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News Brief

May 22, 2025 |  By: Gavin McGough

Potential mismanagement in response to deadly tornado left the City's Emergency Management Commissioner on paid leave

Questions about mismanagement in repsonse to the deadly tornado which ripped through the St. Louis area last week are mounting. This Tuesday, the St. Louis Mayor put the City's Emergency Management Commissioner Sarah Russell on paid leave while an external investigation into the emergency response gets underway.

During the severe weather event, the city's tornado sirens were NOT activated. It appears that no staff were on-site at the city emergency management office ahead of the severe weather; although Russell placed a call to the city fire department, no action was taken to turn on the emergency sirens and warn residents. The EF3 tornado casued over a billion dollars in damages, killed 5 people, and displaced thousands in the St Louis area alone.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer recognized that many residents are feeling anger and hurt as a result of the city's failures during the event. The ongoing investigation intends to produce answers and propose reforms for future city emergencies.