Chief Meteorologist Dan Threlkeld visited Joplin to see the rebuilding effort

JOPLIN, Mo. - It is difficult to put into words.  

In less than 15 minutes Joplin had businesses, homes, schools, and lives annihilated. In an instant, the city and the landscape were altered. 

The shade of 100-year-old oak trees that lined neighborhood streets is gone. Now, the back-up beeps of heavy machinery and kicked up dust fill the air.   

Those I spoke with expressed gratitude for all of the volunteers that flooded the area just days after the EF5 tornado hit . Most are gone now, that was weeks ago. Now I only saw one large group of what looked like church teens cleaning a victim's yard.  

I was given a unique perspective from meteorologist Andy Wallace. Andy grew up in Joplin and still has family there . In fact, he phoned his step-mother well before the tornado warning was issued to make sure she was aware of what was coming. He directed her to take cover and she did. She rode out the storm in a small bathroom. Though her home was damaged, she survived.

I asked Andy to pull into a parking lot so I could get some video of what was his high school. He told me the large cement area near where we parked was not another parking lot, it was actually where a large church once stood. Three small white crosses faced what would have been the front of the church. They had already removed the collapsed walls of the church. Nothing remained.

The debris removal there has been impressive. Much of the collapsed homes have been hauled away. There are tattered trees and demolished cars everywhere. Other than the sounds of the machinery, it was quiet too. Sort of like visiting the Alamo or a cemetary, there is a quiet respect when you walk through as a tribute to those who died.

Many of the business have signs up telling you where the new, but temporary, location is. Some, nothing more than spray painted signs nailed to the remains of their building. There were a few signs up by a builder telling how for $99,999 he would build you a new home. Guessing this guy may be pretty busy.

Andy showed me how close the two hospitals were. Despite the close proximity to one another, only one sustained major damage. Had both been in the path, many more would have perished, and the numerous operations in the hours and days following the tornado would have been more difficult.

I know it has been a few weeks since the tornado carved through Joplin , but they still need a lot of prayers and attention.  

Donate if you can to organizations providing relief. The caravan of national and local news trucks have pulled up stake and moved on to the next disaster.  

But don't forget our neighbors to the north. They will need much to piece together this town.