Many victims of May 16 tornado are uninsured

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Many of the victims of the May 16 tornado are uninsured.

Vanessa Brown-Livingston bought her house on Labadie Avenue in 2019. Last week’s tornado damaged it so badly that it’s been deemed unsafe. It’s also uninsured.

“They don’t want to insure the houses because of them being so old. All of the repairs on the houses that you have to do,” she said.

Brown-Livingston said she couldn’t afford to make the repairs required by her insurance company to continue her coverage. So she took a chance by not having her house insured.

“But who would have thought years later we would have a tornado?” she said.

The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance released statistics this week showing a significant percentage of renters and homeowners in the tornado impact zone are uninsured. In the 63115 zip code, according to the agency, 90% of renters are uninsured and up to 67% of homeowners are uninsured.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking for us, as insurance professionals, to see that high rate of uninsured population,” said department director Angela Nelson.

A federal disaster declaration, which would unlock federal financial help through FEMA, has yet to be decided. But Missouri U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt said that’s where help for the uninsured will come from.

“And then as far as unlocking any FEMA help, that is what the individual claims will be all about,” he said.

Ward 12 Alderwoman Sharon Tyus said safety is the immediate top priority for storm victims living in houses that have been damaged and declared safe. She also said she plans to see if ARPA funds that have been committed but are unspent could be redirected to help uninsured homeowners get back on their feet.

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