Tornado hits St. Louis metro area, leaving 5 dead and causing widespread damage
A destructive tornado struck the St. Louis metropolitan area, Missouri, on May 16, 2025, killing at least five people and injuring dozens, according to city officials. The storm caused significant damage to infrastructure and homes, with over 5 000 properties affected. At least seven storm-related deaths were reported across multiple states on May 16, with some reports mentioning at least 10 fatalities.
Tornado hits St. Louis, Missouri on May 16, 2025. Credit: Gateway Arch Park Foundation
A powerful tornado hit the St. Louis metropolitan area in Missouri on May 16, resulting in at least five confirmed fatalities and widespread structural damage. The tornado formed during a severe weather outbreak across the U.S. Midwest and impacted several neighborhoods, including Clayton, Forest Park, Central West End, and The Ville.
Radar-based analysis suggests the tornado touched down between 14:30 and 14:50 local time in the area of Forest Park and was likely in the EF-2 to EF-3 range, based on observed debris signatures. Wind speeds in such tornadoes range from 178 to 266 km/h (111 to 165 mph), capable of tearing roofs from homes and uprooting large trees.
The event was accompanied by intense thunderstorms and destructive winds, prompting a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado warning for over 1 million residents in the St. Louis region.
The storm affected approximately 5 000 properties, with many residential structures losing their roofs or suffering collapsed walls.
“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,” St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said.
Among the fatalities was a woman killed in a building collapse on Bayard Street in North St. Louis. A portion of the Centennial Christian Church collapsed, leading to one fatality.
In total, local hospitals treated more than 45 storm-related injuries. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received between 20 and 30 patients, while St. Louis Children’s Hospital admitted 15, two of whom remained hospitalized over the weekend.
Despite damage to the St. Louis Zoo, all animals and staff were reported safe. The facility remained closed to the public through May 17.
More than 100 000 customers, or approximately 250 000 people, were left without electricity across Missouri.
The City of St. Louis declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew from 21:00 to 06:00 local time in the most affected districts to maintain public safety and prevent looting. Approximately 500 personnel, including 17 specialized search-and-rescue teams, were deployed to assist in recovery operations.
“Early indications suggested the number of injured was relatively small considering the overall damage,” Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said, as reported by Reuters.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service (NWS) office in St. Louis said they will have a survey team on the ground on Saturday, May 17.
The tornado was part of a broader outbreak that affected multiple states, with meteorologists warning of continuing severe weather across the Midwest and Great Lakes region. Hazards include the risk of additional tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and large hail.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has received 26 tornado reports on May 16, with seven each from Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky, two from Illinois, and one from New Jersey.
Two additional storm-related fatalities were confirmed in Scott County, southeastern Missouri, bringing the total to at least seven. Reports received by 09:30 UTC on May 17 mention 10 unconfirmed fatalities across multiple affected states.
The storms left more than 543 000 customers, approximately 1.36 million people, in five states without power. The worst affected was Michigan with 168 000 customers, or about 420 000 people, followed by Kentucky with 135 600 customers or an estimated 339 000 people.
Missouri reported 85 900 customers (215 000 people) without electricity, while Ohio and Tennessee had about 79 000 and 74 000 customers affected, respectively — approximately 198 000 and 186 000 people.
A complex weather pattern influenced by two upper-level systems is expected to shape severe weather risks across parts of the eastern and southern United States through the weekend, according to NWS forecaster Cody Snell.
On May 17, an upper low over the Great Lakes is forecast to shift eastward toward the northeastern United States, generating widespread thunderstorms across the Interior Northeast and northern New England. “Storms could turn severe across northeast New York, western Massachusetts, and Vermont, with damaging winds and large hail the primary hazard,” Snell said.
Localized flash flooding is also possible due to heavy rainfall rates.
Further south, a frontal boundary stretching from the Mid-Atlantic to the southern Plains is forecast to initiate severe storms this afternoon, particularly east of a defined dry line over northwest Texas. Thunderstorms in this region may intensify rapidly and produce large to very large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued an Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5) for severe weather across portions of North Texas.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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