St Louis airport closed due to tornado

[Saruman]

A tornado took out enough of the airport in Saint Louis, Mo. last night.(3/22) that it is now closed and may be so until mid week. Anyone who is flying to or through STL will have some major problems for the next few days. (Yes, we Midwesterners cruise, too!! It just takes us a while to find a coast!!)

Fortunately, no fatalities or serious injuries were reported, but at least one AA aircraft had a chunk of sheet metal tear through the tail wing!

[Saruman]

Video coverage is being shown on TV from cell phones etc. of the moments BEFORE someone started yelling to get away from the big windows at the gates and moments BEFORE those windows blew in....dozens of curious travelers standing at the windows watching the storm. Probably won't do that anytime soon. Amazing no serious casualties.

[Ferndale Girl]

We lived in St. Louis for seven years so I was very interested in this. So glad that there were few injuries but sure was alot of damage at the airport and in that area. I imagine they'll be working on the airport non-stop though to get it up and running as soon as possible.

[Saruman]

They have been working like army ants all night! The PR person for the airport is saying "parts" of the airport "may" be open tomorrow, but I wouldn't put money on it. I hope for sake of the travelers, they are right, not just overly optimistic.

[Cuizer2]

A tornado took out enough of the airport in Saint Louis, Mo. last night.(3/22) that it is now closed and may be so until mid week.

 

Well, if it happened last night then most likely it was 4/22 (not 3/22).

 

This will be a major problem for people booked on TWA.

[StLouisCruisers]

You must mean American, there is no TWA anymore!:( Since American took over, they cut more than half the flights out of St. Louis, so our airport has really been hurting.

[Saruman]

Well, if it happened last night then most likely it was 4/22 (not 3/22).

 

This will be a major problem for people booked on TWA.

 

My mistake. I meant 4/22. Sorry.

 

But Carl Icahn killed TWA years ago, and AA has never really filled its shoes. STL is a second class airport now. If it weren't for SWA, we'd be a ghost town! Still, folks DO cruise out of STL and it's a major airport for half of MO and half of IL.... Someone somewhere may have found this news useful.

[AAAAmerican]

So very glad no fatalities at and near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport which again may open on Easter Sunday now.

 

Say a prayer for them on Easter now.

 

Missouri's Gov. Jay Nixon did declare a State of Emergency there.

 

 

“Initial reports indicate that these storms have resulted in injuries and significant widespread damage in several communities, especially in the St. Louis metropolitan area,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.

 

 

 

In 2009 Lambert’s passenger boardings fell about 10% from the prior year, ranking it as No. 31 among commercial service U.S. airports, according to the (FAA) Federal Aviation Administration

 

 

 

 

[Cuizer2]

You must mean American, there is no TWA anymore!:( Since American took over, they cut more than half the flights out of St. Louis, so our airport has really been hurting.

 

I know TWA does not exist any more. However, TWA used St. Louis as its hub and American does not, so I really did mean TWA.

[scottbee]

Weather reports in and around the tornado striking. To decode, there are METAR decoders on the net, but the one I highlighted in red is the scary one

KSTL 230213Z 21007KT 10SM BKN050 BKN120 OVC250 19/17 A2967

KSTL 230151Z 27006KT 10SM -TSRA FEW020 BKN045CB BKN120 OVC250 20/17 A2965 RMK TORNADO B10E18 MOV E FRQ LTGICCG NE-SE TS NE-SE MOV E SLPNO

KSTL 230124Z 33007G35KT 280V020 1SM R30R/1600VP6000FT +FC -TSRA BR BKN020 OVC040CB 19/17 RMK TORNADO B10 W MOV E AO2 PK WND 29042/0112 WSHFT 0104 CONS LTGICCGCC ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV E P0040 $

KSTL 230121Z 34011G45KT 6SM TSRA BR FEW020 BKN045CB OVC100 19/17 A2967 RMK TORNADOE18 CONS LTGICCGCC N-SW TS N-SW MOV E

KSTL 230112Z 29029G42KT 1SM R30R/2800VP6000FT +FC -TSRA BKN020 OVC040CB 22/19 RMK TORNADO B10 W MOV E AO2 PK WND 29042/0112 CONS LTGICCGCC ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV E P0001

KSTL 230111Z 29022G34KT 240V310 3SM +FC -TSRA FEW020 BKN050CB OVC090 22/19 RMK TORNADO B10 W MOV E AO2 PK WND 29034/0111 CONS LTGICCGCC ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV E P0001

KSTL 230051Z 14008KT 7SM -TSRA FEW025 BKN045CB OVC080 22/19 A2964 RMK AO2 TSB2358 SLP030 CONS LTGICCGCC SW-NE TS SW-NE MOV E P0007 T02220194

KSTL 230028Z 15012G21KT 5SM -TSRA FEW015 BKN050CB OVC110 23/19 A2963 RMK AO2 TSB2358 FRQ LTGICCG ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV NE P0007

KSTL 230024Z 16016G21KT 2SM -TSRA FEW015 BKN050CB OVC110 23/19 A2963 RMK AO2 TSB2358 FRQ LTGICCG ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV NE P0001

KSTL 230021Z 16014G19KT 3SM -TSRA FEW028 BKN055CB OVC110 23/19 A2964 RMK AO2 TSB2358 FRQ LTGICCG ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV NE P0000

KSTL 222358Z 17009G17KT 8SM -TSRA FEW027 BKN050CB BKN100 OVC250 23/19 A2965 RMK AO2 TSB58 OCNL LTGIC W-NW TS W-NW MOV NE P0000

KSTL 222351Z 17010KT 8SM -RA FEW025 BKN055 BKN090 OVC250 24/19 A2965 RMK AO2 RAB49 SLP035 CB DSNT W MOV NE P0000 60000 T02390189 10250 20178 55008

KSTL 222251Z 17011G20KT 9SM FEW024 SCT041 SCT090 BKN250 24/19 A2964 RMK AO2 SLP032 T02440189

KSTL 222151Z 16013G19KT 10SM FEW023 SCT080 SCT150 SCT250 24/18 A2965 RMK AO2 SLP037 T02440183

[Saruman]

Easter Sunday Morning...a few flights leaving STL, none coming in yet. They hope to have more today, but travel will probably be difficult for a while. Good luck to those still trying to get home or out to a port.