ST. LOUIS – As we head into fall, clean up from the severe weather of late spring continues. In Forest Park, widespread tree damage from the May 16 storms has greatly changed the landscape.

“About 5,000 trees were affected by the storm,” City of St. Louis arborist Jason O’Malley said. “Three thousand or so, we’ve deemed ready for removal. Twenty-two hundred have already been completed.”

That damage came from both straight-line winds and the tornado. O’Malley was in the park when it happened. He says after the initial shock, the first priority was to make the park safe.

“And within an hour of the storm rolling through Forest Park, I was actually out on the streets helping to clear those streets,” he said.

Despite the grief of park damage, crews were much more concerned about the loss of

See Full Page