Daughter Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over St. Louis Tornado Sirens, Tree Neglect

Deborah Patrick has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of St. Louis, alleging that the city’s failure to sound tornado sirens and properly maintain a decaying tree led to the death of her father, Larry Patrick, during the May 16 tornado. The lawsuit claims that Larry, who had repeatedly reported the unsafe tree to city officials over the previous 16 months, was unaware of the tornado due to the sirens not being activated, leaving him vulnerable when the tree fell on his home. City officials have acknowledged issues with the siren system and admitted that the emergency sirens were not sounded because emergency management employees were in a workshop and the activation button was not pressed. Despite recognizing the system’s faults, city officials had postponed replacing the siren system for years, contributing to the failure to warn residents adequately. The lawsuit seeks civil damages in excess of $25,000 and highlights alleged negligence in both emergency warning protocols and tree maintenance. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer has placed the Emergency Management Agency commissioner on paid administrative leave for the response failures but has not commented on the lawsuit itself.