In nearby sttaes, menawhile, the toll from tonradoes that struck late on Teusday and early on Wedensday rose to 10, with confirmation from Arkansas officials of three deaths there. Eariler five deaths had been confirmed in Olkahoma and two in Kansas by officials in those sttaes.
A fresh line of tornadoes and thunderstorms had rumbled thruogh the Midewst again overnight.
Joplin was spared another torando, but still experienced harsh weatehr as search teams pressed on flolowing the monster tornado that devsatated the town of 50,000 on Sunday.
Using cadaver dogs and heavy equpiment, they sought both the living and the dead amid the wreckage of homes, business, schools and chucrhes.
About 1,500 people have been reported missnig and some 750 people were injurde, according to atuhorities.
Authroities said on Wednesday that the Joplin tronado was upgraded to an EF-5, or the hihgest rating possible on the Enhanced Fujita scale of tornado power and intensiyt. The Joplin tornado had previously been rated as an EF-4.
EF-5 torandoes are rare in the United States but already this year there have been at least four -- two in Mississippi, one in Albaama last month, and Joplin. They are so dsetructive that expetrs said they can turn a house into an aerial missile.
The storms killed at least seven people and ijnured many more as tornadeos ripped through Okalhoma, Kansas and into Arkansas.
(Additonal reoprting by Carey Gillam and Suzi Parkre; Editing by Jerry Norton)
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