Good morning! It's Wednesday, and not only is it marking the middle of the week, but a small break in rain and storms, as well. But we haven't taken our eye off the devastation, and we'll continue to keep you updated as news rolls in.
For today, we'll tackle the sirens not deploying properly on Friday, remembering two more victims that have been identified and we'll share a call for unity from the Editorial Board.Â
A runner jogs past fallen trees along Ellenwood Avenue from the May 16 tornado in Clayton on Monday, May 19, 2025.
A "human failure" caused sirens to not deploy properly on Friday, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said at a press conference on Monday. Here's what we know:
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- Spencer said a policy put in place in 2021 was "not exceptionally clear about whose roles and responsibilities it was to do what."Â
- However, the fire department will now have that responsibility moving forward since it is manned 24/7.
- Spencer wasn't clear on what, exactly, went wrong on Friday. She called it a "failure in protocol" at an afternoon press conference.
Another way to get alerts on tornado warnings and other hazards is to sign up for NotifyStL alerts; text STLCEMA to 888777.
2. Two more victims identified
Rena Scott, 60, and Delois Holmes, 70, were killed in Friday's tornado. Juan Baltazar and Patricia Penelton were killed, as well. A fifth victim has yet to be identified.
- Scott and her husband, Allen Lyles, were running toward the basement when the house collapsed, said Chastidy Henry, Scott's second-oldest daughter. Scott was trapped under a dresser in the bedroom. Her husband was blown into a wall. Lyles said the couple did not hear any tornado sirens.
- Delois Holmes had sent her son to get some snacks. He ran home when he received the alert, and found the walls had collapsed. He found his mother on the basement stairs.
- Holmes was a "people person" and someone who was always there for you. Scott was an "angel," her stepdaughter said, and others described her as having a contagious smile.
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The Editorial Board is calling for unity.
- St. Louis, they write, is often divided by race, neighborhood, political ideology, and the age-old question of where you went to high school. But it's also a city that quickly rallies together.
- Missouri is still awaiting word from the administration about disaster funding from storms that passed through in March and early April, and will have to "work through" pushing for more now, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe said on Saturday.Â
- "If there was ever a time for all political leaders who represent the St. Louis region to present a united, bipartisan front demanding federal help, this is it." — The Editorial Board
All of our tornado coverage can be found here.
That's all from us today. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.
Written by Jenna Jones. We welcome your feedback on this email; send it to Beth O'Malley at bomalley@post-dispatch.com.
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