News Briefs

Red Cross closes its last post-tornado shelter in St. Louis

St. Louis Public Radio | By Jeremy D. Goodwin

Published July 11, 2025 at 12:21 PM CDT

Steven Reason, 48, of St. Louis, poses for a portrait on his bed in a Red Cross shelter at the 12th and Park Recreation Center on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Last week's EF3 tornado severely damaged the building where he was living. — The American Red Cross closed the last of its shelters for people displaced by the May 16 tornado on Friday. St. Louis resident Steven Reason, seen a few days after the natural disaster, took refuge at another of the five Red Cross shelters after the tornado severely damaged his home.

The last American Red Cross shelter for people displaced by the May 16 tornado closed Friday morning.

The American Red Cross shelter at Crossroads College Prep School in St. Louis closed on Friday after its last temporary residents were assisted into alternate housing.

The shelter at Crossroads College Prep School served five people Thursday night, and the last temporary resident departed before noon.

The Red Cross operated five shelters in the weeks immediately after the tornado, providing aid to 912 people. As many as 260 people stayed in the shelters at one time.

Red Cross transition teams helped people taking shelter there find housing in hotels and motels. The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has taken the lead with rehousing efforts.

“We work with individuals in the shelters from the day they move in to see what their needs are and what it will take to get them into a longer-term shelter situation,” said American Red Cross spokesperson Sharon Watson. “Our goal is always to get them to a sustainable housing situation.”

The Red Cross is still a good first contact for tornado survivors in need of support or information. The Red Cross can be reached at 800-RED-CROSS, and the Urban League can be reached at 314-615-3600.