In the aftermath of the tornado, thousands of volunteers came to help Joplin from around the country. Many wrote messages of hope on this tornado-damaged house, and later, Joplin residents wrote a thank-you message to the volunteers.

Nearly 100,000 volunteers helped the town rebuild and a spirit of community service continues to this day. Researchers studying human behavior catastrophes can bring out compassion in surprising ways.

(Image credit: FEMA)

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