Joplin Schools: We don't know why the storm shelters weren't open

When tornado sirens sounded earlier this evening in Joplin, some of the people who headed toward their nearby schools to use the shelters discovered they had not been opened.

Joplin Schools posted the following Facebook message this evening:

We understand that many in our community sought shelter at our safe rooms this evening and found the doors unexpectedly closed. We recognize how upsetting and concerning that experience must have been during a high wind warning.

We are actively working with all involved partners to understand what went wrong and ensure this does not happen again. We are committed to learning from this situation and improving our emergency response moving forward.

Thank you for your patience and continued trust.