The daughter of one of five people killed in the May 16 tornado in St. Louis has sued the city over her father’s death.
Deborah Patrick filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in St. Louis Circuit Court. Her father, Larry Patrick, was killed when a tree fell on his house on West Margaretta Avenue in the O’Fallon neighborhood.
The city has already admitted that it did not sound its outdoor warning sirens on the day of the tornado. The lawsuit says that meant Larry Patrick had no way of knowing he needed to get to safety and was therefore in a vulnerable position when the tree fell.
The National Weather Service and other emergency management agencies make it clear that warning sirens are not intended to be heard by people indoors.
In addition, the lawsuit says, the city had failed to maintain the tree and ignored Larry Patrick’s complaints that it was unsafe, especially in high winds.
City records show a complaint submitted to the city’s Forestry Division in August 2023 for a broken/hanging limb and property damage.
The city does not comment on pending litigation.
