By Joel Gasson

Regina storm chaser in Missouri when tornado ripped through Joplin

May 23, 2011 | 1:40 PM

As a tornado destroyed Joplin, Missouri yesterday, Greg Johnson was in the area chasing other storms.

Johnson wasn't tracking that storm for his own safety, but went to the region today and said he's never seen anything like it.

“I was in Arkansas on Apr. 27 for the super outbreak, the town that I was in was hit, it was devastated as well, but it's not even close to what I'm seeing here in Joplin,” he said.

The destruction so far is unheard of said Johnson, “from what we can tell this storm leveled in excess of 2,000 structures.”

“(The) preliminary rating is an EF4, which is wind speed in excess of 350 kilometers an hour,” he said, explaining it makes it one of the largest in history.

Court proceedings

Drugs and weapons bust in Stanley Mission, results in two year sentence

14h ago

health care

La Loche recipient of new portable blood analyzer, printer kit

15h ago

Crime

Dangerous driving report at Red Wing, leads to arrest of man with gun

18h ago

This tornado season is also shaping up to be the worst in history, having set single month, April, and single day, Apr. 27, records for tornado activity.

As for his work down there, he said he's hoping this storm and what he's doing will act as a wake up call for Saskatchewan.

“It happens where we are, we just don't have the awareness and we certainly don't have the warning system, we need to be better prepared where we are.”

news@panow.com