New Video Shows Tornado Chaos at St. Louis Airport

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lambert Airport is expected to reopen Sunday, two days after a strong tornado caused significant damage at the St. Louis airport.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says the airport could be operating at 70 percent capacity starting Sunday but will reopen only if power is restored. An Ameren Missouri spokesman says power should be restored later Saturday.

The airport director says one American Airlines 757 jet sustained significant damage, and four other American planes had minor damage. Five or six flights had to be diverted away from St. Louis when the storm hit.

Officials aren’t sure how many travelers are stranded.

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley says hundreds of homes in nine communities were damaged. Ameren says power could be out for several days.

Comments (42)

  • CloudNine
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 10:56pm

    That’s it, are u f’n kidding me?

    Report Post » CloudNine  
  • ramburner
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 7:37pm

    We can safely get our weather report from MSNBC. Could have been MUCH worse. Think of the planes and perhaps passengers in them that stand near the buildings. God’s got my attention. Does He have yours? Happy Easter.

    Report Post »  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 6:50pm

    We have been trained well in this area on safety during tornadoes. Thank God no one was killed. There has been a lot of damage, though, both to Missouri & Southern Illinois. Sometimes we only have a few minutes warning. Must be prepared.

    Report Post »  
  • mikenleeds
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 5:48pm

    what s the big deal , it s just one little small tornado… we had 240 tornadoes and 59 people killed last Monday all though the south and it did nt even make the big news ….

    mikenleeds  
    • daughterofscotland
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 6:11pm

      This was an EF 4 tornado which IS a BIG DEAL! The devastation here is unbelievable….We are part of Tornado Alley and have never had this much destruction before. Your comments are a slap in the face to my neighbors who have lost everything. God was merciful in that we had no deaths and no serious injuries and we are pulling together as a community. Your tornadoes DID make the news and I am sure many St. Louisans sent financial help to your area. What a mean-spirited thing to say. You should be ashamed!

      Report Post »  
    • effvar
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 7:00pm

      I credit the local news…they were on top of this big time….thank you channels 2 4 5 and 11!!

      Report Post »  
    • psycodad36
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 7:59pm

      i saw and read about it and i don’t watch tv.so ,you are mistaken as to whether or not people are informed.

      Report Post »  
  • nosycophant
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 4:24pm

    I was sleeping.

    Report Post »  
  • freedom4ever
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 3:39pm

    it took a flight attendant to tell them to leave! see you need to listen to them when they explain safety on jets!! lol

    Report Post »  
  • pattybbb1
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:56pm

    food for thought: google ‘haarp rings st. louis’

    Report Post »  
  • J.C. McGlynn
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:40pm

    Oh goodness. I didn’t think I f@rted that hard!

    Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
  • Showtime
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:15pm

    And all air traffic into St. Louis has been cancelled. Flights from Atlanta to St. Louis will land elsewhere.

    Report Post » Showtime  
  • and to the republic
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:10pm

    because it means they get their face on TV. FOX had the news conference live and I turned it the second the local yocals came on….

     
  • teddrunk
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:40pm

    It didn’t destroy McDonalds…did it?

    Report Post »  
    • Showtime
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:17pm

      I doubt it. That‘s the eLeftists’ gym these days, where they get their exercise.

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • chirodoc007
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 4:19pm

      Mickey D’s also seems like the best place to hang out with your video camera or Smart phone to tape gang fights that you can them post to YouTube.

      Today anyone can be famous for being a Thug.

      Report Post »  
  • Showtime
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:39pm

    Years ago, back in the late 1970s or early 1980s, there was a tornado in downtown Atlanta. I worked in the Twin Towers, which was the “Sloppy” Floyd Building, at the time. We had heard about a tornado damaging one of the state’s buildings some distance away. We had huge walls of windows, and I went to one facing the opposite tower. I was on the 17th floor.

    There was what looked like a simple thunderstorm outside, and then a dark area appeared — the side of it was vertical, and it passed between the two towers and went on above the Capitol across the street. The Capitol has two main floors and a basement, but there is a third floor where there are no offices. I’ve never been up there. The reason I know about it is that I’ve worked in the building.

    The next day I was talking with a friend who worked in the Capitol Building. She asked me if I had seen THE TORNADO that passed between the two towers! “Is that what that was?!” She said she could see that it was a tornado from her vantage point. All I could say was, “DAMN! — And I was standing at the window!” I should have been in the stairwell, where I had been advised to go.

    Report Post » Showtime  
  • Banana Republic Capitalist
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:20pm

    Yikes — I had to watch this video via a clip from MessNBC? Sanitizing my computer in three, two, one…

    Report Post » Banana Republic Capitalist  
  • voodoolife
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:18pm

    Need to stop with the MSNBC links…

    Report Post » voodoolife  
  • Its Gonna Getcha
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:08pm

    Good news, no deaths.

    Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 6:14pm

      Many years ago I was in a very severe tornado and it took me years of therapy to get over the PTSD that I developed. It was a horrible experience and I hate springtime. This year looks to be a really bad spring developing. http://wp.me/pYLB7-V0

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
    • Its Gonna Getcha
      Posted on April 24, 2011 at 6:15pm

      @walkwithme1966 – Sorry to hear about your Post-Traumatic symptoms. Count me in as having been through a tornado as well with a near miss to my head from a huge tree. What everyone says about the train sound is true. And the air gets lighter and you almost feel like you are floating. It just reminded me of Wizard of Oz when it was happening. That’s all I could think of! Even that dead silence when it suddenly stops.

      Make a list of what‘s the worse that can happen when you’re having an episode. Remember that our emotions are there to get our attention. And remember God’s plan is biggger and greater than we even imagine. Helps a lot!

      Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
  • chirodoc007
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:00pm

    Does my heart good … No stampedes, everyone seemed to be looking out for everyone else.

    Good Job St. Louis!

    Report Post »  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 4:36pm

      Thank God the staff member knew where to direct everyone. There was also a Home Depot where the employees told everyone to head to a particular portion of the building, which everyone did, and thankfully, in that case, there were no fatalities.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
  • psycodad36
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:00pm

    wow guess they didn’t see it coming on radar

    Report Post »  
    • Showtime
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:20pm

      I would hate to have been one of the air traffic controllers then. How can you hold your water (or anything else!) when you’re up in that tower and see a tornado coming at you?

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • chirodoc007
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:26pm

      @ Showtime

      Are you assuming that they woke from their naps?

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:29pm

      From what I understand most tornados or the stormcells forming them are best detected on a doplar radar system that picks up the actual movement of the twisters motion; if this beast dropped down right next to or even on top of the airport, then it is understandable why no warning would have been possible for those inside the airport.

      I have not heard if anyone got hurt there at the airport or around the area from other tornado activity, I pray no one did and for the Almighty to aid and comfort those who lost their homes in the days ahead for a quick recovery, and security of mind.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Suavern
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:30pm

      Unfortunately, nothing was being reported in the airport via the PA, even though there was a known Tornado Warning for the area at least 30 minutes before the storm hit. Apparently, sirens were going off outside, but you could not hear them inside the airport. This could’ve been a lot worse than it was.

      Report Post »  
    • psycodad36
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 1:45pm

      @ snow your always so helpfull,i was making an attempt at humor,(epic failure),as in they may have been asleep or not know what the swirly blips on the screen meant.

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:17pm

      @PsychoDad

      Sorry here too, failed to understand it was humor; most of my own jokes fail in epic proportions when I attempt them. I tend to take things too literal a lot of the time. One post mentioned that for 30 minutes the warning sirens were going off and no one mentioned it inside the terminal via the PA system. Suprising indeed, you would think those systems would be hardwired to trigger on the inside of the airport as well.

      God I hope no one got hurt.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • rcw_68
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:42pm

      I’ll bet no one sleeping this time….

      Report Post »  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:54pm

      I don’t think the controllers could afford to fall asleep. St.Louis is the main hub for MAC filghts (military airlift command).
      I am still waiting for eco-terrists to say it was Glenn Beck, the tea party, me passing gas, someone making barbecue ribs or distilling moonshine.

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
    • jmbogstad
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 3:03pm

      What a tragedy. Follow this link to see a Rednek tornado of fun:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhDPHb2RXI4

      Report Post »  
    • 28_ID
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 4:12pm

      Yeah, I guess the guys looking at the Doppler radar were copping some ZZZs.

      Report Post »  
    • effvar
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 5:26pm

      Actually, someone in the tower spotted it coming, and relayed it to the local news.

      Report Post »  
    • effvar
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 5:41pm

      …and I’m sure the concourse..

      Report Post »  
    • Professional Infidel
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 6:31pm

      ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Hummmmmmm????

      Report Post »  
    • Cemoto78
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 6:37pm

      Now TSA has to screen for tornados too?

      Report Post » Cemoto78  
    • Hisemiester
      Posted on April 24, 2011 at 10:51am

      The controller was, How’d you guess? Asleep. Or maybe watching a movie.

      Report Post »  

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