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Recovery efforts are in full swing in St. Louis after a devastating EF-3 tornado struck the city earlier this month. The Missouri National Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have joined forces to support the cleanup and recovery process. The tornado, which occurred less than two weeks ago, resulted in five fatalities and significant damage to the city.
The Missouri National Guard has deployed 41 members from the 35th Engineer Brigade to assist with debris removal. They are working from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at four designated drop sites, focusing on the area around Delmar and Kingshighway, where three of the five victims lost their lives. The Guard will continue their efforts until June 11. According to FOX 2, FEMA teams arrived in St. Louis on Tuesday night and began public damage assessments on Wednesday (May 28). They are evaluating roads, public buildings, and other infrastructure, with reports expected to be submitted to state officials by Friday. These reports will help in requesting additional federal disaster relief.
Residents are urged to stay out of impacted areas, including Forest Park, to allow first responders and emergency crews to work efficiently. The St. Louis Building Division is conducting damage assessments, marking homes with color-coded tags to indicate risk levels. Green signifies little to no structural hazards, yellow indicates moderate damage, and red denotes severe damage. These tags are meant to guide safety, not to remove residents from their homes. As reported by the City of St. Louis, the mayor has declared a state of emergency to expedite the recovery process.