Tornado Recovery in Forest Park
Forest Park experienced severe damage from tornadoes that devastated our region on Friday, May 16. The storm damaged over 4,000 trees and some of our favorite places. Repairing and making the Park safe again will require a massive, expensive effort.
We will use this webpage to share updates about visiting and helping Forest Park. You can also find resources for tornado recovery and tree care, along with an image gallery below.
Helping Forest Park
Our team is touched by the offers to volunteer and donate to recovery efforts. The road to recovery is long. Our work has always been to help the City restore and maintain this beloved green space. The Park is different now and so is our daily work, but our mission is still to sustain Forest Park for the next generation.
Repairing: You can support repairs and Forest Park’s recovery by becoming a member or making a one-time donation.
Volunteering: Please fill out this form if you’re interested in volunteering to remove debris. NOTE: Volunteer opportunities to come up through the next several months. After each area has been cleared of hazards and our team ensures safety, we’ll contact you about upcoming opportunities.
Connecting: Subscribe to our electronic newsletter to learn about opportunities, on-going recovery efforts and future community gatherings in Forest Park.
Images above show groups of volunteers removing fallen tree debris at multiple locations in Forest Park
Visiting Forest Park
Please use caution when traveling through Forest Park. We are still working with the City of St. Louis to assess the full scope of damage and plan recovery. For your safety and ours, please:
consider other locations for outdoor recreation
resist the urge to inspect damaged areas
do not move along a pathway that has been closed
give us space by avoiding work areas
do not move or remove barriers, cones or signage on or around pathways
The west and north ends were hardest hit. Teams from Forest Park Forever and the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry continue to clear hazards and work with contractors to remove aerial dangers across the Park. Please use caution around the following areas, which may have limited access or be temporarily closed while work continues:
Paths and trails around the St. Francis of Assisi statue, Korean War Memorial, Vandeventer Place Gates near the Jewel Box
Kennedy Forest and Kennedy Boardwalks: boardwalks are damaged, and even if a path or trail appears clear, there may be “hangers” – large limbs suspended in a tree above
Paths and trails along Skinker Boulevard and Lindell Boulevard
Cascades waterfall on Lagoon Drive
Paths and trails along Lagoon Drive, between Emerson Grand Basin and Picnic Island
The allee of trees at the top of Art Hill, near Fine Arts Drive
The Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape (Storytime and field trips have relocated until work in these areas is completed)
In addition to the areas noted above, there may be popup closures when hazards and debris are being actively removed.
Mulching limbs and felled trees is not taking place in the Park. The City has several mulch and wood chip pick up sites.
Resources for Tornado Recovery & Tree Care
The City of St. Louis has many resources for tornado response and recovery. Find links to get help and find information. Connect with organizations that are giving help and stay updated with the lates news.
Disaster Recovery Centers with FEMA Individual Assistance staff are opening in the City of St. Louis to help people affected by the May 16 tornado and storms. Find locations and hours of operation on the City’s website.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) can help you care for trees after a storm.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) can help you find an arborist and verify credentials.
Mulching limbs and felled trees is not taking place onsite in the Park. The City has several pick up sites for mulch and wood chips.
The National Weather Service has a report on the EF3 and EF2 tornados that brought winds up to 152 mph and devastated our region on May 16, 2025.
Our organization has been working with the City to restore and maintain Forest Park for nearly 40 years. Our Park is different since May 16, and so is our daily work, but our mission is still to sustain Forest Park for the next generation.
Image gallery
Pictures below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornados at Picnic Island, near the Muny, PICNIC PAVILION 11 IN KENNEDY FOREST, AND A PATHWAY ALONG SKINKER BLVD., from left to right
Pictures below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornados aROUND THE DENNIS & JUDITH JONES VISITOR & EDUCATION CENTER, RACQUETBALL COURTS, HANDBALL COURTS, SWINGS AND “THE NICK” BASKETBALL COURTS, and variety wonderland playground, from left to right
Pictures below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornado to the BELOVED WILLOW TREE IN LANGENBERG FIELD, AND MOORE MEADOW NEAR LIBERAL ARTS BRIDGE, and the nathan frank bandstand in pagoda circle (near the muny)
Pictures below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornados aROUND POST-DISPATCH LAKE, THE EMERSON GRAND BASIN, THE CASCADES, PATHWAYS ALONG LAGOON DRIVE, SHAKESPEARE GLEN, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
