A Joplin tornado cat gave one family a rare moment of joy after days of heartbreak.
A Missouri family found their 13-year-old cat alive under the rubble of their destroyed Joplin home 16 days after the deadly May 22 tornado.
Terrla and J.E. Cruse had returned to what was left of their home several times after the storm. Their family had been staying with relatives after the tornado destroyed the house where they lived with their two young daughters.
On Tuesday, Terrla Cruse went back one more time to search for paperwork needed for a Federal Emergency Management Agency application. She did not expect to find the family pet alive.
A Meow From the Rubble
Cruse said she was standing with her sister, Suzi Hoskins, when they heard a meow coming from the debris.
At first, she thought it might be a neighbor’s cat. Her own cat, Lavern, had been missing since the tornado, and the family had already searched for her several times.
The sisters followed the sound and began digging through the rubble. Then the meowing stopped.
Cruse said she prayed that Lavern would make one more sound. Moments later, another meow led them to the right spot.
Lavern Emerged Alive
After removing rubble and plaster, Lavern’s head appeared from beneath the wreckage.
Cruse said she felt shock and happiness when she realized the cat was alive. After 16 days buried under the remains of the home, Lavern had somehow survived.
The cat was dehydrated and had lost weight. Cruse took her to a veterinarian, where she was expected to recover.
“She’s fine,” Cruse said at the time. “She’s doing good. I think she’s used up all nine of her lives.”
A Bright Moment After Disaster
The May 22, 2011, Joplin tornado was an EF5 storm and one of the deadliest tornadoes in modern U.S. history.
The National Severe Storms Laboratory says the tornado destroyed a significant part of Joplin and killed 158 people. It was the deadliest single tornado in the United States since 1950. More details are available from the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
The disaster left families searching through debris for documents, photos, keepsakes, and missing pets.
For the Cruse family, finding Lavern became one small moment of hope during a painful time.
A Little Girl Got Her Cat Back
Cruse said her 4-year-old daughter, Isabella, was happy when she learned Lavern had been found.
The family had lost their home and much of their normal life in the tornado. But the return of their cat gave them something to hold onto.
Cruse described the days after the storm as a roller coaster. The day Lavern was found, she said, was finally a good day.
In a city surrounded by loss, one faint meow under the rubble became a reminder that hope can still be found in the most unexpected places.