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St. Louis County outlines tornado response; animal shelter reopens, parks still under cleanup
Summary
The County Executive reported coordinated storm response after a tornado that damaged parts of St. Louis and St. Louis County, described debris and road-clearing efforts with municipal partners, warned residents about scammers, and said the county animal shelter has reopened after a quarantine and decontamination.
The County Executive told the St. Louis County Council on May 20 that county crews and municipal partners mobilized immediately after a tornado struck parts of St. Louis and St. Louis County on May 16, clearing roads and restoring access for emergency services.
"As you know, Friday afternoon, the region faced a devastating tornado that began in Clayton and carved a path through Richmond Heights, University City and into the heart of the city of Saint Louis," the County Executive said, adding that Transportation, Public Works and Parks crews worked alongside municipal partners to clear trees and debris.
The county executive said the priority from the start was helping people, not property: "Time matters in a disaster, and their swift response helped to protect lives." He thanked municipal officials for coordinating with county crews and urged residents to treat intersections with burned-out streetlights as four-way stops.
Two county parks, Jefferson Barracks and Tillis, sustained "significant damage" but have reopened while cleanup continues, the County Executive said. He also warned residents about disaster-related scammers and relayed public-safety guidance offered at a press briefing with Chief Gregory and Lucretia Cox of the American Red Cross.
On animal services, the County Executive said the county's Animal Care and Control Adoption Center reopened after a quarantine and thorough cleaning to address parvovirus. "No new cases of parvo virus have occurred since May 1," he said, and the shelter has expanded a pilot foster program to volunteers and plans to open it to the public soon.
The County Executive said shelter staff have completed "fear free" training and that Dr. Cunningham will present more details at the council's committee of the whole meeting next week about hires, training and how the council can help increase adoptions.
He also thanked Governor Mike Kehoe and the county's U.S. senators for advocacy on recovery needs and urged residents with debris on private property in unincorporated areas to work with local trash haulers for pickup.
The remarks were delivered as an informational report by the County Executive to the council; the meeting record does not show council votes tied to the specific recovery activities described.
