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Mayor Spencer Shares Full External Report on Tornado Response
In a move towards transparency and accountability, Mayor Cara Spencer has released the full external report on the City’s response to the May 16 tornado. The report, completed by the law firm Carmody MacDonald, was commissioned by Mayor Spencer to investigate the failure to activate the City’s outdoor warning sirens before the tornado and any other shortcomings in the City’s immediate response.
After conducting a thorough search for an outside entity to conduct the investigation, Carmody MacDonald was chosen for their extensive experience in investigations, including several former prosecutors. The firm began its investigation in early July and reviewed all files gathered during the initial internal investigation. The report, which includes interviews, document reviews, and site visits, was completed on August 15 and is now being shared with the public.
“When public systems fail, the public deserves to know how and why, and we as a city take responsibility to fix the issue,” said Mayor Spencer. “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. 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 the efforts of City staff and outside organizations, such as St. Louis Fire Captain John Walk and Metro West Fire Protection District Division Chief Mike Thiemann, who stepped in to help stabilize the City’s response in the days following 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,” said Mayor Spencer. “I also want to thank the many volunteers, community organizations, businesses, and City staff who went above and beyond to help their neighbors and strangers alike.”
In response to the report, Mayor Spencer issued an executive order to clarify protocols for outdoor warning siren activation and moved the responsibility to the Fire Department. The City has also automated the siren activation, which is now triggered based on alerts from the National Weather Service. Mayor Spencer’s administration is currently determining the next steps based on the report and she will be available to answer questions at an upcoming press conference.
