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Note: This post is different from the usual format. As you might know, I live in St. Louis and have for most of my life. Over the past week, I have been part of the thousands who have responded as part of the recovery efforts and have been deeply moved by what I have seen. This is my attempt to capture my thoughts alongside sharing the history of the city. Please know that there is simply too much history that it is impossible to cram it all into a blog post. Be sure to click on the links to the articles throughout the post to learn more about each topic.
St. Louis Tornado 5/16/2025
On May 16, 2025, an EF3 tornado hit St Louis. At a mile wide and with winds over 150 mph, the tornado touched down in Clayton and traveled 23 miles, damaging thousands of homes and taking the lives of five people and injuring dozens more.
Since the night of the storm, people have been coming together daily to help serve those most in need. The devastation is profound. Knowing the history of St. Louis (see below), it was highlighted early on to send the biggest efforts to the areas in North City, where people have categorically been underserved and would need the most assistance.
I took my children out last Sunday, two days after the tornados, to shop for supplies and work at the relief efforts. It was important for me to bring them to see people coming together to help each other. I went out again on Saturday and this time – since I was without the kids – I joined the street cleanup crew and went out into the communities. We raked, we hauled downed tree limbs, we stacked the bricks that were still intact, and checked in with the people in the neighborhoods to make sure they had food, water, and medications.
One thing that was overwhelmingly obvious as I was driving around the neighborhood: these St. Louisans are resilient. In between flattened houses and piles of branches were pockets of joy: neighbors who put up a tent canopy in an open field were listening to music together on their cell phones. A multi-generational family sitting on the front stoop of their home eating ice cream sandwiches as their toddler ran up and down the steps in front of them. A women’s motorcycle club hosting a clothing drive for those who lost their clothes in the storm.
It has brought tears to my eyes multiple times thinking about how the people of St. Louis have come together so quickly. On Saturday one of the leaders of the response team posted on Facebook that they were out of water, and within an hour had hundreds of bottles delivered by multiple volunteers.
A Very Brief (Non-Exhaustive) History of St. Louis
St. Louis has a very twisted and racist history. The Missouri Compromise meant Missouri was admitted into the United States as a enslavement state in 1820, and there were several auction sites for the selling of humans in the downtown area (popular due to its place on the Mississippi River) , which are now paved over and close to entertainment like Busch Stadium. There were some “free” Black people who lived in St. Louis as well, but rules required that they adhere to a curfew and follow several additional racist regulations which restricted their access to equal education and housing opportunities.
When the Emancipation Proclamation ended the legal enslavement of African Americans during the Civil War, racist segregation continued and the sales of homes in certain areas included “covenants” – agreements to maintain segregation in housing by limiting where African Americans could purchase their homes.
Later on, the practice of redlining (“a discriminatory practice that consists of the systematic denial of services such as mortgages, insurance loans, and other financial services to residents of certain areas, based on their race or ethnicity”, per Cornell Law School) left residents with little choice but to purchase homes where they were allowed, often with lesser property values and thus, lesser ability to grow generational wealth.
Mike Brown and Ferguson
The rest of the country and world became aware of the racism in St. Louis when eighteen-year-old Michael Brown was gunned down by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. The community protested the racial injustice and the civil unrest made national headlines. It was during this time that activists began to rise in St. Louis – including Ohun Ashe and Kayla Reed, the founders of For the Culture and Action St. Louis, respectively. When the tornados hit, For the Culture and Action St. Louis were the first to organize for community needs in what grew to be The People’s Response, a community response hub for donations and volunteers.
How St. Louis History Influences Tornado Victims
According to an article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, an estimated 70% of the homes hit the hardest by the tornado were uninsured. While homeowners insurance is required with a mortgage, it is not if the home is paid off.
In the above Post Dispatch article, the journalist shared some of the stories of victims. I encourage you to read them. Every person has a different story and set of circumstances that impact their access to resources.
The Government’s Response to St. Louis Tornado Recovery Efforts
Mayor Cara Spencer
Mayor Cara Spencer has barely been in office for a month before the tornado hit and she was in charge of the emergency response. She admitted that the tornado sirens did not go off because of a miscommunication between the City Emergency Management Agency and the Fire Department.
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, having been threatened with dismantlement by the current administration, were slow to respond to multiple requests for help from Mayor Spencer. On Monday, Mayor Spencer reported that she has requested assistance. They finally arrived to begin the damage assessments, but funding is questionable and instructions vague.
Senator Josh Hawley
Senator Josh Hawley arrived on Monday to meet with Mayor Spencer and survey the damage. He also called on FEMA to help.
Mike Kehoe and the National Guard
While Governor Mike Kehoe originally refused to activate the National Guard to help with disaster relief, news broke on Saturday May 24, over a week after the tornado’s devastation, that forty-one members of the National Guard will be deployed to St. Louis for two weeks.
Final Personal Reflections
One final part of the recovery process that has touched me deeply is seeing the rest of the community come out to help. I have seen multiple friends raising money, purchasing and donating supplies, donating their time and efforts, and raising awareness. Every little bit helps, and it takes a whole community to save each other. Having opinions on the internet makes you a keyboard warrior but love breeds real action that tangibly helps real people. I am grateful to be surrounded by so many who only wish to help our fellow St. Louisans through this horrible tragedy.
This is community. This is love. This is St. Louis.
How to Help St. Louis
Click the links to donate to tornado relief efforts:
Action St. Louis (collecting on behalf of both Action St. Louis and For the Culture)