Southeast donates two shuttle buses to Joplin

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Southeast Missouri State University donated two shuttle buses to Joplin Missouri. As Hannah Parent reports, they replaced buses that were destroyed by last May’s tornado.

The tornado last May devastated Joplin in many ways. One of the consequences was the loss of transportation vehicles.

The Missouri Department of Transportation discovered a surplus of two vehicles at Southeast Missouri State University. The university chose to donate them to the tornado-ravaged town.

Mike Hopen, the university’s Director of Transportation, was excited to be part of this charitable act after he saw the devastation first hand.

"I’ve never seen actually seen a tornado of that magnitude or with those damages," Hopen said. "When they talked about it being a mile wide tornado I was a skeptic. Until I saw the mile wide destruction path...made me a believer."

The buses went to a mental health facility in Joplin that lost three buses during the tornado.

Hannah Parent, KRCU

Posted in: Hannah Parent,Joplin,Mike Hopen,Southeast Missouri State University