ST. LOUIS – Nearly two weeks after an EF-3 tornado tore through St. Louis, a preliminary estimate suggests that many damaged homes and buildings may not have had insurance coverage.

City officials initially reported around 5,000 homes and properties sustained damaged from the May 16 tornado, which primarily hit hard in westside and northside neighborhoods of St. Louis.

Last week, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) released a preliminary estimate on uninsured properties based on industry-reported insurance policy data. While an exact count was not available, the figures offer some insight into the widespread damage and possible insurance gaps.

According to the DCI, the most heavily uninsured areas in the tornado’s path included three zip codes in northern parts of the City of St. Louis:

  • 63107
  • 63113
  • 63115

DCI data determined around 90% of renters in these zip codes could be uninsured, while around 67% of homeowners could be uninsured.

Furthermore, DCI noted there were some largely-uninsured areas in more densely populated zip codes:

  • 63147 (North Riverfront neighborhood)
  • 63108 (Central West End)
  • 63112 (DeBaliviere Place)

DCI data determined around 63% of renters in these zip codes could be uninsured, while around 49% of homeowners could be uninsured.

Other tornado-impacted zip codes included:

  • 63110 (Parts of Forest Park, Shaw, The Hill, and Central West End)
  • 63105 (Clayton)
  • 63117 (Richmond Heights)

DCI data determined fewer than 10% of renters in these zip codes could be uninsured, while around 19% of homeowners could be uninsured.

DCI says the estimates are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey and its own 2024 zip-code data collection report.

Homeowners with uninsured homes damaged by the tornado may need to rely on federal aid, specifically through FEMA, for financial assistance in the recovery process. The state of Missouri has submitted requests for both emergency and federal disaster declarations, which, if granted, could open the door to assistance programs for the affected residents.

A Missouri state statute may provide some protections for both insured and uninsured renters impacted by the tornado. If a rental property is deemed uninhabitable due to tornado damage, tenants may not be required to pay rent moving forward.