Piccadilly Circus to the rescue!

April and May 2011 were record-breaking in terms of tornado outbreaks and casualties, with hundreds killed across the southern and mid-western states of the United States.  On May 25, an EF5/T11 tornado devastated the city of Joplin, Missouri, severely damaging one of its two hospitals, and killing over 145 people.

It just so happened that the Picadilly Circus was in town when the tornado struck.  With so much devastation around the city, and construction equipment being used, the Circus decided to assist in disaster relief, by using their elephants to clear away destroyed automobiles and other heavy debris from the streets, so emergency vehicles could get through. The circus also ran a fundraiser this weekend in aid of the relief efforts.

Recovery will take months and will be filled with hard work, but this is exactly the type of morale boost the city of Joplin needs.

Read more: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Time - WFXT-TV - The Toronto Star