One year after the devastating May 16, 2025 tornado, The St. Louis American reflects on the lives impacted, the resilience of our communities, and the ongoing recovery efforts through stories, photos, videos, and community voices.
One year later
A year after a devastating tornado tore through the St. Louis region and into parts of Southern Illinois, blue tarps still cling to rooftops across parts of North St. Louis. Vacant buildings remain partially collapsed. Families continue navigating insurance claims, housing instability and emotional trauma from a storm that exposed not only the region’s vulnerability…
United Way commits $1.3 million to ongoing tornado recovery efforts
One year after the May 16 tornado, the United Way of Greater St. Louis announced an additional $1.3 million in recovery funding aimed at helping residents still struggling with housing, household needs and other storm-related challenges. The new initiative, called “United for Storm Recovery,” includes $1 million to address unmet needs identified through disaster case…
Ward 12: It all happened here
An elderly man who identified himself only as “Mr. Lester” had no idea an empty carton of milk might have saved his life. Just before 2:40 p.m. on May 16, 2025, Lester decided to drive to a south side grocery store. Had he stayed home, he said, he likely would have been napping on the…
Singing through the storm
When Opera Theatre of St. Louis brings its annual Our Songs concert back to Third Baptist Church on Wednesday, May 27, the evening will carry a weight that wasn’t present in years past. For the first time, the program is being curated entirely by alumni of OTSL’s New Works Collective — Black Coffee creators Concert…
Urban League plays central role in tornado recovery efforts
Despite suffering damage to its own headquarters, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis became an early lifeline for displaced North St. Louis families after the May 16 tornado, placing hundreds in hotels, distributing food and helping residents navigate the storm’s aftermath. Among those helped was Roosevelt Price, a Ward 12 resident who, along with…
Art in the eye of the storm
When I approached Cami Thomas about discussing her arts production company My Friends And I and her work with 314Oasis — a collective formed to support residents impacted by last year’s tornado — she immediately shifted the focus to community. “There’s a Bible verse I love,” Thomas says in her Fox Park studio, referencing Proverbs…
From the eye of the storm
When a tornado with winds reaching 152 mph tore through North St. Louis on May 16, 2025, Steven Simmons thought he was watching an ordinary spring storm gather over Fountain Park. Then he and his wife, Terran, felt their house shift beneath them. “We just felt our house lean back and stand back up,” Simmons…
‘A crisis center in the middle of a crisis’
One year after a tornado tore through North and West St. Louis, Annie Malone Children and Family Services Center is still standing in the gap. For CEO Keisha Lee, the work of the past year has felt like both a calling and a confirmation. “I don’t have to do this, I get to do this,”…
Urban League reflects on tornado response, plans next phase
The applause inside the St. Louis Marriott Grand last Thursday reflected a community still processing the impact of the May 16 tornado that tore through north St. Louis nearly a year ago. At the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ 108th annual dinner, speakers and videos focused on recovery — what was lost, what has…