On the blank canvas left behind by last year’s tornado, new homes are slowly popping up in Joplin, Missouri. Every few blocks the buzz of power saws and the pop-pop-pop of nail guns from construction crews signal another step toward making the city whole again. "Joplin is on the mend," said Mayor Melodie Colbert-Kean. "We have a long road to travel, but the way that everyone is joining together and unifying and chipping in, we’re going to make it." A year ago, the city suffered a direct hit by a massive EF5 tornado with wind speeds over 200 mph. The May 22 twister leveled homes and businesses, killing 161 people.