Tornado tourists and gawkers in Joplin have filtered through the city since the May 22 storm … and now a bus tour is proposed. That’s raised the ire of some locals, who say it’s insensitive.
The Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau is giving out tornado maps, with a description of the storm and rescue effort on the back, and the best routes through the zone on the front. It’s led to outrage from some residents, but CVB Director Patrick Tuttle says they don’t have all the facts.
Tuttle says he was part of the documentation team that tracked damage and progress immediately following the storm; he says it’s a living history of the city.
Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Patrick Tuttle says it’s not about making money, but about reacting to the interest from the public.
There has been a proposal to offer bus tours, but Tuttle says that idea did not come from the CVB.
AUDIO: Darrin Wright, KZRG, reports. (1 min.)