Here are the names of people who died after tornado struck Edwardsville Amazon warehouse
Authorities on Sunday released the names of six people who died after a tornado struck an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville Friday night.
Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn identified the victims as:
- Austin J. McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville , IL
- DeAndre S. Morrow 28, of St. Louis, MO
- Clayton Lynn Cope, 29, of Alton, IL
- Etheria S. Hebb, 34, of St. Louis, MO
- Larry E. Virden, 46, of Collinsville, IL
- Kevin D. Dickey, 62, of Carlyle, Illinois
The tornado hit the large warehouse at Gateway Commerce Drive around 8:30 p.m. Friday, after the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the area.
About 150 yards of the warehouse collapsed, according to Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford, who’s leading the recovery effort for the city. Steel support pillars stand exposed after the walls and roof caved in.
The St. Louis office of the National Weather Service said it found “at least EF-3 damage” at the Amazon facility, noting its investigation was ongoing. EF-5 is the most severe rating for a tornado based on the damage it causes, according to the federal agency.
The St. Louis office later added that top wind speeds were estimated to be around 155 mph.
Kelly Nantel, director of national media relations for Amazon, said that shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, local Amazon managers heard sirens and told employees to ``shelter in place” at designated locations in the building. She said the tornado struck at 8:27 p.m.
``I think their quick action really helped save a lot of lives,” Nantel said.
Search and recovery efforts
At least 45 workers escaped the building after the tornado struck.
Whiteford said at a Saturday press conference that the first Edwardsville fire unit was on scene within six minutes of getting reports that people were trapped and injured.
“We started search and recovery immediately,” he said. “We had some police officers that helped pull people from the rubble along with some of the workers from Amazon that got the initial people out.”
He said the walls on both sides of the warehouse had collapsed inward and the roof caved in.
“Most of the weight of the building landed centrally into the building,” Whiteford said. “These walls are made out of 11-inch thick concrete, and they’re about 40 feet tall, so a lot of weight from that came down.”
Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback initially told reporters early Saturday that at least two people had died. Officials later announced the death toll was six.
On Sunday, local authorities and Amazon representatives continued working to account for everyone who had been inside the warehouse at the time the tornado hit. Nantel said the tornado struck at a time when local delivery trucks are coming and going at the warehouse.
“At this time, there are no additional reports of people missing,” a police department release said. “Search efforts continue, to ensure that there are no additional victims.”
Police are asking the public to report anyone missing by calling 618-656-2131.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker attended Saturday’s press conference in Edwardsville.
“Everyone assumes that they’ll be safe at work,” Pritzker said. “Families say goodbye in a routine fashion when their loved ones go off to their jobs. We don’t think that they’ll never come home. It’s devastating, and I cannot imagine the pain that you are feeling at this moment.
“... This is a difficult end to a difficult year.”
Amazon issued the following statement Saturday about the devastating tornado:
“We’re deeply saddened by the news that members of our Amazon family passed away as a result of the storm in Edwardsville, IL,” the company stated. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the storm. We also want to thank all the first responders for their ongoing efforts on scene. We’re continuing to provide support to our employees and partners in the area.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 11:15 AM.
