Like so many St. Louisans, Ali Rand did not expect May 16, 2025, to be a remarkable day. The stay-at-home mother of five was enjoying the afternoon at her Central West End home with her husband, sister and two youngest children—her three oldest were at Forsyth School. “The phones went off with an emergency alert, and I saw that there was rotation over MICDS,” she recalls. “I have a book club with 30 other women in the CWE, so I sent out a message to the group chat to warn people in school pickup lines that they may want to go inside. Seven minutes later, my next text just said: Everything is gone.”


The F3 tornado that ripped through St. Louis that day was not Rand’s first brush with a natural disaster. She and her family were living in Florida when Hurricane Irma hit in 2017. Even though that storm was a Category 5, she notes that the impact didn’t compare to the devastation she saw following the tornado. “Trees were ripped out of the ground, cars were thrown and walls were destroyed,” she says. “With a hurricane, there is so much forewarning and time to prepare. A tornado doesn’t over that—it literally drops on you out of the sky.”


Due to the devastation the storm left behind, Rand sent her children to stay with friends who lived further west for a few days. “Because our cars were totaled, we couldn’t pick up our older kids from school that day,” she explains. “When they came home the next day, they were overwhelmed with emotion as soon as they got out of the car. Not only had they experienced the tornado at school, they now were seeing everything they knew was damaged or destroyed. I wanted them to have time to be normal kids.” The decision gave Rand the opportunity to roll up her sleeves and start organizing recovery efforts in her neighborhood and surrounding areas.


“So much destruction happened further north, and that’s where I saw resources going, which was definitely needed,” she says. “However, there was so much devastation in the central corridor, especially in the Academy neighborhood, but I wasn’t seeing a lot of relief effort.” On the Sunday following the tornado, Rand organized a group of volunteers through Forsyth School to start cleanup efforts, but quickly realized it would be a much bigger undertaking than she expected. Rather than a weekend project, it turned into a weeks-long campaign. She started using her social media to spread the word and to raise money to pay for machinery, dumpsters and other necessities.


Support from the community has been instrumental to making the recovery efforts possible. Rand notes that she couldn’t do it on her own. Brooke Meek, founder of PLNK Fitness, and a team of her instructors have been instrumental in helping, the Forsyth School community has continued to organize volunteers and contractor Wesley Klaus of Modern Masonry and Restoration has been offering services for free to those impacted. “We’ve been on Enright Avenue for more than two weeks,” Rand says. “The people here are in need of bigger and badder help, and we can’t leave until that help arrives.”


Rand is still looking for support in recovery efforts. There are several ways to get involved. While much of the volunteer work involves physical labor, they also need help feeding volunteers and residents. She notes that lunch and dinner are provided for around 30 to 50 people every day. Gift cards to stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s are needed as well as monetary donations. “Don’t feel like you’ve missed your window to give back,” she notes. “There is no bad way and no wrong time to help. Rebuilding is going to be a long process, and your support will be appreciated now and even further down the line. It’s not too late to make a difference.”


Rand’s story is just one of many when it comes to people impacted by the May 16 tornado. The immensity of the disaster can be difficult to come to terms with, but she suggests remembering that all is not lost. “My visceral reaction after the storm was that everything was gone,” she says. “But it’s important to remember that there are so many reasons to keep showing up. St. Louis and our neighbors deserve the help to rebuild. Everything is not gone.”

To learn more, find Rand on social media @alirand.

Photos courtesy of Ali Rand

PLACES TO DONATE


LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER?
Visit stlvolunteer.org to sign up for projects like clearing debris, preparing meals and delivering much needed supplies.