The St. Louis City Board of Health spent the bulk of its meeting discussing continuing response and recovery work after the May tornado, describing widespread grassroots relief, persistent gaps in citywide coordination, and next steps for the advisory board.

Board members and community volunteers said city residents and nonprofit responders have provided immediate frontline support — from distribution hubs to wellness checks — while city systems and data-sharing to track needs remain incomplete. "The only thing I do try to put on the front of folks' minds is the people that you're really trying to reach, unfortunately, are the people that aren't on social media all the time," board member Kristen said, urging door-to-door outreach and sharing of resources.

The board heard that multiple volunteer-run hubs have been active in north St. Louis and that the city established a disaster assistance center and distribution warehouse. Craig, a board member who has been tracking relief funding, summarized the administration's announced allocations, saying: "So I see 5,000,000 for home repair ... 2,500,000 for resource hubs, meals, and supplies, coolers and porta potties ... 2,200,000 for storage of items that people have ... and 5,000,000 for the nonprofits that have been serving in the resource hubs and, distribution, and staffing." He added that the announced $19 million in city funds sits within a broader $34 million package described publicly.

Several board members, including Dr. Shacom, told the group that while community response had been "tremendous," they were concerned about "a lack of systematic response" and urged the advisory board to focus on system-level recommendations the Department of Health and mayoral administration could implement. Dr. Shacom urged the board to take an equity lens as it crafts recommendations, noting health risks from debris and environmental exposures and the heightened vulnerability of residents with limited insurance or unclear title to damaged properties.

Board members raised specific operational issues: a lack of consolidated data about who has applied for FEMA assistance and who has received funding; a need for temporary storage and reuse of building materials for residents who want to reconstruct; and the looming August 1 deadline to file FEMA claims. Craig said the city had asked FEMA for data and that organizations collecting local information may need data-sharing agreements to consolidate needs assessments.

The board agreed on near-term steps: track public hearing dates about the city's tornado allocations, draft a collective letter stating the board's observations and priorities, and seek meetings with mayoral staff and the Department of Health to discuss how the board can support recovery work. April, who led the priorities discussion, said the board should center "what health equity means in this moment" when advising the administration.

Members also discussed worries about redevelopment and displacement as reconstruction proceeds, noting community calls to protect property rights and keep housing affordable in neighborhoods hit by the storm. Board members said neighborhood recognition ordinances recently discussed at the Board of Aldermen could be one tool to improve two-way notification between city government and neighborhood organizations.

The board asked staff to circulate notes from today's discussion and to follow up on public hearing dates; members volunteered to prepare a draft advocacy letter for collective review. They also agreed to keep tornado response on future agendas as a standing item.