An EF-3 tornado struck the St. Louis area on May 16, 2025, claiming five lives and wreaking havoc on Black businesses. Rapper Antoine White noticed early signs of the tornado and fled with his family. Despite the lack of tornado sirens or alerts, the storm destroyed homes and businesses, highlighting systemic failures in emergency preparedness. The disaster exacerbated existing vulnerabilities in Black communities, underscoring inadequacies in national emergency response systems.
In total, across Missouri and Kentucky, the system of tornadoes left at least 27 people dead over the weekend and dozens of people trapped and injured in their homes.
A brutal truth is emerging for Black residents: The nation's emergency systems - from crumbling siren alerts to gutted federal programs - have left its most vulnerable residents dangerously exposed.
Five victims - including three children - died in collapsed buildings that a responsive alert system might have evacuated.
The skies turned an eerie green over St. Louis on May 16, and rapper and activist Antoine White recognized the ominous hue immediately.
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