Christian Disaster Groups Respond to St. Louis Tornadoes
Christian relief groups are still on the ground in St. Louis neighborhoods operating mobile kitchens and unloading pallets of bottled water just 48 hours after a pair of tornadoes ripped through the city.
Many of the city’s residents remain in shock, including Amanda Symmonds, a resident of the Central West End. She described her harrowing experience, saying she remains in shock.
“Whole building was shaking.”
“I was in the kitchen when I heard this roar, and suddenly the windows just exploded inward. I grabbed my dog and we ran into the bathroom. It felt like the whole building was shaking—roofs were flying around in the air. When I came out, there was glass everywhere and the front door was gone,” she told KSDK. Symmonds and her dog were shaken but unharmed, though her home was left in ruins. “I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never seen anything like this. I’m just grateful we made it out”.
Tornadoes damage 5,000 St. Louis buildings
She’s not alone. Authorities estimate 5,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in the metropolitan area home to 2.8 million residents. Two more bodies were recovered overnight bringing the death toll to seven.
Christian disaster relief agencies responded quickly to the physical and emotional damage.
Relief agencies on the ground
Convoy of Hope and Samaritan’s Purse were among the first on the scene, working alongside local churches to clear debris, deliver supplies, and offer prayers with families whose homes now sit in splinters. Convoy of Hope said it was sending food, water, tarps, hygiene kits, and other emergency supplies, while Samaritan’s Purse mobilized volunteers to help tarp roofs and clear debris.
Another angle of massive tornado damage in St. Louis pic.twitter.com/hnn3D7kARW
— Jacob Tubis (@the_tubis) May 16, 2025
The tornadoes touched down shortly after 2 p.m. Friday, killing five people and sending more than three dozen to local hospitals. Power outages stretched into Sunday morning. Trees were snapped across roads, windows blown out of apartment buildings, and both the city zoo and The Muny theater reported significant damage. St. Louis officials declared a curfew in the worst-hit neighborhoods while fire crews and volunteers continued to search for survivors reported KSDK.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe toured the hardest-hit blocks Saturday alongside relief workers. He said, “Claudia and I are deeply saddened to learn of the deaths and injuries caused by the tornadoes and severe storms that have affected much of the state. We are grateful for first responders and organizations like Convoy of Hope and Samaritan’s Purse who are delivering aid and comfort on the ground”.
Officials say it could be days before power is restored to all customers and a year until the clean-up is completed.
–Metro Voice
