News | May 2026

To address post-tornado concerns, WashU teams with community groups to study environmental impacts

As the city of St. Louis nears a year since a tornado changed the lives of many, a local university and community organizations are working to understand some of the environmental impacts of the twister.

Washington University researchers are studying soil samples from neighborhoods in St. Louis’ tornado-impacted areas, searching for lead contamination that may have spread when the May 16 tornado dispersed building materials across yards and soil.