Urban League still plays central role in tornado recovery efforts
St. Louis American See page A11
The
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
MAY 14 – 20, 2026
One year later
Vol. 98 No. 5 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Storm of inequity
Tornado recovery exposes preparedness gaps in North St. Louis By Ashley Winters St. Louis American 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 to extreme weather, but also longstanding “This mem- inequities that left some neighborory stays hoods struggling to with me recover long after every day.” the winds stopped. For survivors – DeMarco like DeMarco Davidson Davidson and Sherrill Jackson, the memories remain immediate. “This memory stays with me every day,” said Davidson, executive director of Metropolitan Congregations United. Davidson and Jackson were inside Centennial Christian Church in the Fountain Park neighborhood on May 16, 2025, when the tornado struck with winds reaching 152 mph. Alongside them was Patricia Ann Penelton, a longtime church member who was killed when the storm caused the historic church to collapse. Earlier that day, Davidson, Jackson and Penelton had remained at Centennial after serving the community. Davidson said the church’s stained-glass windows made it difficult to see the full severity of the
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Cherrick Cramer and Larry LeSure stand outside a home off Academy Avenue as damage to a nearby structure remains visible in the neighborhood.
It all happened here By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American An elderly man who identified himself only as “Mr. Lester” had no idea that 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 third floor of his Fountain Park residence when a violent tornado with winds reaching 152 mph ripped through North St. Louis. Parts of Lester’s roof and upper floor were later scattered across his backyard. Two neighboring properties also suffered severe damage.
See Tornado, A10
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
A heavily damaged home near Labadie and Cora avenues in the 12th Ward sits unrepaired nearly one year after tornado damage.
See Ward 12, A13
From the eye of the storm
A Fountain Park family survived the tornado — and the difficult year that followed By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American 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 said. Moments later, the next gust ripped away the roof. His wife watched it sway before disappearing entirely. The structure next door collapsed. The front door blew open. The couple crawled toward the bathroom. “We could feel the wind trying to suck us out of the house,” Simmons said. They reached the bathroom just before the entire right side of the home blew out. “It still didn’t hit us that this was a tornado,” Simmons said. “I thought it was the rapture.”
“We just felt our house lean back and stand back up. We could feel the wind trying to suck us out of the house.” – Steven Simmons
Grass, leaves and debris swirled around them as the storm produced what Simmons described as the sound of “a train on top of you.” When the winds stopped, the couple stepped outside and saw straight through the side of their home into open air. Trees across
See Family, A12
Photo courtesy of the Simmons family
Steven, Terran and Terrance Simmons stand outside their Fountain Park home, which was heavily damaged in the May 16, 2025 tornado and later targeted by thieves during the family’s long rebuilding process.