Page 7 - John Ness News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

>> this is the new tower, this is the original hospital. >> reporter: two days later, for jim risko, it's all sinking in. >> my heart's broken because my mom and dad died here, my son was born here. i have so many memories of working with the other doctors and the nurses. this is home. i mean, st. john's is more than a building. it's a spirit. >> st. john's and the national guard are opening a temporary field hospital with 60 beds. it's across from the destroyed building. why are we seeing so many powerful tornado this is year? we'll show you the science behind how they're formed next. ♪ [...

Everything through it to get people out. >> reporter: they wheeled thinks grandmother out of the hospital and flagged down a passing car to drive them home. >> there was no crying, there was no screaming. >> reporter: the st. john staff kept working, laser focused on their patients. >> we did what we had to do. and we all stayed, even though people were worried about their families. >> i'm just a very short period of time we were able to evacuate over 200 patients to a safer parking lot and then transport them to area hospitals. >> this finger here was lass rated wide open. >> reporter: patien...

>> reporter: if the worst happens. >> oh, my gosh. >> reporter: and the hospital is at the center of the storm. >> oh, no. it's the hospital! >> reporter: st. john's hospital, joplin, missouri, the biggest hospital for miles around. >> st. john's is a 230-bed acute care hospital. >> reporter: jim risko has been an er doc at st. john's for the past seven years. >> this is a very sophisticated hospital in a relatively small town. >> i was down the road playing horseshoes with my friends. >> reporter: on may 22nd andrew mcdaniel came to the homent to visit his grandmother. as he arrived, a sound ...

I came back, walked home and came back later that night about midnight to see if my car, which was just completely trashed in the parking lot and see if there was anything left in it worth anything and there's not. >> that was the car you were going to drive home in. >> that's the car. oh, it's just crushed down. it's just -- mean, the roof is completely crushed in. it's just really bad. when we got there, we talk with people and some guards that were there and i brought my son with me and we were walking away. and john was walking back from his house. i said, there's the man that savedmy life...

Storm. >> every time i hear a bang or boom or something, i jump. which i never was that -- like that. it scares me. >> reporter: ness counts his blessings. >> if it wasn't for the lord, i wouldn't here. like i said, sunday morning i got saved. sunday night i got blowed away. >> reporter: he has high praise for the red cross and its tireless volunteers. >> walk a little bit and keep your legs moving. >> reporter: he's tending to those in need even as he struggles with staggering losses in his own life. >> we lost our home, you know, the hospital is destroyed, and i -- my office is destroyed. >>...