Surviving the Joplin, Missouri, Tornado: Stories of Kindness and Compassion

On Sunday, May 22, residents of Joplin, MO, had 17 minutes' warning before a massive tornado blew through the town. A total of 160 people died in the horrific storm, which caused almost $3 billion in damage across the area. Underwood Dental Lab and Images 32 Dental Lab were completely destroyed; here are their stories.

Underwood Dental Lab

Tony Hood had just enough time to hide in the bathroom before the destruction hit. Fortunately, Hood--Underwood Dental Lab's C&B Department Head--made it out safely, but the recently renovated building was not as lucky.

The lab lost almost everything: equipment, supplies, office furniture, even its company checks were destroyed. "We're not really sure how much casework was lost because everything was in ruins, even our computer, records and tracking system," says Caroline Underwood, who co-owns the lab with her husband, Randy. The total cost of damage is...