Joplin in for More Severe Weather, Possible Tornadoes

"Since the toll has exceeded 115, it is now one of the ten deadliest tornadoes of all time..."  

Residents begin digging through the rubble of their home after it was destroyed by a tornado that hit Joplin, Mo. on Sunday evening, May 22, 2011. The tornado tore a path a mile wide and four miles long destroying homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Mike Gullett)

City officials announced Monday afternoon that the death toll has risen to 116 and even more are injured after tornadoes tore though parts of the Midwest on Sunday. Through Monday afternoon, there have been 51 tornado reports from Sunday's storms according to the Storm Prediction Center.
At least 116 people were killed in Joplin, Mo., which received the worst of the severe weather.
Since the toll has exceeded 115, it is now one of the ten deadliest tornadoes of all time, none of which have occurred since 1953, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
This story will be continually updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
More Severe Weather Expected Today
The area will have little time to clean up as multiple rounds of severe weather are expected the next couple of days.
A complex of severe thunderstorms tracked across Joplin and southwestern Missouri this morning producing gusty winds and 1-inch diameter hail.
Additional thunderstorms will develop into tonight across parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, potentially affecting the Joplin area again.
Torrential downpours and frequent lightning associated with any of the thunderstorms will interfere with cleanup efforts. Localized flash flooding is likely as the ground is already saturated due to above-normal rainfall the last two months.
High winds could cause additional damage and may topple cranes which are in the city helping with the cleanup.
Widespread Destruction from Yesterday's Tornado
Damage was widespread across the city as homes, schools and a hospital were hit by a massive tornado.
According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert, x-ray films from the hospital were found 70 miles away in a driveway.
Meanwhile, school has already been canceled on Monday as one of the Joplin School District's buildings had received catastrophic damage.
Many of the dead were residents looking to seek shelter when the buildings they were in collapsed.
The tornado traveled 6 miles from the west side of the city to the southeast portion. The southern edge of the city was the hardest hit. The tornado ranged from half a mile to three-quarters of a mile in width. While the exact strength of the storm is yet to be determined, it could be upwards of an EF4.
According to Kathy Dennis of the American Red Cross, "75% of the town is virtually gone."
Scenes from the city look much like those of the tornadoes that claimed more than 300 lives in the Southeast last month.
Throughout the city, roads are littered with downed trees and buildings, making them nearly impassable. Interstate 44 also had significant damage as 20 cars and tractor-trailers were overturned.
According to the Associated Press, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, while emergency crews were conducting search and rescue operations.
The number of dead is expected to rise as the crews sort through the rubble.
These storms are part of a larger system that triggered severe weather that killed one person in Kansas on Saturday night and caused damage from Minnesota to Texas on Sunday.
At least one person was killed and 29 injured in storms that hit Minneapolis, Minn. Meanwhile, La Crosse, Wis., was also hit hard as winds tore roofs off homes and trapped residents inside.