Sunset Hills Mayor Reaches Out to Devastated Cities

Just hours after tornado winds devastated cities surrounding Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Sunset Hills Mayor Bill Nolan was on the phone and sending emails to mayors of those cities coping with disaster.

"Ferguson, Bridgeton, Berkeley, Maryland Heights—they have the real problems," Nolan said early Saturday. "But three hours into sunlight it's pretty hard to know where you are with this."

Nolan was standing in their shoes, so to speak, just after noon on New Year's Eve when an EF3 twister touched down in Sunset Hills—just feet from its City Hall complex, destroying homes and city recreation facilities, and uprooting and snapping some 300 mature trees in Watson Trail Park.

Nolan said he looked at the Good Friday tornado damage on television broadcasts until about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, and then put in phone calls, left messages, and sent emails to those cities' mayors.

"Tell us what you need and we'll send trucks and people," Nolan said he communicated to them. Nolan said he was alerting Sunset Hills Public Works staff about potential mobilization.

Nolan said he just had lunch a day earlier with Ferguson's newly-elected Mayor Jim Knowles. Nolan offered Knowles the city's help. 

"Now, I'm trying to pay it forward," Nolan said.

Nolan said he also reached out to Bridgeton Mayor Conrad Bowers. Bridgeton canceled its Easter Egg Hunt, Spring give-away events for Saturday and closed the community center.

Nolan said phone systems seemed to be down with Berkeley City Hall, 6140 N. Hanley. Kyra Watson is listed as the mayor, on the city website.

Maryland Heights has also canceled Easter Egg hunt activities at the Community Centre on McKelvey. The American Red Cross has set up a shelter at the Center for victims of the tornado. Maryland Heights Mayor Mike Moeller was next on Nolan's list to contact.

Many were without power by Saturday 10 a.m. including Lambert Airport. The airport is closed indefinitely but officials said they were aiming for partial service by Sunday. Windows were shattered, a roof ripped off and five people taken to hospital for treatment.

Buses and Metro were running on erratic schedules, but were running, officials said Saturday at 10 a.m.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency late Friday night so that all resources were available to victims of the tornado and storms.