ST. LOUIS — Kelsey Koenig came home from work Friday afternoon to find a front window shattered in her Tudor home and a large tree branch through the windshield of her family’s Chrysler Pacifica minivan.

Koenig, 37, was working on clearing the debris from her home on Aberdeen Place in Clayton on Saturday morning as neighborhood children rode their bikes and joggers ran by.

“I was definitely surprised by the magnitude,” said Koenig, 37.

The tornado that hit the St. Louis area on Friday left a path of destruction stretching from the western edge of Clayton to north St. Louis.

The tornado, which touched down in Clayton, ripped trees out of the ground as it traveled down old, wealthy neighborhoods west of Forest Park. It moved across Skinker Boulevard, hit the St. Louis Zoo, The Muny and the stage for Shakespeare Festival.

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Then it spun into neighborhoods north of Forest Park, then eastward into north St. Louis communities. In Fountain Park, a small neighborhood north of the Central West End, entire streets were destroyed.

A survey of all the damage is ongoing.

The storm killed at least five people, tore away roofs and walls, uprooted trees and crushed cars.

Up north from Aberdeen, on Skinker, employees of Memorial Presbyterian Church were surveying the damage as stalled traffic moved slowly by.

Workers tarp the roof of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, on Skinker Boulevard, near sheared off trees lining the west side of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Patches of the church’s slate roof had spread to the street and sidewalk. In a grassy area on the church’s side, slate pieces fell from the roof, stabbing the ground.

“It looks like a cemetery,” said Cindy Gee, an organist who plays at the church.

In Forest Park, the golf course was littered with tree limbs and twigs. Vehicles were trapped under fallen branches.

People still lazed on Art Hill as they would on a normal Saturday. But even more people were sightseeing the damage and taking photos on their phone.

Most of the damage appeared toward the northwest area of the park. Several sidewalks and walking paths were blocked by fallen trees.

The St. Louis Zoo, which would normally welcome about 25,000 people on a day like Saturday, was closed. It will also be closed Sunday.

Workers cleared debris at the St. Louis Zoo’s butterfly dome on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Branches of a large tree fell in Friday night’ storm and damaged the dome’s acrylic panels. The zoo didn’t know how many butterflies escaped.

The storm caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage there, Zoo Director Michael Macek estimated.

Hundreds of trees and thousands of large branches broke. Some displays were damaged and light posts toppled.

Branches of a large tree near the butterfly dome fell and broke several of the dome’s acrylic panels.

On Lindell Boulevard, along the northern edge of Forest Park, much of the debris had been cleared by mid Saturday morning.

But several of the large houses on the street were significantly damaged.

Homeowner Jay Johnson said the storm caused at least $200,000 worth of damage to his house.

Hail pummeled his roof, and strong winds lifted part of it.

Johnson said he was cleaning his pool at the time the tornado started to roll in. He saw clouds rotating about a half mile away to the west and decided to wait out the storm in his garage.

A damaged original stained-glass window from 1925 sits inside the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center, on Skinker Blvd. just west of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025, after the building was hit by winds from an EF-3 tornado the day before. Jody Sowell, President and CEO, said no artifacts were damaged in either this building or the Missouri History Museum, both of which had minor roof damage. This building was formerly a synagogue.

“Within seconds, everything started blowing,” Johnson said.

From Johnson’s backyard, rows of apartment buildings along Forest Park Parkway were visible as most of the trees that previously blocked the view had snapped or uprooted.

The DeBaliviere Place and Visitation Park neighborhoods were devastated.

Residents of the apartment buildings in the area were walking down the street with backpacks and suitcases. Several buildings had their windows blown out or roofs torn off.

Jason Lu, a Washington University Ph.D. student, said the windows of his apartment shattered as he hid underneath a quilt.

“I could feel the broken windows hit me,” Lu said.

Liam Casadei was moving out of his apartment in the Hudson building at the intersection of DeBaliviere and Pershing avenues Saturday afternoon.

Much of the Hudson’s roof had blown off and fallen to the streets below. Shattered glass was everywhere.

Casadei’s lease is up this month. He decided not to wait out repairs and leave the building a little early.

“I got lucky,” Casadei said. “All I got was a broken window.”

Photos and video: St. Louisans sort through rubble a day after likely EF-3 tornado ravages area

“I have never seen anything like this,” said Jerikah McCloud, 23, who looks out from the destroyed second floor of her family home in the 5200 block of Kensington Street on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy neighborhood.

“My house is just gone, and it was beautiful,” said Curtis McGrath, who retrieves some personal papers, photos and clothes from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy neighborhood. The National Weather Service has confirmed that it was a tornado, possibly an EF-3, that hit St. Louis the day before.

"My house is just gone and it was beautiful," said Curtis McGrath, who retrieves climbs the stairs to retrieve some photos and clothes from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. Louis metro area.

John McCloud clears out his his family home on the 5200 block of Kensington Street on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. McCloud has lived there for 24 years.

“I grew up in this community. People need help and we are helping,” said Cornelius Coleman, who uses a sledge hammer to break apart a tree blocking a resident’s home on the 5200 block of Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy neighborhood of St. Louis.

"This is going to bring St. Louis together," said Craig Cole Jr., who visits with his friend Tay, who dropped by to see how he was doing on on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Fountain Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado completely destroyed Cole's two story duplex along Page Avenue which is reduced to rubble in the background.

"This is a photo of my ex-wife and son. I was hoping to find a photo of my mother," said Curtis McGrath, who was able to retrieve a few personal items from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood.

Mariyah Guthrie advertises free drinks and food as she his joined her niece Dolly on Saturday, May 16, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood.

"I had just said a prayer before it happened: Lord, please protect these people, please protect us," said homeowner Stella Hunt, 70, who cleans up her former two-story home along the 4500 block of St. Louis Place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Greater Ville neighborhood. Hunt has lived the Greater Ville for most of life.

Adrian Abernethy helps remove a tree that destroyed his neighbor's garage and car on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. Louis metro area.

Workers tarp the roof of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, on Skinker Boulevard, near sheared off trees lining the west side of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

A person inside a car somehow survived a massive oak tree smashing her vehicle as she sat on Skinker Blvd. near Forest Park Parkway while an EF-3 tornado ripped through parts of St. Louis on Friday, May 16, 2025, killing 5, and causing widespread destruction from Clayton to north St. Louis. People out walking in the Parkview neighborhood surveyed the damage on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

A damaged original stained-glass window from 1925 sits inside the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center, on Skinker Blvd. just west of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025, after the building was hit by winds from an EF-3 tornado the day before. Jody Sowell, President and CEO, said no artifacts were damaged in either this building or the Missouri History Museum, both of which had minor roof damage. This building was formerly a synagogue.

A damaged original stained-glass window from 1925 sits inside the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center, on Skinker Boulevard just west of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025, after the building was hit by winds from an EF-3 tornado the day before. Jody Sowell, President and CEO, said no artifacts were damaged in either this building or the Missouri History Museum, both of which had minor roof damage.

Ryan Green of Rogers Construction helps board up a stained-glass window in the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center on Skinker Boulevard just west of Forest Park on Saturday, May 17, 2025. President and CEO Jody Sowell said no artifacts were damaged in either this building or the Missouri History Museum, both of which had minor roof damage.

"My house is just gone and it was beautiful," said Curtis McGrath, who removes a chests from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. Louis metro area.

"My house is just gone and it was beautiful," said Curtis McGrath, who retrieves some personal papers, photos and clothes from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. Louis metro area.