Fortunately, the Joplin stake had an emergency plan in place, and members were prepared to account, assess, and report promptly in the wake of disaster.
"Our emergency plan, while there is a lot of detail to it, is quite simple: account, assess, report promptly," said stake president Creed Jones. "You need to account for your people. Everybody goes out to find out how the missionaries are, how the members are, and if everyone is accounted for. Then they assess. Who is missing? Who has injuries? Who is without a home? Who is without power? What are their physical situations, family needs, and so forth? And then you report promptly, communicating that information back through the priesthood line."
The process worked well, President Jones reported, and he said that he received several accounts of people running or walking for miles (roads and other infrastructure were impassable at first because of debris) to check on family, friends, coworkers, and ward members.
"What you really learn is that the Church is not just what takes place in a chapel or classroom on Sunday," President Jones said. "The real test comes when there are needs and we have to look out for each other."
Because of the nature of the destruction, food storage and other emergency supplies weren't always preserved. But those whose homes were spared were prepared to share what they had with others.