THE WEATHER CHANNEL TO AIR 'JOPLIN: 15 YEARS LATER' - A STORY OF DEVASTATION AND THE RESILIENCE OF AN AMERICAN TOWN

One-Hour Special Presented by Procter & Gamble to Premiere Thursday, May 21 at 9pm ET on TWC TV Network and TV App with Encore Broadcasts Through the Weekend.

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, May 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Weather Channel television network is proud to announce the premiere of JOPLIN: 15 YEARS LATER, a one-hour special presented by Procter & Gamble (P&G), marking the 15th anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011. The tornado remains the deadliest and most destructive in modern American history.\

The one-hour special premieres Thursday, May 21 at 9:00pm ET on The Weather Channel television network and The Weather Channel TV App, with encore airings throughout the weekend.

On the afternoon of May 22, 2011, hours after Joplin's graduating seniors had walked at their high school commencement, an EF-5 tornado cut a path of devastation nearly a mile wide and more than 13 miles long through the heart of the city. The tornado claimed 158 lives and caused $2.8 billion in damage, making it the deadliest and costliest tornado in modern U.S. history. This event was part of the 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded, with 368 confirmed tornadoes striking 21 states from Texas to New York between April 25–28, killing 348 people.

In JOPLIN: 15 YEARS LATER, veteran The Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes — one of the first journalists on the ground in the immediate aftermath of the storm — returns to report live from the community he witnessed at its most broken. The special will feature powerful first-person accounts from survivors and community leaders, exploring the human toll and remarkable determination that has defined Joplin's 15-year journey toward recovery.

The story of the recovery is, in many ways, a story of people helping people. Within four days of the tornado, P&G's Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundry program was on site, providing free services to displaced families and relief workers. Around the same time, competitive pitmasters from eight states fired up their smokers and spent 13 straight days serving 120,000 hot meals — an act of service that gave birth to Operation BBQ Relief, which has since delivered more than 11 million meals to disaster-affected communities nationwide. Both organizations are featured in the special.

“Joplin's story is one of unimaginable loss plus equally unimaginable resolve," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, parent company of The Weather Channel. "Fifteen years later, we return not just to remember, but to bear witness to what rebuilding truly looks like. The people of Joplin have shown what it means to rise from the rubble with grace and determination, and The Weather Channel is honored to tell their story."

"P&G is committed to supporting people impacted by disasters, offering comfort, hope, and a sense of normalcy when it’s needed most" said Claude Zukowski, Senior Director of Community Impact at P&G. "In Joplin, we saw a community come together to support one another in the face of profound loss. Their story exemplifies strength and resilience, and we are proud to collaborate with The Weather Channel to share this inspiring story of unity and recovery."
The one-hour special will also feature The Weather Channel's Emmy™ award-winning Immersive Mixed Reality technology, placing viewers inside the tornado's path to understand the full scope of its destruction in a way never before seen on television.

ABOUT THE WEATHER CHANNEL TELEVISION NETWORK
The Weather Channel television network is America’s most trusted and widely distributed weather network. For 44 years, it has led severe weather coverage with an award-winning team of meteorologists, scientists, and visual producers delivering the nation’s most comprehensive analysis of any media outlet. The network has earned multiple Emmy™ Awards, including honors in 2019, 2021, and 2024 for its Immersive Mixed Reality technology, and a 2025 Emmy™ Award for Outstanding Breaking News Coverage for its Hurricane Helene reporting. The Weather Channel Streaming TV App is available on Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, Android TV, VIZIO, and Xfinity Flex. Learn more at weathergroup.com

Robyn Ware
Weather Group
robyn.ware@weathergroup.com

Joplin 15 Years Later | Official Trailer | The Weather Channel

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