KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) – The death toll in the May 22 tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri, has reached 162 people and is likely to rise further, a county coroner said on Wednesday.
Dorothy Johnston, 91, died on Sunday from a brain injury and Ronnie Holloway, 68, died on August 15 from an injured spine, Jasper County Coroner Rob Chappel said.
Chappel said there is sometimes a lapse in deaths of tornado victims being reported to him as the coroner for Jasper County, which includes the city of Joplin. There are likely other people with serious tornado injuries who have died or may yet die, he said.
“I would be shocked if we are finished with this,” Chappel said.
The tornado, one of the deadliest in U.S. history, swept through central Joplin late on a Sunday afternoon, destroying some 9,000 homes and businesses.
