Aliyah Almasri literally had her world come crashing down upon her on May 16, 2025.
The owner of Pop’s Market and The Sweet Creamery at 1107 N. Kingshighway was inside her business when the historic F3 tornado collapsed her roof and left her injured.
In addition to the structure’s major damage, her car was also damaged, leaving her without transportation.
“The insurance on the building had lapsed just two weeks before,” Almasri said.
“The building owner and insurance company are fighting. I’m trying to find out what I can do.”
Almasri and dozens of other business owners and operators impacted by the devastating May 16 tornado attended the July 17 Business Recovery Resource Forum at St. Louis City Hall.
License Collector Mavis Thompson, whose office hosted the event, said the forum was “more than just recovery.”
“It’s about resilience. Our business community fuels hope and opportunities for our city, and [we must] ensure they have the resources they need to rebuild and move forward stronger than before.”
In-person consultations matched affected business owners with local, state, and federal agencies, who offered guidance and support for ongoing recovery efforts.
Several business owners carried stacks of documentation, insurance paperwork, photos, property assessments, damage reports, and business records with them as they met with representatives of the city Assessor’s Office, Building Division, and St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC).
Representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Justine Petersen, the Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC) City
Christina Garmendia, policy director for the office of Board of Alderman President Megan Green, said business owners can reach out directly to her with questions or needs for assistance.
She asked business owners, by a show of hands, the number of years they had been in operation and if they were city residents. The informal inquiry showed that most were city residents and that they had owned their businesses for more than five years.
The tornado destroyed or damaged more than 5,000 structures including businesses, homes, and churches. Historic Black neighborhoods The Greater Ville and Fountain Park were blasted by the storm, which caused an estimated $1.6 billion in damage, among the highest figures for an individual tornado on record.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials said the residential damage is the largest it had surveyed since the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri. The tornado claimed five lives, making it the first deadly tornado in St. Louis since 1959.
Among the most heavily damaged areas of the city was its 10th Ward, which is represented by Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard.
Photo by Alvin A. Reid / St. Louis American
“We must work collectively to get resources out to the community,” she said while addressing forum attendees.
“We are ready to fight and advocate for our businesspeople.”
Hubbard added that business recovery is “case by case.”
“Wholeness is going to look different for everyone.”
11th Ward Alderwoman Laura Keys, whose home was damaged by the tornado, said she was in conversation with many businesses in her ward about expansion before the tornado struck.
Since May 16, she said “For the most part things have been going well.”
“We have great businesses in our ward, many different kinds of businesses. As important as it is to retain our residents, we also want to keep our businesses and help them grow and thrive.”
Keys said the dedication of her ward’s business owners was demonstrated by Everybody Eats Café and Restaurant at 2812 N. Grand.
“They had only been open a few months when they were impacted by the tornado,” she said.
“One day after the storm, they took everything out of the freezer and used the food to feed people in the neighborhood. It reopened last week. They want to stay, and they want to expand.”
Other participating alderpersons were Michael Browning, 9th Ward; Sharon Tyus, 12th Ward; Pam Boyd, 13th Ward and Rasheen Aldridge, 14th Ward
Joining Thompson as co-hosts were Gregory F.X. Daly, collector of revenue; Michael Butler, recorder of deeds; Donna Baringer, comptroller; and Adam Layne, treasurer.
County Recovery Center closing
FEMA has announced that the two Disaster Recovery Centers in St. Louis County will be closing permanently at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 24.
The three City Disaster Recovery Centers will remain open.
Union Tabernacle M.B. Church
626 N. Newstead Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63108
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Urban League Entrepreneurship and Women’s Business Center
4401 Natural Bridge Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63115
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Sumner High School — Parking Lot
4248 Cottage Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Those impacted by the tornado can apply for FEMA assistance before going to the Disaster Recovery Center online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling (800) 621-3362.
The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is August 11, 2025.
If your home or personal property sustained damage and is not covered by insurance, FEMA may be able to provide funds to help pay for home repairs, a temporary place to live, and replace essential personal property.
At all locations, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration are helping impacted residents with their disaster assistance applications, answering questions, and uploading required documents.
Wendy Todd of the St. Louis American contributed to this report