Did Officials Ever Find Teenager Will Norton's Body After the Joplin Tornado?
Many families have been tragically impacted by the 2011 tornado.
Published March 24 2025, 3:34 p.m. ET
About a decade or so before Ranger Rick became a viral sensation on social media, the town of Joplin, Mo. made headlines for a devastating tragedy: in May 2011, a destructive tornado became one of the deadliest in the history of the U.S.
What was, at the time, the most destructive tornado in decades, is now the subject of a Netflix documentary — The Twister: Caught in the Storm — that has viewers wondering about the aftermath of many of the Joplinites affected by the tragedy.
Among the affected individuals on many viewers' minds was 18-year-old Will Norton, who had just completed his high school graduation ceremony.
Whether or not you've seen the Netflix documentary, keep reading to learn more about those affected by the Joplin tornado and what happened in the aftermath to Will Norton and his family.
Did they find Will Norton after the Joplin tornado?
Yes, 18-year-old Will Norton's body was found five days after the destructive tornado ravaged Joplin, according to an Associated Press (AP) story written at the time of Will's death.
Per the AP, Will's body was discovered in a pond near the family's Hummer H3, which reportedly flipped multiple times, ejecting Will through the sunroof.
As ABC News reports, Will was on his way home from his high school graduation ceremony when the tornado sucked his body from the vehicle. Will's father, Mark Norton, held onto his son's legs in hopes of restraining Will's body, but those efforts were unfortunately futile.
As StyleCaster reports, the harrowing scene was made even more devastating as the father and son were on the phone with Sara and Trish Norton — Will's sister and mom, respectively — when the tornado hit the vehicle.
Per StyleCaster, Mark recited prayers as the devastation unfolded, ultimately breaking his arm while attempting to save his son.
The YouTube account managed by Will's sister — TheStyleBlog — curated an 8-video playlist dedicated to her brother's memory. Will himself managed a YouTube channel that had grown to more than 23,000 followers.
Victims of Joplin tornado:
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center website, the Joplin tornado is the seventh-deadliest tornado in U.S. history with a total of 158 recorded deaths.
The Joplin tornado is also the most recent of the top-25 deadliest in the country's history, as the prior tornadoes that ranked amongst the deadliest were recorded in the 1950s.
As USA Today reports, in addition to the tragic deaths, more than 1,000 people were injured, 9,200 individuals were displaced by the tornado, and an astounding 4,000 homes were damaged.
However, USA Today reports that approximately 162 deaths were also recorded as "indirect deaths" beyond the 158 "direct" fatalities.
Underscoring the need to heed official warnings and notifications to seek shelter, USA Today reports that an official assessment of resident behavior amid the tornado found that the "majority of Joplin residents did not immediately take protective action upon receiving a first indication of risk (usually via the local siren system), regardless of the source of the warning."