Tornado upgraded
On further investigation, Joplin tornado packed winds of 200 m.p.h.-plus.
The incredibly destructive and deadly tornado that leveled parts of Joplin, Mo., was an EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, meaning its winds were at least 200 m.p.h.
That's an upgrade from yesterday's preliminary designation of EF-4, with winds between 192 and 198 m.p.h., said National Weather Service investigator Bill Davis.
In a briefing this evening, Davis said further examination revealed that the wind speeds had been underrated.
He noted that "numerous well-built homes were leveled," and that the "walls and everything inside" St. John's Hospital had been demolished.
He said the survey team computed a path of 6.5 miles, about 3/4 of a mile wide.
The latest death-toll estimate stood at 116, which would match the previous modern record for a single event, set in 1953 in Flint, Mich.