This post was authored by Michelle Castillo as a part of a YouTube Trends series exploring the videos being watched this week by the team at What's Trending.

The destructive path of the Joplin tornado has been witnessed by thousands miles away. Through pictures and first person videos from the individuals who had to experience the fury first hand, we can see exactly what happened when the record-breaking tornado hit the small town.

The Joplin tornado is the deadliest to hit America since the 1950s, with 117 people reported dead so far. Volunteers and rescue officials are still sorting through the rubble, and with at least 130 people still unaccounted for many fear that the death toll may still rise.

One of the most watched videos on YouTube is "First Person video of Joplin MO tornado 5/22/11" by izelsg. While you can’t see much, you can hear his family’s horror as the tornado rips through their part of town.



Here are some other videos of Mother Nature at her worst, told by the people who survived to tell the tale. Here’s one family’s family vacation. They happened to be in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.



You can see the recent Clinton, Mississippi tornado formation in this video, captured by tachinup.



Not all disasters are caused by massive gales. Here’s one person’s account of when the ground started shaking in Japan.



Here’s more of the destruction. You can see cars washed away like little toy trucks.



Even sunny California isn’t immune from nature’s worst. Here’s a first hand account of the California wildfire’s in Palmdale, California.

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