St. Louis Tornado Strikes: Live Radar, Damage Photos & Safety Alerts

Residents across the St. Louis metro spent Wednesday night under a Tornado Warning as a fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms pushed through eastern Missouri and southwest Illinois. The National Weather Service placed St. Louis City and St. Louis County under the warning until 10:30 p.m., citing the potential for “quick, spin-up” tornadoes, hail up to one inch and straight-line winds of 40–60 mph. Why tonight’s storms matter • Timing: Storms fired after sunset, when many people are less weather-aware and siren audibility drops indoors. • Atmospheric reset: Morning rain left the area humid but stable; once the showers cleared, sunshine helped the atmosphere “recharge,” giving evening storms extra fuel. • Wider threat zone: A Tornado Watch earlier in the evening stretched west of the metro, signaling rotating supercells could move in rapidly. Current impacts and reports • Rotation tracked across University City, Kirkwood and downtown, triggering shelter-in-place alerts on mobile devices. • Power flashes were spotted near I-44; utilities reported several thousand outages in south St. Louis County. • Flash-flood warnings briefly overlapped tornado alerts along I-44 toward Rolla as storms “trained” over the same corridor. • Lambert International Airport shifted arriving traffic to eastern runways but reported no damage. What to do overnight 1. Keep at least two alert sources active: weather radio plus phone app with loud notifications. 2. If another warning is issued, move to a basement or a small interior room on the lowest floor—away from windows. 3. Avoid driving; debris in the dark can be impossible to see until it’s too late. Looking ahead Meteorologists say the upper-level system responsible for tonight’s storms will linger. Daytime heating Thursday may reignite scattered strong storms, and an Enhanced Risk for severe weather is already posted for Friday, when a stronger cold front arrives. Expect additional watches through week’s end. Context: St. Louis’ tornado history The metro knows tornado danger all too well. Less than a year ago, an EF3 tornado on May 16, 2025 carved a 23-mile path from Clayton through north St. Louis into Madison County, killing four people and causing $1.6 billion in damage—the costliest twister in city history. Tonight’s storms are weaker, but emergency managers stress that even short-lived, lower-rated tornadoes can overturn vehicles, fell trees and shred roofs in seconds. Bottom line Stay weather-aware overnight and into the weekend. With repeated rounds of storms and saturated ground, the hazards will alternate between damaging winds, isolated tornadoes and flash flooding. Charge devices, secure outdoor items now, and review your family’s safe-room plan before the next warning is issued.