Campus Alert Archive
HSSU

The Only HBCU in Missouri Shelters as the May 16 EF3 Cuts a Mile-Wide Path North of Vashon's Doorstep

MOtornadoemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the afternoon of Friday, May 16, 2025, an EF3 tornado tracked through midtown St. Louis along a 23.3-mile path, passing near Harris-Stowe State University — the only HBCU in Missouri — and causing catastrophic damage in the Greater Ville and Fountain Park neighborhoods just north of campus. The tornado killed five people and injured 38 across the city.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Harris-Stowe State University
Hbcu · MO
~1,100 studentsHSSU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstructionWikipedia summary documenting that the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado on radar at approximately 2:30 PM CDT on May 16, 2025 for St. Louis City193 chars
HSSU Alert: A Tornado Warning has been issued for the City of St. Louis. Take shelter NOW on the lowest floor of your building, in an interior room. Stay away from windows. Do not leave campus.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed; the timestamp matches the NWS-documented tornado warning issuance time of approximately 2:30 PM CDT for St. Louis City
Harris-Stowe sits at 3026 Laclede Avenue in midtown St. Louis, about a mile south of the EF3 tornado's main path through the Central West End and Greater Ville
'Do not leave campus' is a critical instruction for a commuter-heavy HBCU; many Harris-Stowe students drive home through the neighborhoods that would soon bear EF2-EF3 damage
UPDATESMS+23 min
Approximate reconstructionKSDK reporting documenting catastrophic damage in the Greater Ville and Fountain Park neighborhoods as the EF3 tornado reached peak intensity between approximately 2:45 and 2:55 PM CDT on May 16, 2025187 chars
HSSU Alert: Tornado has been observed in the city. Severe damage reported in Greater Ville. Remain sheltered. The threat is ongoing in our area. Stay away from windows and exterior doors.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed; the timing matches public reporting that the tornado reached peak EF3 intensity in the Greater Ville between 2:45 and 2:55 PM CDT
Naming Greater Ville specifically — a historically Black neighborhood about 2.5 miles north of Harris-Stowe — placed the threat in geographic context familiar to most HBCU students and staff
The Greater Ville is home to many alumni, faculty families, and student commuter routes; the destruction had immediate personal salience for the Harris-Stowe community in a way it did not for distant suburban institutions
ALL CLEARSMS+58 min
Approximate reconstructionSTLPR coverage documenting the immediate aftermath of the May 16, 2025 tornado in St. Louis252 chars
HSSU Alert: The tornado warning for the City of St. Louis has expired. The immediate threat has passed. Stay away from downed power lines. Major damage reported north and west of campus. Check on family and contact Public Safety if you need assistance.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed; the timing matches public reporting that the tornado dissipated approximately 27 minutes after touchdown and the warning expired shortly after
Encouraging students to 'check on family' is appropriate for an HBCU with deep community ties to the historically Black neighborhoods most damaged — the tornado's path closely mirrored the city's segregation patterns
Harris-Stowe and the broader St. Louis HBCU and Black-anchor-institution community subsequently played a major role in [recovery efforts](https://www.stlamerican.com/news/local-news/st-louis-to-finally-receive-fema-funds/) for affected neighborhoods
Context

Background

Harris-Stowe State University is the only HBCU in Missouri and one of the smallest in the United States, located at 3026 Laclede Avenue in midtown St. Louis with about 1,100 students. The university is named for the merger of Harris Teachers College and Stowe Teachers College — both of which had served St. Louis Black educators in the segregation era. On the afternoon of Friday, May 16, 2025, an EF3 tornado with peak winds of 152 mph tracked 23.3 miles across Greater St. Louis. The tornado's path was approximately a mile north of the Harris-Stowe campus and tracked through the Greater Ville and Fountain Park neighborhoods — predominantly Black neighborhoods that had been historically disinvested and where many Harris-Stowe students, alumni, and faculty live. The tornado caused catastrophic damage to homes, churches, and businesses, killing five and injuring 38. Although the Harris-Stowe campus avoided direct structural damage, the storm had immediate personal consequences for the Harris-Stowe community. In the weeks that followed, the university served as a community-anchor institution coordinating with the City of St. Louis recovery effort — extending the institution's longstanding role as a stabilizing presence in north St. Louis. The tornado damaged more than 5,000 buildings citywide and is among the costliest individual tornadoes in U.S. history.
Analysis

Key Findings

The May 16, 2025 EF3 tornado passed approximately a mile north of Harris-Stowe State University, making this the first major tornado near Missouri's only HBCU campus in modern history
The tornado's path through the Greater Ville and Fountain Park — the historic Black neighborhoods that Harris-Stowe serves — meant the storm's impact on the Harris-Stowe community was disproportionate compared to similarly-distant white-majority neighborhoods
Harris-Stowe's small enrollment (~1,100 students) and commuter base mean the campus alert system reaches a community whose neighborhoods overlap directly with the tornado damage zone — a different alert geography than at the nearby SLU campus a few blocks east
The disaster equity dimension of the May 16 tornado — that the worst damage occurred in historically disinvested Black neighborhoods — placed Harris-Stowe at the center of post-disaster civic discussion about whether the city would rebuild equitably
Outcome
The Harris-Stowe campus itself did not sustain major structural damage, though many students, faculty, and staff lived in the predominantly Black neighborhoods of [north St. Louis that bore the brunt of the destruction](https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-05-12/north-st-louis-tornado-history-disinvestment). Across the city, the tornado damaged more than 5,000 buildings, killed five people, and caused $1.6 billion in damage — including significant impacts to [Centennial Christian Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_St._Louis_tornado) in the Greater Ville, where one person died after a partial collapse.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Source
    2025 St. Louis tornado (Wikipedia)
    en.wikipedia.org
  2. Official
    Harris-Stowe State University home page
    hssu.edu
  3. News
    Residents fear tornado will empty out north St. Louis for good (STLPR)
    stlpr.org
  4. News
    St. Louis before and after the EF3 tornado in photos (KSDK)
    ksdk.com
  5. News
    St. Louis faces devastating damage after tornado that killed 5 (STLPR)
    stlpr.org
  6. News
    St. Louis to finally receive FEMA funds (St. Louis American)
    stlamerican.com
  7. Official
    STL Recovers - 2025 Tornado Recovery (City of St. Louis)
    stlouis-mo.gov
Tags
tornadoweathermissourihbcuhssu-alertst-louisef3-tornadomay-2025-outbreakgreater-villedisaster-equityharris-stowe
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion