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Trying to push the wheelchairs and everything through it to get people out. >> reporter: they wheeled his grandmother out of the hospital. then flagged down a passing car to drive them home. >> there was no crying. there was no screaming. >> reporter: the st. john's 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. >> 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 just lace...

I didn't think anything of it. >> reporter: but in those dark clouds, a monster tornado was headed right for them. at st. john's it was the moment they trained for that they hoped would never come. >> we drill -- well, actually just by virtue of the fact that we're in tornado alley down here, we prepare several times a month. >> reporter: but this was not a drill. >> it was a stormy day. we thought all was going well. >> reporter: angie abner was a nurse in the emergency room. >> of course, no one ever thinks it's going to happen. nobody was really taking it serious. >> reporter: but the torna...

>> went right through here. >> 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 e.r. doctor at st. john's for the last 17 years. >> this is a very, very sophisticated hospital in a relatively small town. >> i was down the road playing horseshoes. >> reporter: on may 22nd andrew mcdaniel came to the hospital to visit his grandmother on...

Second floor and there was about ankle deep of water and we were trying to push the wheelchairs and everything through it to get people out. >> reporter: they wheeled his grandmother out of the hospital. then flagged down a passing car to drive them home. >> there was no crying. there was no screaming. >> reporter: the st. john's 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. >> just a very short period of time we were able to evacuate over 200 patients to a safer parking lot and then tr...

St. john's that day, but miraculously, most survived. >> 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 and this is home. i mean, st. john's is more than a building. it's a spirit. we are asking what so many people in the midwest are asking. why? why are there so many powerful and deadly tornado this is year and how can you tell the strength of a tornado by looking at the d...