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Some insights into questions left unanswered in the wake of the tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, 2011, might be found in the 2020 census.

We know that 30% of Joplin’s southern side was obliterated by the tornado, which reached a maximum strength of an EF5 twister and a maximum width of nearly a mile over a path of 22 miles. We know that the immediate death toll was 158 and that 1,500 people received treatment for injuries at local and regional hospitals in the immediate hours after the tornado.

But we did not know how many people were actually impacted by the tornado. How many of these now-homeless people just up and left? How many figured out a way to stay put? We will probably never have exact answers to these questions, but the census suggests that many of those impacted by the tornado stayed close to home.

A census block is the smallest unit of geography for which the U.S. Census Bureau provides decennial census data. According to the Census Bureau, 659 census blocks intersect with the tornado’s damage zone as identified by the National Weather Service. According to the 2010 census, completed a year and a half before the tornado struck, those census blocks contained 20,820 people. Yeah, that’s a lot of people.

The 2020 census shows that Joplin’s official population is now 51,762. That compares to 50,150 in 2010. Jasper County’s population has increased from 117,404 to 122,761. Newton County’s population has increased from 58,114 to 58,648.

I’m having a hard time getting my head around the fact that nearly 21,000 people were impacted by the tornado, and that within 8 1/2 years we have recovered from a potentially disastrous loss of population and actually grown. If this does not meet the definition of a truly remarkable achievement, I don’t know what does.

I personally would like to thank Matt Hesser, Missouri state demographer, for helping me explore the official website for the 2020 census to provide this data. If you want a better understanding of where you live and who we are, check out data.census.gov.

Trackside Burgers & BBQ, which opened in a new storefront at 615 N. East Road in Webb City over a year ago, is relocating to Joplin.

The manager at Trackside Burgers said the restaurant is relocating to the former site of the Fortune East restaurant at 1515 W. 10th St. If all goes as planned, the restaurant will open next month.

Trackside has gained a popular following for its burgers, fries and onion rings, based on online reviews. The manager said Trackside needed a bigger space. Menu expansion is planned.

Fortune East closed in 2017 after 40 years in business. It was Joplin’s oldest Asian restaurant.

I’m not a big fan of express car washes. I like to scrub my vehicle with a soapy brush and spray away the grime in a do-it-yourself car wash. I can usually wash my car for a couple of dollars and get some exercise, too.

But every once in a while, I’ll take my vehicle to a drive-thru car wash. I will usually spend $5, sometimes $7.

So, I was a bit surprised when I drove through the new Zips Express Car Wash, 1309 S. Madison St. in Webb City, and was asked to pay $10 for the minimum wash.

That’s a little steep for my budget.

I’m not a big fan of these washes because you have to put your vehicle in neutral and get on a conveyor belt that pulls you through the wash.

You can’t touch the steering wheel or the brakes. You have to trust people that nothing will go wrong in a tunnel where, like a time machine, you could just as easily be transported into an alternative universe, as in the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once.’’

During my recent visit to Zips, the conveyor belt shut down. Well, I figured, this it it. But nothing happened. After a short wait, the attentive attendants remedied the problem and the conveyor belt resumed.

Once outside of the tunnel, I took advantage of the free vacuums. I also checked out the wash my vehicle had received. Was it worth it? Yes.

My vehicle looked like it had just been driven off a new car lot.

Contact Wally Kennedy at wkennedy@joplinglobe.com.

Wally Kennedy is a reporter and columnist for The Joplin Globe.

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