Mayor Spencer Releases External Report on Tornado Response

Today, Mayor Cara Spencer shared with the public the full external report into the immediate response to the May 16 tornado, completed independently by the law firm Carmody MacDonald.

Mayor Spencer called for an external investigation to ensure clarity and transparency on what caused the failure to activate the City’s outdoor warning sirens before the tornado, as well as any other shortcomings in the City’s immediate response.

After a search for an outside entity to take on this work, Carmody MacDonald, a law firm that houses significant investigatory experience, including several former prosecutors, was chosen and began its investigation in early July, at which point the City turned over all files it had gathered during the initial internal investigation. Carmody MacDonald reviewed those files but conducted its own interviews, document reviews and site visits. The report was completed on Aug. 15 and is now being shared with the public in full.

“When public systems fail, the public deserves to know how and why, and we as a city take responsibility to fix the issue. That’s why I remain adamant about sharing this external report, not only into the sirens, but into how we were prepared for a disaster and how we responded in the first critical hours and days,” said Mayor Spencer. “This investigation makes it clear that there were breakdowns on several levels on May 16, but also before and after. I am committed to putting this report to work so the City of St. Louis can respond at the highest possible levels in any future disaster.”

The report also highlights that, after a rocky start with an unclear structure and lacking emergency operations plan in the days immediately following the tornado, several City staff and outside organizations, including St. Louis Fire Captain John Walk and Metro West Fire Protection District Division Chief Mike Thiemann and many others came on board and corrected the course starting shortly after the tornado.

“While we have learned that our City was ill-equipped to handle the immediate aftermath of the May 16 tornado, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people and organizations who came into the Emergency Operations Center to help us stabilize the City’s response in the days and weeks after the disaster hit, as well as, of course, the many volunteers, community organizations, businesses and City staff who went to incredible lengths to help neighbors and strangers alike,” said Mayor Spencer.

In the days following the tornado, Mayor Spencer issued an executive order to clarify protocols for outdoor warning siren activation and moved the responsibility to the Fire Department. Since then, the City has automated the siren activation, which is now triggered based on alerts from the National Weather Service. 

Mayor Spencer’s administration is now in the process of determining the next steps based on the report. Mayor Spencer will be available to answer questions about the report at an upcoming press briefing, which will be announced in the near future. The City cannot comment on personnel issues. 

Documents

• Findings and Report Regarding the May 16, 2025 Tornado in the City of St. Louis