FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino recently praised first responders in Joplin, Mo., for their actions following the EF-5 tornado swept through the town on May 22, killing more than 130 people. He also praised Fire Chief Mitch Randles, whose family survived but lost their home and most of their belongings.

This spring has been particularly tough when it comes to natural disasters, and Joplin is another example. Serino wrote on his blog that he went to Joplin to look, to listen and to determine how FEMA could help. Amid the shock, sadness and fear of the unknown, he said he found among survivors great resilience and a determination to recover. Specifically, he noted how the community came together to provide aid and emotional comfort when they, themselves, had lost everything. He used Randles as an example of a local who continued to tirelessly work to help find survivors, suppress fires, and meet the challenges of a community in need.

First responders also dig through rubble in hailstorms and blinding rain to search for and rescue survivors, Serino said. In addition, volunteer and faith-based groups have fed, sheltered, and comforted many.

“They’ve helped move debris that stretches for miles,” he said.

Serino also recognized Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr as among those who have led by example in the face of heart-wrenching adversity, adding response and recovery in Joplin has truly been a "whole community" effort.

“Lives have been saved, and there are so many great examples of what individuals, business owners, volunteer organizations, and government can do when they work together as a team, even under the toughest circumstances,” he said.