St Louis storms - 5/16/25

[ghostrunner]

Just seeing the pictures and videos. How’s everyone doing?

[heyzeus]

I’m at my mom’s house in Chesterfield. A tree crushed her neighbor’s truck but we’re ok, just minor damage. But we haven’t had power for about 16 hours now. All told, we’re lucky compared to the destruction in north city.

[Mary1966]

Seeing it on TV now. I hope everyone and their friends and families are safe.

[Freed Roger]

North City took the brunt of it. There could be more deaths than the 5 reported. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of homes are total losses. The North Siders are not strangers to tragedy and injustice. They are resilient, and adapting better than I could. But coming back from total loss when uninsured or under insured, oof. Going to be a long tough haul.

My hope is they somehow oust the parasitic speculator vulture McKee that has kneecapped this area for decades. Can there be a Bond issue to buy him out?

The need for decent affordable housing is nearly overwhelming. Seems logical to have rebuild and serve existing northsiders and bring new people in. But warped capitalism seems incapable /unwilling to meet this need.

Big thanks to @lukethedrifter and first responders.

[heyzeus]

North City took the brunt of it. There could be more deaths than the 5 reported. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of homes are total losses. The North Siders are not strangers to tragedy and injustice. They are resilient, and adapting better than I could. But coming back from total loss when uninsured or under insured, oof. Going to be a long tough haul.

My hope is they somehow oust the parasitic speculator vulture McKee that has kneecapped this area for decades. Can there be a Bond issue to buy him out?

The need for decent affordable housing is nearly overwhelming. Seems logical to have rebuild and serve existing northsiders and bring new people in. But warped capitalism seems incapable /unwilling to meet this need.

Big thanks to @lukethedrifter and first responders.

What just happened to the north side is breaking my heart. So many homes were completely destroyed, and insurance will absolutely not cover the cost of building new ones. I have no faith that the local, state, or federal government will do so either. I didn't grow up in North St Louis but my ancestors did; my grandfather ran a corner store in the Ville for 40 years. Those neighborhoods are likely now gone. They'll be fields surrounded by a grid of empty streets. People that already had so little now have nothing,

I made a mistake. I read the comments on several local news stories. I saw my fellow St Louisans make cracks like "The looting's probably already underway" and "how could you even tell the difference in those neighborhoods from before and after the tornado?" I heard one family member make a similar comment. Where did our hearts go? What curdled and spoiled our souls?

I love St. Louis, and I'm like an evangelist for it out in the world. I talk about the history, the neighborhoods, the museums, Chuck Berry and Blueberry Hill, the weird ass pizza, a Cardinals game and Ted Drewes on a summer night, the City Museum, the way the Arch sways just a little bit on a windy day, the 10 city blocks of the brewery, the brick, the Hill, and the wonder of Forest Park. I'm sad. It's been hard times for the city for maybe 70 years now, and it just got harder, and the comfortable ones think this is a joke or an opportunity to punch down on the people they fear and hate. It's hard to be an evangelist these days.

[GeddyWrox]

Very well said, @heyzeus. Agree 100000000%

[GeddyWrox]

Good to see you @Freed Roger!!

[GeddyWrox]

Some useful info from a STL alder-person on how to assist.

[sighyoung]

I've been finding out about the devastation very gradually over the last few days. It's incredibly sad, and I do suspect land speculators will swoop down and have their way with several neighborhoods over the next few years.

I don't have any relatives who live in St. Louis anymore, but I did grow up in a neighborhood just six or seven blocks from where the tornado passed through. I have no idea how people weathered the storm, but do hope people are o.k.



I did look up my old house. I still think it looks quite cute, as does the neighborhood.

I will say that the city has changed a lot since I last lived there in the 80's, but nothing improved my mental health more than moving from St. Louis. It was, psychologically, the best thing that ever happened to me.

[Freed Roger]

Yesterday, I was asked up to help out by a friend and his co-worker with a housing non-profit. They both are accredited with chainsaws , so a leader at the Urban League sent us out to clear trees where it was helpful. With staying away from first responders work, private property. Utility lines and limited access to some streets, we ended up driving around a lot of the area. We did help clear a few trees from corners and off a fire hydrant. But about half the time we were onlookers trying to be respectful, not waving our phones around at the devastation.

With all the vacant lots, the people community is smaller, and seems older people. Saw a lot of good things happening -lots of people in their yards with pop-up tents collecting and dispensing food, water etc. Seems like everybody knew each other. Every once in a while there was a wrecked house with must be a matriarch or patriarch to the area - and they would have a large gathering around them. Fountain Park is a nice area and it was pounded. in the park and the Urban League, they were up and running with aid.

Food isnt an issue for now, lots of BBQ in the air.

Kind of overwhelming, and since I was with guys in the housing arena, they had quite a few grim observations. Much work that can be done on boarding and tarping. Not sure what stages people are in, shock but the togetherness and rallying around each other seemed to help. But could get tough and other stages of grief may set in.

Two stories - there was a massive down tree messing up a street. We couldn't get down the street so we just got out and helped clear it. My friend trained and wearing hardhat and chaps got in their with his chainsaws. 3 other people running chainsaws (without the protective gear) and 6 or so of us dragging it away. Kind of chaotic and not a word said amongst us with the chainsaws. Knocked it out and everyone quickly moved on.

Then, at the end of day we were already acclimated to seeing destroyed houses And people sitting or going amongst it. We see this woman and 12ish year old girl making their way out of the remains of their house. The top half of it mostly gone , roofing material flopping over the doorway. Behind them dragging their suitcase out the ruins. It was jarring to see.

Going to be a long haul wants the emergency phase ends. Individuals, business, City, state, federal cooperation at an all time low. Its not a blank slate to work with, especially with carpet bagger McKee already entrenched. But at some point, people will want this location, I would hope.