With up to 70% of affected households being uninsured following the May 16, 2025, tornado, the city NAACP chapter is calling for intense scrutiny of insurance company practices as families, churches and business owners desperately try to recover.
“The May 2025 tornado presents both crisis and opportunity – to rebuild structures while dismantling systemic insurance inequities,” said Adolphus Pruitt, NAACP St. Louis president.
“Through data-driven advocacy targeting claims transparency, FAIR Plan modernization, and insurer accountability metrics, the NAACP [could help] transform potential economic losses into community wealth generation.”
The NAACP shared research that detailed the more than $1.6 billion in property losses that included over 5,000 structures damaged or destroyed in north St. Louis.
Up to 70% of affected households were uninsured and even insured residents “face significant barriers to rebuilding, including contractor redlining and heirs’ property complications,” according to Pruitt.
The report outlines how systemic issues threaten to deepen the racial wealth gap, with Black families at risk of losing $400 million to $600 million in home equity.
“The [report] synthesizes recent data, community advocacy, and policy recommendations to chart a path toward equitable recovery, including insurance reform, anti-redlining ordinances, legal aid expansion, and direct homeowner assistance,” according to a NAACP release.
The NAACP St. Louis Branch requests that the Missouri Department of Insurance initiate an independent market conduct examination focused on:
• The timeliness, fairness, and adequacy of claims handling by all insurers (including the FAIR Plan) for tornado-affected properties in St. Louis.
• Disparities in claims approval rates, settlement amounts, and complaint rates by ZIP code and census tract, with a particular focus on North St. Louis.
• Compliance with Missouri’s anti-discrimination and fair claims handling statutes.
Key issues include:
Insurance Gaps: Most North St. Louis homes lack comprehensive coverage; renters are especially vulnerable, with 90% uninsured in the hardest-hit ZIP codes.
Systemic Barriers: Contractor redlining, heirs’ property issues, and deferred maintenance prevent families from accessing insurance and aid.
Policy Solutions: Recommendations include expanding FAIR Plan coverage to include wind/tornado damage, subsidizing premiums for low-income households, prohibiting contractor redlining, and streamlining legal processes for title correction.
Community Investment: The reports urge state and city leaders to prioritize legal aid, minority contractor development, and direct homeowner support to prevent further wealth loss and displacement.
The Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis have partnered with Action St. Louis, ForTheCultureSTL and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis to offer free legal advice ranging from landlord-tenant problems to insurance claims to those affected by the storm.
To learn more and request help, call Jeannie Brandstetter at (573) 635-5215.
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is also offering free legal advice. LSEM can be reached by phone at (314) 534-4200.
Renter dilemma
“If your apartment or the home that you’re living in has been totally destroyed so it’s not livable, you are not legally obligated to pay for that space,” said Matt Devoti, 5th Ward alderman and a lawyer with the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys told KSDK.com
Missouri law states that “if a residence is destroyed by an act of God, including but not limited to fire or a tornado, or other natural disaster or man-made disaster, so long as the tenant was not the person who caused the disaster, the tenant shall not be liable to the landlord for rent during the remainder of the term of the lease agreement.”
“There is some heat on the landlord to take action,” Devoti said, “to fix whatever the issue is and ensure the tenant has a place where they can safely and securely lay their head.”