60th Anniversary of the Ruskin Heights Tornado

On May 20, 1957, one of the most powerful tornadoes to ever touchdown in the United States barreled into Ruskin Heights, a neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri. The twister killed dozens of people, injured scores of others, and left an indelible impact on the community and the survivors.

[@randytracy1742]

Good video and film clips-I wish they had put in closed-captioning so I could understand the story a bit! 😮😮😮😮😮

[@GrayLensman51]

It wasn't until 2011 that another EF5 tornado hit Missouri. That was Joplin.

[@taylornovak2892]

I lost a family member to this storm.

[@chriswilson9331]

My dad was in this tornado. He talks about it all the time.

[@brendachandler2661]

It missed our house by two blocks. My dad watched it from the back porch.

[@chriswilson9331]

@@brendachandler2661 Same with my Dad, he mentioned that it hit the water tower and turned, sparing his house. My Grandad was in the Air Force and stationed there, rushed home just in time to get them in the neighbors storm cellar.

[@j_man-ob3yp]

My grandma traveled through the aftermath of the tornado, and all she saw at the houses were toilets.

[@StarAnice]

Is there a full documentary of this?

[@FlatlandkcOrg]

We couldn't find any full documentaries, but there are several first hand accounts of the event written in the book "Caught In The Path" by Carolynn Glenn Brewer.

[@vinylking1252]

Also the Marr Sound Archives at UMKC has tapes from Walt Bodine called “Diary of a Disaster

[@melindap1011]

I remember, age 7 at a Girl Scout Program at Park Hill Jr High. My parents picked me up and we sheltered in my uncles concrete bunker. The sky was dark green. Later we found a check book and other debris in the pasture.

[@j_man-ob3yp]

My grandma traveled through the aftermath of the tornado, and all she saw at the houses were toilets.