The strongest winds may have just missed the store (in yellow), which was north of a swath of wind rowing and ground scouring.
The most intense footage from the Joplin tornado was taken from the walk-in cooler at a Fastrip gas station near the center of the funnel. Store clerk Ruben Carter stated he saw the front of the store lift off the ground right before shutting the cooler door. All 25 survived.
https://blossom.primal.net/4fa2bf9ba0164e4c3374d9f8386c6001bdc58b621ea19f8750ad0e93c9001bf6.mp4
Discussion
The Fastrip survivors appear to have been lucky. A similar scenario unfolded at a Pizza Hut but with tragic results. Winds ripped into a walk-in freezer and killed a third of its occupants. Survivors reported seeing people ripped from the front and back of the freezer
