As the St. Louis region continues its efforts to recover and rebuild following the May 16, 2025, tornado, the city has partnered with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency and St. Louis University to open the Disaster Assistance Center inside of the Chaifetz Arena.
The center is serving as a central location for tornado-affected residents to connect with agencies offering guidance, resources, and assistance related to recovery and long-term support.
The first week of the center’s operation concludes on Thursday (June 12) with 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours of operation.
It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 16-18, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 23-26. Chaifetz Arena is located at 1 South Compton Avenue, St. Louis, near the SLU and Harris-Stowe State University campuses.
Resources and services available will include vaccines, emotional support, mental health care, legal assistance, job programs, and more.
Insurance consumer specialists from the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance will assist residents with understanding their insurance policies and navigating the claim process.
“As we move from responding to helping residents put their lives back together, it is critical that a one-stop place like the Disaster Assistance Center makes it as convenient as possible for residents to get the resources they need on the road to recovery,” Mayor Cara Spencer said during a press conference at Chaifetz.
Residents can register for hour-long appointments online at stlouis-mo.gov/tornado/dac or by calling 211. Organizers say people should bring photo identification and proof of address. The Missouri Department of Revenue will have its License Office on Wheels available to replace lost driver’s licenses.
President finally approves funding
President Donald Trump finally signed a major disaster declaration for the deadly May 16 tornado that tore through much of the north St. Louis region. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that disaster assistance is available to St. Louis city and county and other counties in the state affected by the severe storms.
Federal assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Just days before Trump signed off on tornado relief, Spencer said, “When the Joplin tornado occurred, FEMA was on site within 24 hours organizing the response, organizing the housing.”
“[The St. Louis] response has been run internally by a city that had an emergency management staff of less than six. This is no way to run a disaster.
“[I]welcome the president as well as FEMA staff to come and see for themselves the absolute devastation that this tornado has caused our community. I’d be happy to take them on a personal tour.”
Gov. Mike Kehoe had formally requested federal disaster aid to FEMA more than two weeks before receiving Trump’s approval.
Meanwhile last Friday, the day the St. Louis Board of Aldermen introduced legislation to create a “Tornado Relief and Recovery Fund” for city victims, and Spencer stressed the need for immediate FEMA assistance, and on Tuesday the House approved $100 million in relief for St. Louis. The bill just awaits Kehoe’s signature.
When a tornado struck Joplin, Mo., killing more than 160 people and causing about $2 billion in damage, President Barack Obama issued a major disaster declaration which immediately made FEMA funds available for temporary housing and repairs and reimbursements for state and local governments, as well as some not-for-profits that had allocated funds for recovery and rebuilding efforts.
In a statement U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell (D-St. Louis), wrote:
“St. Louis is a strong, resilient community. This support will help us come back even stronger.”
Willie G. Nunn has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the region’s affected areas. Additional designations may be made later if warranted by the results of damage assessments.
Individuals who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling (800) 621-3362 or by using the FEMA App.
If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA with the number for that service.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.