39 pages • 1 hour read
Lauren TarshisI Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 16-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 16 Summary: “Why I Wrote About Joplin, Missouri”
On school visits, Tarshis is often asked which of the books in the series is her favorite, but she does not have a favorite. Each story “has a deep meaning” to her (90). What makes this one unique, however, is that “people from Joplin” suggested she write it (90). The stories about their experiences that they shared with her inspired her characters and plot. Tarshis notes that Joplin is a city that feels “like a small town” (91). The warmth and friendliness of the people showed her “why so many people who are born here never leave” (91).
The Joplin tornado “was the deadliest to hit America in fifty years” (91). Nearly a mile wide, it swept away entire neighborhoods, killed 158 people, and wounded more than 1,100 more. Visiting the city four years later, Tarshis struggled to believe that a third of the city had been destroyed. She also notes another question she is often asked: Why does she write about such depressing and scary events? She reveals that the series is not about the disasters but about people and their ability “to recover after experiencing something difficult or painful” (93). For Tarshis, the story of Joplin that she is honored to share is the strength of their community bonds and their resilience.
Chapter 17 Summary: “A Timeline of the Joplin Tornado”
Tarshis provides a timeline that begins eight days before the tornado struck. The “violent storm” was born with the collision of “cold, dry air” from the Gulf of Alaska colliding in Colorado with “a stream of warm, moist air” that came up from the Gulf of Mexico. This storm system resulted in a thunderstorm and a series of small tornadoes that touched down in Colorado. It then moved into Kansas on Saturday, March 21, with a tornado damaging the town of Reading. The following day began “bright and clear in Joplin,” with thunderstorms forecast in the afternoon. At 1 pm the National Weather Service had issued a tornado watch, and by 2 pm the storm had formed into a supercell. Two more supercells developed at 4 pm, and a tornado warning was issued at 5 pm. Storm chasers caught sight of the tornado headed to Joplin at 5:30 pm and alerted a local police officer to sound the sirens. At 5:32 pm, the tornado hit, stretching across 13 miles before disappearing “into the sky” at 6:12 pm.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Questions and Answers about Tornadoes”
Tarshis answers four questions that readers may be wondering about. Though tornadoes have struck everywhere in the world except Antarctica, the majority hit in the United States. Approximately one thousand tornadoes hit in the United States annually, but some years are more active than others. The year 2011, for example, saw 1,691 tornadoes touch down. Scientists do not yet know why so many supercell thunderstorms create tornadoes while others fade away. Storm chasing is a dangerous activity that should not be undertaken lightly. Storm chasers provide important information and are often scientists striving “to learn more about how tornadoes work” (99). Dr. Gage is based on three storm chasers Tarshis encountered in her research, one of whom, Tim Samaras, was killed “by a rain-wrapped tornado” in Oklahoma (100).
Chapter 19 Summary: “Staying Safe in a Tornado”
Tarshis encourages readers to be informed, provides the website ready.gov, and offers tips for staying safe in a tornado, including keeping track of weather, listening to credible weather reports, taking tornado warnings seriously, and taking shelter when urged to do so. If caught in a tornado, you should remain indoors, away from windows, corners, and exterior walls. Taking shelter under a heavy table or desk and wearing a bike or ski helmet are also encouraged. If caught while in a car or truck, “buckle your seat belt and cover your head with your hands” (101).
Chapters 16-19 Analysis
Tarshis concludes the novel with an afterword and three brief sections about tornadoes. These sections remind readers that the story they have read is based on a real event. It pays homage to the history and the people, educating students about both.
In her afterword, “Why I Wrote About Joplin, Missouri,” Tarshis discusses her bond with the story of Joplin: Because she was asked by its residents to write about it, she felt a special responsibility to do justice to the story. She uses the afterword as an opportunity to honor the people who inspired the characters and events in her story, who she admires and respects. In this afterword, Tarshis soberly reminds readers that while her story is fiction, it is drawn from people’s true experiences, losses, griefs, and triumphs.
In addition to contextualizing her narrative choices, the final chapters drive home the very real dangers of tornadoes and the scope of the tragedy in Joplin. Together, these chapters subvert any inclination young readers may have to romanticize her story, as Dex does in Chapter 4 when he imagines tornadoes “dancing in the sky” (22). The timeline of the Joplin tornado provides a historical background that reflects the events Dex lived through in the narrative. It also fills out the details, explaining how the storm began and where it ended. Chapter 18 provides answers to some common questions readers might have about tornadoes, revealing that storm chasers have died in pursuit of knowledge. When discussing such events, it is essential to acknowledge the real dangers while not terrifying young readers. Thus, Tarshis concludes with a section on how to stay safe during a tornado, including if you are located somewhere especially dangerous, as Dex is by being in a car.
Related Titles
By Lauren Tarshis
