It was May 22, on a Sunday in 2011 when the town of Joplin, Missouri faced a destruction they would never forget. The population of just over 50,000 residents held onto dear life as an EF5 tornado plowed through their community. Horrific winds gusting of around 200 mph sadly claimed the lives of 161 people and injured another 1,150. Over 900 homes were demolished. People stated that the entire place looked like a war zone. What was the estimated damage created by this haunting nightmare? A shocking $3 billion!
Even though with so much destruction, countless homes were spared. It wasn’t long after the storm’s passing that tales of beautiful winged beings started to emerge. Children began describing creatures that looked like humans with wings of butterflies. The children claimed that these unearthly beings hovered over their homes as they witnessed the tornado whirling past them. It was thought that these beings served as protection from the storm. The town affectionately called them The Butterfly People. However, to many residents, they believe these creatures simply as guardian angels.
Below is a mural titled, “The Butterfly Effect” painted by artist, Dave Loewenstein.
SHEILA RENEE PARKER 
Did that tornado really happen? What an awful day!
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It did….
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Yes it happened. That day changed so much!
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Either Butterfly people or Guardian Angels is fine with me.
In 1955 an EF4/EF5 tornado (called the Walcott tornado) hit and demolished several farmsteads near Walcott, ND, including my family’s farm, and put us all in the hospital. My older sister was all ready married and gone, but her three children were visiting.
That night, at the hospital, my sister described a young girl who stayed with her all night as a Guardian Angel, and never saw her again.
Likely, even in 1955, hospitals had young women just for that purpose, but I’m willing to go with “GUARDIAN ANGEL.”
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Reblogged this on Booksbyjameswnelson.
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Beautiful and comforting in the midst of so much devastation. Thanks for sharing!
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It’s always good to hear of hope and faith in the midst of devastation.
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Pingback: Butterflies In The Sky: Joplin, Missouri — Sheila Renee Parker – Tripping on Legends
I grew up in Joplin and was there for the tornado on that fateful day. It was sheer chaos for everyone there.
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So sorry that you had to go through that! Did you experience The Butterfly People?
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No, I personally didn’t, but I have heard about them. I have heard other of other weird occurrences from that time, including a full thing of eggs landing uncracked on a counter, a woman trying to escape on foot and a claw foot bath tub falling on her in a prefect way that wound up sheltering her from the storm.
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Wow!!
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