Will Norton: The Heartbreaking Story Behind Netflix’s Joplin Tornado Documentary
One of America’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history was the devastating EF-5 tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011. One of the roughly 160 lives lost during the storm was 18-year-old Will Norton, who had just graduated from high school just hours before the storm took him.
Netflix’s new documentary, “The Twister: Caught in the Storm,” reflects on the unimaginable tragedy, widening the lens to include mass destruction and individual stories of loss and resilience.
Will’s story mainly sticks out as a saunter of the tornado’s arbitrary cruelty — he was sucked from his car’s sunroof as he was trying to go home from his graduation ceremony, even after his father’s last-ditch effort to save him.
Here’s a look at Will Norton’s life, the horrific way he died, the devastation wrought by the tornado on Joplin, and how Will’s legacy and the community’s resilience continue to inspire almost 14 years later.
Contextualizing these individual narratives within more significant disasters helps us comprehend the actual human currency of a disastrous event while giving tribute to those whose lives were changed forever that day.
Who Was Will Norton?
August 19, 1992, William Richard “Will” Norton was born to parents Mark and Trish Norton in Joplin, Missouri. Will grew up with his sister, Sara, and quickly made a name for himself in his community as a caring and helpful person. Friends, his teachers, and even family members saw his generous soul and believed he was bound to do something good in the world.
Will had more than just academics on his mind at Joplin High School. He volunteered with the Joplin Humane Society because he loved animals. A childhood trip to Africa, particularly witnessing the great wildebeest migration, ignited his passion for travel. This indelible experience inspired him to use the username “willdabeast88883333” when he started his YouTube channel in September 2006.
His aptitude for content creation led to rapid growth on his channel. Embracing the platform’s possibilities, Will’s videos garnered thousands of views. He was so dedicated to honing his craft that he bought a green screen for his bedroom to boost production. In addition to producing his content, Will often helped out friends with video editing and technical support, graciously sharing his know-how.
As Will neared high school graduation, he was even more promising, as the creative passion he had cultivated was leading him toward a bright future. He had won admission to Chapman University’s film school in California and looked forward to what the school there would offer. It’s so sad that these dreams would never be fulfilled.
The Day That Changed Everything: May 22, 2011
For Will Norton and his family, May 22, 2011, started as a day of celebration. He left that morning hoping to get his high school diploma and told his sister that he would see the rest of the family at the ceremony. Local news had warned of tornadoes, but few Joplin residents expected such an unprecedentedly powerful storm.
Once the ceremony had ended, Will’s father, Mark, made a hasty exit, literally shoving Will into their Hummer, intent on beating the poor-weather blues. The sky was already changing to foreboding shades. Just ahead, Sara and Will’s aunt drove along and, miraculously, made it home safely. Mark called Sara and told her to prop the garage door open to let them in quickly. But the tornado hit with a vengeance before they made it to safety.
The winds blew up to 200 mph, the sofa bunting on the house’s front door being the only thing that kept the car windows from blowing out as the tornado flung cars like toys.” While all this terror unfolded, Will was praying and quoting scripture. Mark recalled, “I remember thinking, ‘gosh, he is so scared,’ and I had my arm on him.”
In a flash, Will’s seat belt popped free, and the tornado’s phenomenal force yanked him through the sunroof of their SUV. Mark, we learned, tried desperately to hang onto a leg of his son—even breaking his arm in the process—but the force of the storm was too much.
Mark later wrote of the heartbreak of a few seconds separating life from death: “If we had been five seconds earlier, we would have been passed it.” They were less than a minute from home when tragedy struck.
The Quest For Will And Grim Discovery
Pointing to the wreckage, it was during the squall that Mark, severely injured, was left to cling to life, while Davidson was undaunted. He was taken to the hospital, but there was no sign of Will. Norton family members and those in Joplin quickly mobilized to search for the missing teen. His aunt set up a Facebook page named “Help Find Will Norton” so people could coordinate the search, and thousands joined the effort.
For seven long days, Will was just another name among the hundreds missing in Joplin. Hope waned, day by day. Will’s remains weren’t found until May 29, 2011, when searchers discovered them in a pond close to where the tornado had ripped through his car. Debris on the water’s surface had hampered rescuers’ ability to locate him sooner.
If it was devastating, the Norton family took some small measure of peace in knowing Will was found and hadn’t suffered for long. Two weeks later, Sara Norton posted a video that offered a minute-by-minute account of that day in a heartfelt tribute to her brother and several other videos celebrating his life and accomplishments.
The Wider Devastation In Joplin — A Community In Ruins
The tornado that killed Will Norton had wrought apocalyptic destruction throughout Joplin. The EF-5 twister, at points nearly a mile wide, flattened entire neighborhoods, damaged or destroyed about 7,500 homes, and reshaped the landscape into what many called a war zone or nuclear disaster site.
St. John’s Regional Medical Center sustained some of the worst damage. Hospital staff had moments to roll patients into hallways before the 367-bed facility toppled off its foundation. The winds knocked out exposed generators, which made ventilators stop operating, and blew medical records up to 75 miles from where they should have been. Five patients and one visitor died at once; others later succumbed to injuries. The hospital was too badly damaged to save and entirely demolished the following year.
The toll from the tornado was so severe that officials set up a makeshift morgue alongside a football stadium. The official death toll is disputed, with the federal storm center listing 158 deaths but local officials reporting 161, including Will Norton. Hundreds more were injured, creating an overwhelming medical emergency.
Joplin also had a public school and education system to save. Notably, six school buildings, including Joplin High School, were destroyed, and seven others were severely damaged.
The authorities called off the spring semester nine days early and rushed to set up temporary learning spaces. Seniors and juniors attended classes in a repurposed big-box store at a shopping mall, while first- and second-year students were housed in another building across town.
Joplin And Will: How One City and One Life Are Moving Forward
In September 2012, some 16 months after the tornado, the Rotary Clubs of Joplin partnered with the Keller Williams Foundation to start building the Will Norton Miracle Field, a baseball park designed for children with special needs.
The following year, Freeman Hospital and its Ozark Center counseling department opened Will’s Place, a treatment center designed exclusively for children struggling with mental health or behavioral issues.
Even though Will was never able to graduate from Chapman University, his name has been placed on a memorial wall of the same teachers and students who lost their lives in the tornado, thus considering him one of their own.
Because of his association, Joplin High School set up a scholarship in his name so that his name would always carry on about them and educational achievement. Five years after the tragedy, in May 2016, Will’s friends and family created Will’s Wall—an online destination devoted to positivity and gratitude, inspiring people to share appreciation for the blessings they have in life.
In the meantime, his father maintained Will’s room just as it had been, keeping his open pack of chewing gum, signature mismatched socks, computer, and the green screen that often accompanied early footage that helped grow his YouTube audience.
“It’s kind of a little comfort to go in there, go back in time, remember how it was,” said Mark Norton, adding that it seems his son has never really gone anywhere — he’s just in a different place.
Joplin had shown tremendous resilience in putting itself back together. The community rebuilt its damaged infrastructure using federal financing, donations, insurance money, and a $62 million bond.
President Obama was the commencement speaker for Joplin High School’s 2012 graduation ceremony. Two years later, Vice President Joe Biden came to dedicate the new high school building, calling the community the “heart and soul of America.”
Netflix Documentary Revives Interest
Almost 14 years after the catastrophe, Netflix aired “The Twister: Caught in the Storm” in March 2025, yet again shining a light on the Joplin tornado and its victims, including Will Norton. The documentary preserves testimonials of survivors, first responders, and those who knew Will for future generations.
The documentary’s release comes as extreme weather has gripped the United States in recent weeks, killing people in tornadoes, dust storms, and wildfires. This context adds extra relevance to the film, as communities increasingly face the challenges of extreme weather events.
The documentary teaches viewers about the misinformation, the immediate chaos of the disaster, and the long journey of healing and rebuilding. Will’s tale is one of the most moving threads in this broader tapestry of community resilience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the death toll of the 2011 Joplin tornado?
A: The official death toll varies slightly depending on the source. The federal storm center has reported 158 overall deaths. At the same time, local public safety officials have a toll of 161, including Will Norton and two others who died in tornado-related incidents, such as being hit by lightning after the tornado had passed.
Q: What was the Joplin tornado’s rating?
A: The Joplin tornado was rated as an EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the highest rating possible. It produced winds of about 200 mph and sometimes grew to nearly a mile wide.
Q: How long until you located Will Norton following the tornado?
A: Will Norton was missing for seven days after the tornado. His body was found in a pond on May 29, 2011, near where the tornado had hit his vehicle.
Q: What’s Will Norton’s legacy in Joplin today?
A: A few memorials and initiatives carry on Will’s legacy, including Will Norton Miracle Field for kids with special needs, Will’s Place (a treatment center for mental health-challenged kids), a Joplin High School scholarship, and Will’s Wall, a website dedicated to gratitude and positive thinking.
Q: Where can I see “The Twister: Caught in the Storm”?
A: As of March 2025, “The Twister: Caught in the Storm” is streaming on Netflix.
Final Words
The story of Will Norton and the Joplin tornado reminds us of nature’s and humanity’s power in the face of nature’s rage. Through unfathomable tragedy, communities will find the strength to rebuild and remember. Mark, Will’s father, perhaps best captured this spirit when he said, “We had 18 wonderful years, and we know we’ll see him again, so we just get from here to there.” I like to believe he is next to me in the car sometimes.”
Netflix’s documentary guarantees that Joplin’s darkest day and what can be learned from it won’t be forgotten as the years pile up. Will Norton — the empathetic teen with a knack for YouTube videos and aspirations of film school — has transcended victimhood. His tale has become a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the need to treasure every second we have with those we hold dear.
As Joplin thrives nearly 14 years after the disaster, the community shows how healing is possible even amid unimaginable loss. The twister could raze buildings and take lives but couldn’t behead the ties that help stitch communities. That resounds as we remember Will Norton and all those whose lives were lost on May 22, 2011, but also as a tribute to not only their memory but to that remarkable resilience of the human spirit that rises against destruction.
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