Netflix is releasing its newest documentary on March 19, telling a story close to many Joplin residents. The Twister: Caught in the Storm depicts the events of the May 22, 2011, EF-5 tornado through the eyes of the 2011 graduates of Joplin High School. The former students have a unique perspective—they graduated on the same day the tornado struck the city.
"Being part of a traumatic situation with so many other people, maybe it reinforces that sense of community. I've always felt that if I wanted to go home, home would always be there."Sarah Sticklen
Some graduates, like Sarah Sticklen, say it's still too painful to recall the events of that day - nearly fifteen years later.
Sticklen and her friend were interviewed by NBC the day after the tornado destroyed their high school. She was a contributing writer for the Joplin Globe's tornado coverage. Even though she's become a self-proclaimed 'ambassador for the 2011 class,' she still hasn't watched any footage from that day and doesn't feel like it happened to her.
"It still feels like yesterday. Like when I think about it, I'm still 17 again and it's still incredibly surreal that it happened, and I still wish I could take it back." Sticklen said.
She remembers feeling like a typical seventeen-year-old on the day of her high school graduation. She skipped in front of the line of the graduates, so she was one of the first to receive her diploma. When Sticklen stepped outside after the commencement at the Missouri Southern State University arena, her parents appeared worried about the tornado warnings, but Sticklen didn't think it was a big deal.
Much of the Midwest is in "Tornado Alley" - a nickname for the Great Plains area, where frequent tornados occur. Midwesterners have learned to understand the signs of tornadoes, like high winds and a green sky. But this day felt routine, with no winds and clear, blue skies.
Sticklen's family was driving home from her commencement when a giant piece of hail hit one of their car windows. Her family slowed down and parked their car on the side of the road. When they got out, they noticed the sky was dark and ominous.
After the tornado, sirens went off for close to 48 hours. Sticklen didn't hear from any of her friends for a while because all the phone lines were down. She eventually heard from all of her friends - except one. One of her best friends, William Norton was one of the tornado's victims. He went missing after the tornado and his body was found in a lake several days later.
The tragedy of the tornado and losing a classmate brought her and her friend's group closer.
"I think we were all really, really close. Because of the shared trauma, it was hard to go away to college," she said.
Another documentary subject, Keegan Tinney said everybody has a story about the tornado and how it affected them.
"I will say that if you're from Joplin, it's kind of like a belly button. Everyone has one. I'm no different than anybody there that night," he said.
Tinney has lived in Joplin since graduating high school. He and his family immediately started helping residents after the tornado struck.
He received his degree as an Emergency Management Technician in addition to this high school diploma that day.
Today, he's a personal injury lawyer and a part-time prosecutor. His job as a prosecutor taught him how a tragedy can instantly change a person's life; he doesn't take any moment for granted.
"Having that compassion and caring and continuing to help people is really my mission," Tinney said.
This newest documentary is not the first time mainstream audiences will hear about the super-tornado and Joplin. The city made national headlines for months after the catastrophe. According to the National Weather Service, it became the deadliest tornado in nearly sixty years, claiming the lives of 161 people. It caused $2.8 billion worth of destruction in just 32 minutes.
President Barack Obama visited Joplin seven days after the disaster. A year later, he spoke at the high school's commencement ceremony.
The Learning Channel's (TLC) Extreme Makeover Home Edition renovated seven houses for tornado victims in January 2012. Surprisingly, the TLC show piqued the interest of the film's director, Alexandra Lacey, who was one of the house designers on the renovation show.
Lacey decided to tell a story authentic to the Joplin community – and wanted the film to be "about people with transformative stories of how that day had shifted them."
When Lacey discovered that the tornado destroyed the high school, she realized it had to be a coming-of-age film from the perspective of the 2011 graduating class.
"We hope that watching this film, people will think about if they were teenagers going through that moment, how could that have shaped or shifted them," explained Lacey.
Production for the film started in 2023. Lacey and her team visited Joplin about five times. With each visit, she realized how close-knit the community really was. She wasn't surprised how each one helped their friends during and after the storm.
Kerry Sachetta was Joplin High School's principal in 2011. The documentary team used a lot of footage and information from him and JHS assistant principal Matt Harding. He's grateful for Lacey and the rest of the team, saying they were very interested in the former students' stories and the products that emerged from them.
His perspective about the day in 2011 was that it was normal until it wasn't. The tragedy gave him a perspective on the human condition and how it responds to trauma. It helped him become motivated as a leader because he conquered a considerable feat.
"No one's ever going to prepare you as a leader for things like that. It helps prepare you to know that you take it one day at a time, and you can get through it because you've done hard things before." Sachetta said.
Sachetta is now the Superintendent for Joplin Schools. He said things didn't 'slow down' for a while, even after they moved to the new high school.
"After it [the tornado] was over, we ran 110 miles an hour essentially for five years," he said.
The class of 2011 is now in their thirties. Some have moved away and some have stayed in Joplin.
As for Sticklen, she resides in Columbia, Missouri, and is a managing partner for a law firm. She still feels a strong connection to her classmates but says the feeling of living in Joplin was just too much for her.
"The survivor's guilt is very real. And a lot of us feel that, And I think that's kind of a terrible way to be connected to somebody," she said.
Nearly fifteen years later, Sticklen still struggles to recall the day of the tornado without getting emotional, but it hasn't diminished her pride in her city.
"Being part of a traumatic situation with so many other people, maybe it reinforces that sense of community. And I've always felt that if I wanted to go home, home would always be there," said Sticklen.
The Twister: Caught in the Storm premieres only on Netflix on March 19. It'll tell a story that is reminiscent of Joplin residents – how a tight-knit community responded to the devastating 2011 tornado. The film features archival footage from various sources in Joplin - some of which have never been seen before.
