Three months since St. Louis tornado: How long will cleanup take?

ST. LOUIS - Saturday marks three months since a devastating EF-3 tornado ripped through St. Louis.

The May 16 tornado caused five deaths, an estimated $1.6 billion in damages and left behind more than one million tons of debris in the City of St. Louis, much of its on private properties in the city’s westside and northside neighborhoods.

Cleanup efforts have been ongoing and nonstop since the tornado. Organizations such as the United Way of St. Louis and AmeriCorps were among the first to assist with debris removal. The Missouri National Guard was also activated for cleanup from late-May to mid-June.

More recently, a federal disaster declaration was approved for the May 16 tornado, making individual assistance available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, though not specifi