s firefighters, EMS personnel meet with children rescued at Home Depot in 2011
There were hugs, stories and the occasional tear this morning when two children who were trapped and seriously injured after the 2011 Joplin tornado met for the first time the Quapaw Tribe firefighters and emergency medical workers who pulled them from the wreckage and saved their lives that night.
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New members take seats on redevelopment board
Three new members took their places on the board of the Joplin Redevelopment Corp. in a meeting Thursday. The panel welcomed as new members Laurie Delano, vice president of finance for Empire District Electric Co.; Gary Duncan, retired president and chief executive of Freeman Health System; and Phil Stinnett, a former Joplin council member and mayor.
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Tornado grant trustees look to shelter placement
Trustees overseeing a Joplin tornado fund hope to use some of their remaining money to move FEMA-financed tornado shelters to areas where they are needed.
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Documentary about Joplin Globe coverage of tornado wins 2013 Mirror Award
The documentary “Deadline in Disaster” has won a 2013 Mirror Award in the “Best Single Story” category.
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Oklahoma photo collection to begin with ‘Picture Patrol’
A new national photo rescue operation based in Carthage that formed to help salvage and return to owners what was lost in the Joplin tornado has reached out to Moore, Okla., and next week will help storm victims there get down to business.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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