. >> reporter: patients like marcia mccullough all have the same message for loved ones searching for them. >> i just want to let my sister and my daughter know that i'm alive and well and only in minor pain. >> reporter: mary basher was in her apartment when it collapsed. she fell two floors. >> if you're alive and you got out of this, you had a miracle. >> reporter: and edna lyons was on the floor below. she was buried. >> i saw the tornado. you don't ever want to see that. it's the most evil looking thing you have ever seen in your life. >> this is day two. >> reporter: a local radio station abandoned its all-talk format and now broadcasts messages around the clock for those seeking the missing. >> we have been taking thousands of calls nonstop. >> reporter: social media sites are filled with worried postings from relatives. >> heart-wrenching not to be in contact with loved ones, especially through such a traumatic event. >> she's alive. that's all that matters. >> reporter: all across joplin, so many stories similar to these stories of survival. stories of being reunited with lov