MCDONALD COUNTY, Missouri (KFSM) — A tornado tore through Southwest Missouri on Tuesday night (April 4), leaving several to deal with damage in Goodman, Missouri in McDonald County.
Goodman is about half way between Joplin and Bella Vista. The National Weather Service in Springfield confirmed that an EF-2 tornado hit the town and stayed on the ground there for 10 to 15 minutes.
Goodman Elementary, a fire station and several homes in the area were damaged by the storm.
Ryan Leach and his wife were in Neosho on their way home while their kids were with the babysitter. They could barely see to drive and hail was pounding the car.
“Me and my wife and we just told each other that we loved each other because we thought we were going to die in that tornado and so we were really upset. It’s just a feeling a parent never wants to have,” Leach said.
Leach said their road was blocked by downed power lines and debris, so they parked the car down the street and ran home to their kids.
“We came here and stuff was everywhere and the kids were all hunkered down in the bathroom under the vanity and they were all really scared and freaked out. But I mean we had windows busted out, siding, roof damage,” he said.
After the storm last night a group of people from Jane, Missouri came down to see if anyone needed help and to make sure everyone was okay. Wednesday (April 5) they came back with their chainsaws to help clean up the debris.
“We came out this morning, woke up at 7 o’clock in the morning came out here rain pouring and drove down this street and this is the one with the most damage and after we get this one done, we’ll hit the next one,” Sutherland said.
Jessica Sutherland said their reason is simple, they just want to help.
“I know that if it happened to me and my family down here or down where we live, everybody would come out for us too. I like to help people. You know we are a community, we are family, so we are all hear for each other no matter what,” she said.
Patrick Dillard managed to film the tornado as it was forming near Goodman.
There was also some damage in the area of Crowder College and the airport in Neosho, Missouri.
Several emergency management crews worked through the night to make sure people in the area got the help they needed.
A shelter has been setup at Splitlog Baptist Church in Goodman.
School is canceled for all Neosho Schools. Goodman Elementary is in that district even though it’s outside of Neosho city limits.
“They’ve been doing health checks on kids from Goodman, and so far we have no reported injuries,” said Meagan Spangler with Neosho Schools.
The National Weather Service out of Springfield is in the area to assess the damage.
by BRITTANY BOYETT AND ALEX DURHAM
POSTED 8:44 AM, APRIL 5, 2017
