Tornadoes rip through St. Louis, causing 5 deaths and damage

High winds ripped out trees and rooftops across a broad swath of the city of St. Louis and neighboring Clayton on Friday, leaving a wide path of devastation in their wake.

Two tornadoes have been confirmed in the area, with the worst of the storm just before 3 p.m. Less than an hour after the storm, the sun was again shining brightly—only adding to the surreal quality of utter destruction sitting flush against streets that seemed largely untouched.

Get a fresh take on the day’s top news

Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.

We will never send spam or annoying emails. Unsubscribe anytime.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The city said that at least five people were killed. That includes a beloved food truck owner, who was apparently killed when a tree fell on his truck in Carondelet Park in deep South City and a devoted volunteer who was killed when the roof collapsed at Centennial Christian Church.

Numerous businesses were also hit with heavy damage. HUSTL Hospitality Group posted that both Steve’s Hot Dogs Delmar and The Fountain on Delmar were “closed for the foreseeable future,” posting photos of heavy storm damage. Nearby, restaurateur Ben Poremba saw serious damage to numerous properties and wrote that Esca, Nixta, Florentin and the future home of Olio were closed “this weekend and for the foreseeable future.” A GoFundMe was set up to support staff of the restaurant group while the businesses are closed. Several cultural institutions closed to deal with damage, including the Saint Louis Zoo.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer posted on Facebook Friday night, “The loss of life and destruction St. Louis has experienced in today’s storm is horrendous, and my thoughts are with everyone whose lives were altered today.

“Our first responders and community are stepping up in tremendous ways to save lives, help those who are injured, provide shelter, and so much more. Thank you. In the coming days we will have a lot of opportunities to help and much work to do.”