An EF-3 tornado ripped through St. Louis, devastating homes and businesses in minutes and sending residents scrambling for safety. Now, people are sifting through rubble, clinging to any glimmer of hope. FOX Weather is joined by two women who witnessed the destruction firsthand: Ariane Shelton and Kimberly Hurtz. Eight years ago, they opened Hairapy Beauty Lounge, which collapsed before their eyes last Friday.
ST. LOUIS– During severe weather, tornado sirens are usually the telltale sign to take cover, but when they don’t go off, how should you know what to do?
On Friday, an EF-3 tornado ravaged parts of St. Louis, killing five people.
During the height of the severe weather, the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for St. Louis, but the city’s tornado sirens didn’t sound to warn residents of the danger.
After an investigation as to why the sirens didn’t go off, it was found that the button to activate them was never pushed.
Tornado damage around St. Louis, Missouri
(St. Louis, MO Police / FOX Weather)
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the lack of sirens was due to unclear policies and “human failure.”
St. Louis’s City Emergency Management Agency Commissioner Sarah Russell has since been placed on leave after the sirens didn’t go off, Spencer said.
Since the error, Spencer has promised that the city is changing its policies to prevent it from happening again.
On Tuesday, Spencer announced that the St. Louis Fire Department, which is staffed 24/7, would take over the responsibility of deploying the sirens in the event of a tornado.
Spencer also said the city is working to potentially automate the sirens, so human error can’t happen.
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Communities in St. Louis are still picking up the pieces after last Friday’s EF-3 tornado killed five people and damaged more than 5,000 buildings. FOX Weather’s Robert Ray is in the community.
While tornado sirens are the biggest indicator that you need to get to shelter during severe weather, it’s important to have multiple options for receiving weather warnings.
In the event sirens don’t go off to warn you, these warning signals could be what saves your life during a tornado.
Wireless Emergency Alerts
Have you ever heard a phone blare out of nowhere with a special tone and vibration during severe weather? Those are Wireless Emergency Alerts.
WEAs are sent by authorized government officials through your phone carrier. According to the National Weather Service, radio technology broadcasts the alert from cell towers to mobile devices in the area of the threat.
Florida, smart phone tornado alert warning.
(Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The NWS can issue alerts during extreme weather events like severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash flood warnings. Alerts appear on your phone screen like text messages.
Additionally, WEAs can be issued for AMBER Alerts, local emergencies that require evacuation or other directives and national emergencies.
For more information about WEA, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Communications Commission or CTIA
After severe weather damaged the butterfly wing at the St. Louis Zoo, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House took in butterflies and cocoons until their home can be repaired. This video shows butterflies released to their temporary home at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden located in Chesterfield, Missouri.
NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA Weather Radios are a nationwide network of radio stations which broadcast continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office.
NWRs are functional 24 hours a day, seven days a week, broadcasting NWS warnings, watches, forecasts and other weather hazards.
The system occasionally undergoes planned maintenance, which will be announced by local NWS offices. Currently, such maintenance is happening on a planned, rolling basis through June.
In the event of power outages, it’s good to have a small, portable radio with batteries on hand to get NWR alerts during severe weather.
To find your NWR station, visit the NWS website here.
STARK BEFORE-AND-AFTER PHOTOS OF ST. LOUIS REVEAL DESTRUCTION AFTER DEADLY TORNADO
Newsportual Weather Service confirmed an EF-3 tornado devastated the St. Louis metro area last Friday. The impact was staggering, leaving at least 5,000 structures damaged, with some completely leveled.
Local weather warnings
Watching or listening to local weather TV broadcasts or radio can also warn you of a tornado or other weather emergency.
EAS alerts are often activated in the event of tornado warnings or other extreme weather situations that can interrupt local radio or television broadcasting.
Power outages could interfere with this in some instances, so make sure to have another warning alert method, just in case.
Residents of St. Louis are still trying to determine the toll taken on the city by a tornado that hit Friday. FOX Weather’s Robert Ray reports.
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