St. Louis’ emergency management chief has been placed on administrative leave, the city’s mayor said, after sirens meant to sound during a tornado warning failed to be activated ahead of Friday’s deadly twister.
Sarah Russell, commissioner of the City Emergency Management Agency in St. Louis, will remain on paid administrative leave as an external investigation proceeds into what went wrong.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer already ordered an internal probe in the immediate aftermath of the siren failure, when National Weather Service radar indicated that a tornado touched down between 2:30 and 2:50 p.m. local time. It initially struck near central St. Louis before ripping through the area, with officials estimating some 5,000 people were affected.
Five people in St. Louis were killed in the severe weather, officials said. Spencer described it as “one of the worst storms — absolutely.”
There is a system of 60 outdoor sirens stationed around St. Louis, which are meant to be activated once the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for the area as it did on Friday. There are two places where they can be activated: the CEMA office and the Fire Department.
According to Spencer’s office, which announced Russell’s leave Tuesday, the commissioner was attending an offsite workshop with other emergency management staff when the tornado warning came down, and that prevented them from activating the sirens from their agency’s main building, about a half mile away.
Russell instead contacted the Fire Department to activate the sirens, but the directive was ambiguous, the mayor said. Her office released the recording of Russell’s call to the department, in which she confirms they are aware of the NWS warning and briefly clarifies the timing of it before saying, “OK, you got the sirens?” The person at the fire department replies “Yes, ma’am,” and the call ends.
“The direction was not clear,” Spencer said at a news conference Wednesday morning about the phone call. Russel did not clearly direct the person at the Fire Department to press the button to activate the sirens, she said, adding, “It’s my understanding that the button was not pushed.”
However, even if someone had pressed the button at the Fire Department, city officials learned Tuesday that the button was not working.
“Work to repair the button began Tuesday afternoon and is expected to be completed within days,” Spencer’s office said.
The button at the CEMA office was functioning, and Fire Department personnel will be stationed there 24/7 to activate the sirens if needed, the office said.
Spencer also signed an executive order Tuesday to change the siren activation protocol, putting the Fire Department solely in charge of activating the warning system. While the standard operating procedure for activating the sirens says the primary activation point is located at the Fire Department headquarters, the de facto protocol had been that CEMA would activate the system at its office and contact the Fire Department if it could not.
“With the mayor’s executive order, this lack of clarity has now been eliminated,” Spencer’s office said.
Until a permanent replacement for Russell is found, St. Louis fire captain John Walk will serve as the interim emergency management commissioner.
Emily Mae Czachor is a news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social and criminal justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
Disastrous systems sweeping across the Midwest have left at least 21 dead, including nine people killed after a tornado sparked what authorities called a mass casualty event in southeastern Kentucky.
The storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left several hundred thousand customers without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.
Kentucky slammed by devastating tornado, mass casualty event
In Kentucky, some 14 people have been killed by severe weather – including a devastating tornado – in Kentucky, and the death toll is likely to rise, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
“Kentucky, we’re starting today with the tough news that we lost at least 14 of our people to last night’s storms, but sadly, this number is expected to grow as we receive more information. Please pray for all of our affected families,” Beshear said Saturday in a post on social media platform X.
Earlier, authorities in Laurel County said nine people were killed after a tornado touched down in southeastern Kentucky.
Kentucky authorities said there were also severe injuries when a twister tore across Laurel County late Friday, causing structures to crumble and even flipping over a car on I-75.
“The search is continuing in the damaged area for survivors,” the office of Sheriff John Root said in a statement posted on social media. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.
“The outpouring from our community has been heartwarming. We are continuing to accept donations,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Spokesperson Gilbert Acciardo said rescuers have “been on the ground all night looking for possible survivors. That’s what we’re continuing to do.”
The tornado, which ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport, hit shortly before midnight.
“Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,” London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV. “I have never personally witnessed what I’ve witnessed here tonight. There’s a lot of devastation.”
Missouri church, zoo landmarks devastated by tornadoes
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths in her city and said more than 5,000 homes were affected.
“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency and an overnight curfew Friday had been put into place in the neighborhoods with the most damage.
The number of people injured was not immediately known. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received 20 to 30 patients from the storm with some in serious condition and most expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital received 15 patients with two of them expected to remain in the hospital into the weekend, she said
National Weather Service radar indicated a tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year. Five people were killed in St. Louis and 2 in Scott County near Sloanville. Sloanville is north of Sikeston, Missouri State Police confirmed to CBS News.
At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.
A large tree blocks a road after a severe storm moved through Friday, May 16, 2025, in St. Louis.
Jeff Roberson / AP
Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law Patricia Penelton died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.
Jeffrey Simmons Sr., who lives across from the church, heard an alert on his phone and then the lights went out.
“And next thing you know, a lot of noise, heavy wind,” he said. He and his brother went into the basement. Later, he realized it was worse than he thought. “Everything was tore up.”
Downed trees and stop lights also caused traffic gridlock during the Friday afternoon commute and officials urged people to stay home.
John Randle, a 19-year-old University of Missouri-St. Louis student, said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people.
“You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” he said. “A lot of people were caught outside.”
Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals.
“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado – it likely was,” National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.
A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.
Part of Centennial Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri, collapsed on Friday, May 16, 2025 when severe storms, including a possible tornado, swept through the city.
Michael Phillis / AP
“Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains,” the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said on its website Saturday. The risk was especially high for north Texas.
A tornado touched down near the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Marion in Marion, Illinois, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed to CBS News. Although FCI Marion was not in the tornado’s path, the staff housing was directly hit and sustained significant damage.
“As a temporary measure, the movement for certain incarcerated individuals has been suspended and accountability procedures are in place,” the spokesperson said.
At least five people died and authorities were searching from building to building for people who were trapped or hurt after severe storms including a possible tornado swept through St. Louis.
The storms Friday afternoon tore roofs off buildings, blew out windows, ripped bricks off siding and yanked up trees and power lines. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said more than 5,000 homes were affected and about 100,000 customers remained without electricity on Friday night.
“The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous,” Spencer said. “It truly is a hard night for many, many people and many, many families in our community.”
The number of people injured was not immediately known. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received 20 to 30 patients from the storm with some in serious condition and most expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital received 15 patients with two of them expected to remain in the hospital into the weekend, she said.
The city implemented a 9 p.m. curfew in parts of St. Louis on Friday night, encouraging people to stay home as officials sweep every building in the path of the storm to search for potential victims.
“We’re going to have a lot of work to do in the coming days. There is no doubt there, but tonight we are focused on saving lives and keeping people safe and allowing our community to grieve,” Spencer said.
In addition to asking people to stay home, Spencer urged people to stay off their phones unless it’s an emergency, as the storms have disrupted cell service in the city, and officials want to make sure people who need to call 911 can get through to get help.
At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.
Part of Centennial Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri, collapsed on Friday, May 16, 2025 when severe storms, including a possible tornado, swept through the city.
Michael Phillis / AP
National Weather Service radar indicated that a tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. It received reports of damage, mostly downed trees, weather service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.
The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year, Pfahler said.
The St. Louis Zoo posted a message on X, the messaging platform formerly known as Twitter, that it would remain closed for the rest of the day because of the weather. The post included no information on damages, a zoo spokesperson didn’t immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado — it likely was,” Pfahler said.
Radar confirmed a tornado above Venice, Illinois, about 2:50 p.m. CDT. It could be accompanied by golf ball-size hail, the National Weather Service in St. Louis said. Venice is northeast of St. Louis, just across the Mississippi River.
The weather service described the tornado as “extremely dangerous” and moving east at 50 mph. The tornado is part of a severe weather system that spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, downed trees, left thousands without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.
Weather forecasters warned that severe storms with hail and even hurricane-force winds also could hobble parts of Appalachia and the Midwest on Friday. Tornadoes were also a risk there.
The National Weather Service said severe weather was likely across parts of the central Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic states. Residents in Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, parts of Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio should brace for intense storms that could include baseball-sized hail.
The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center said that “strong, potentially long-track tornadoes and very large hail” could be expected. The threat for damaging winds in excess of 75 mph will increase into this evening as storms grow into larger clusters.
A tree lays on a house in Dorr, Mich., after a severe storm ripped across Michigan the night before, on Friday, May 16. 2025.
Neil Blake / AP
Ahead of Friday night’s anticipated storm, Appalachian Power, which serves 1 million customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, said Friday it requested 1,700 additional workers from neighboring utilities along with sending its own crews from unaffected areas to assist with service restoration.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in a post on the social media platform X, put residents on notice.
“Kentucky, there is a dangerous weather system moving through our state with a significant round this afternoon through tonight. Strong winds, hail, flooding and tornadoes are possible starting at 2 p.m. CT in Western Kentucky and reaching Louisville around 5 p.m. ET,” he said.
Shelters were opening in the Paducah, Kentucky, area.
Faith Borden, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service Nashville office, said Friday that middle Tennessee could expect “all types of severe weather. Winds up to 70 mph. We’re talking seriously large hail up to 3 inches, which for us is big hail.”
Texas, meanwhile, faced searing heat. A heat advisory was issued for San Antonio and Austin, with temperatures at a blistering 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Parts of the southern East Coast, from Virginia to Florida, battled with heat in the 90s.
The National Weather Service Office for Austin/San Antonio said Friday the humidity coming in over the weekend is expected to make temperatures hotter.
“There are concerns of heat exhaustion for people that aren’t taking proper precautions when they’re outdoors,” meteorologist Jason Runyen said. He advised those affected to take breaks and stay hydrated.
Overnight Thursday, storms accompanied by booming thunder, lightning displays and powerful winds swept through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan — leaving scores of trees down and thousands of homes without power.
Several tornadoes touched down Thursday in central Wisconsin. None of the twisters have received ratings yet, said Timm Uhlmann, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Green Bay.
“We’re still gathering reports,” Uhlmann said. “We’re assessing some of the damage and still getting video and pictures. The damage that we have is fairly widespread. There was a lot of large hail. In Eau Claire was one report of softball-sized hail.”
No injuries have been reported.
Surveys also were underway Friday of damage in Michigan to determine if any tornadoes touched down there, said Steven Freitag, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in White Lake Township, northwest of Detroit.
The storms were fueled by temperatures in the lower 80s that stretched from Illinois into Michigan and were activated by a cold front that pushed through, Freitag said.
