How Many Died In The Joplin Tornado? New Netflix Documentary Reveals Rare Flesh-Eating Fungus And A Miracle Survivor

In 2011, the city of Joplin, Missouri, was forever changed when a devastating tornado tore through the streets, leaving a destruction that city people have never seen before.

A new Netflix documentary, 'The Twister: Caught in the Storm', has brought back attention to the fateful event with the accounts of people who lived through the monstrous tornado. With rare footage and chilling interviews, the film revisits the tragic events that unfolded during the disaster, offering new insights into the impacts on the survivors and the shocking aftermath.

The Day Joplin Witnessed Chaos

On 22 May 2011, the city of Joplin was struck by an EF-5 tornado. The fury of the tornado, which is also known as one of the deadliest and most destructive storms in US history, was immense. It was reported that during the storm, the wind speeds exceeded 200 mph and a width of nearly one mile at its peak, and it kept on ripping through 13 miles of the city, destroying homes, schools, and businesses. By the end of the storm, almost 161 people had lost their lives, and 1,000 others were left injured.

The EF-5 tornado remains one of the deadliest tornadoes ever recorded in the US and ranks as the seventh-deadliest in history. The people who survived the storm shared the horrors of this natural disaster, and the new documentary explores how these survivors have been affected in the years since.

The Miracle of Steven Weersing

Among the thousands who faced the tornado's wrath was then-16-year-old Steven Weersing, whose miraculous survival story is the centre of the Netflix documentary. As Steven himself explains, one evening, when he and his friends were driving through Joplin, they were caught by the violent twister. Steven recalls the moment when the tornado tossed around their car and how he was ejected from the vehicle.

'Then, I was just flying,' Steven says in the documentary. 'I thought my life was over.' But somehow, Steven managed to survive. His body was flung through the air, and after a terrifying few moments, he landed on the ground, disoriented but alive. Despite his miraculous escape from the tornado, the battle for his life was far from over.

How a Flesh Eating Fungus Became Steven's Enemy?

Once he survived the storm, Steven was left with severe injuries. His ribs were cracked, he had a punctured lung and many other life-threatening wounds. Due to the seriousness of his condition, the doctors who were treating him decided to place him in a medically induced coma to increase his chance of survival. But what followed was even more terrifying. In the process of his treatment, Steven contracted a rare, flesh-eating fungus known as zygomycosis or mucormycosis.

According to experts, while it is most common in individuals with weakened immune systems or diabetes, it can affect anyone with severe injuries. 'Steven had about a 5% chance of survival,' said his friend Doug, who was by his side during the ordeal. 'I was afraid I was going to lose my friend.'

Steven's condition later got to a point where doctors were forced to perform several surgeries to remove infected body parts. They had to amputate part of his lung, several ribs, and, incredibly, a piece of his heart. Even his right nipple was removed. 'The fungus was just taking over me,' Steven says in the documentary.

This condition was not limited to Steven; in 2011, it was reported that many surviving victims of the tornado suffered from zygomycosis. The report said that five Joplin tornado victims were treated for rare fungus disease, out of which three who contracted zygomycosis died.

After four months of treatment and surgeries, Steven was finally able to leave the hospital. By surviving both the storm and the deadly virus, he became popular as a 'miracle boy.' For many, including Steven, the physical and emotional scars continue to haunt them even after 14 years.