Here are key events since a tornado killed 6 workers at an Amazon warehouse
Dec. 10, 2021: An EF-3 tornado with winds up to 150 mph hits an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville and six workers are killed when the roof and walls collapse. Clayton Lynn Cope, 29, of Alton; Kevin D. Dickey, 62, of Carlyle; Etheria S. Hebb, 34, of St. Louis; Austin J. McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville; DeAndre Morrow, 28, of St. Louis; and Larry E. Virden, 46, of Collinsville, perished in the tornado.
Jan. 18: Lawyers for Alice and Randy McEwen file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Amazon in Madison County court on behalf of their son, Austin J. McEwen. This lawsuit is pending.
Jan. 27: Amazon workers and family members of victims hold a rally near the damaged Amazon building. They call for lawmakers to require warehouses to have an emergency shelter or basement to protect workers during tornadoes.
Feb. 14: In a hearing on warehouse safety, experts tell state lawmakers that requiring storm shelters is the best way to protect warehouse workers from deadly tornadoes.
March 31: The House approves the Warehouse Safety Standards Task Force Act, which would require the task force to study warehouse safety standards. House Bill 1563, which is sponsored by Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, was sent to the Senate. The bill remains on the calendar, but the Senate has not voted.
April 19: Lawyers for Deon January file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Amazon in Madison County court on behalf of her son, DeAndre Morrow. This lawsuit is pending.
April 26: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it didn’t issue any fines or citations to Amazon because the company met “minimal federal safety guidelines for storm sheltering,” according to the agency. They recommended Amazon review its policies, but there was no enforcement mechanism to force the company to change.
Summer 2022: Reconstruction of the Amazon warehouse is underway. Plans call for the repaired section to be completed with the same “tilt up” wall construction that was used originally, according to a statement from the city of Edwardsville. The concrete tilt-up walls have been criticized by lawyers representing families of the deceased workers. As of Friday, Dec. 9, the reconstruction was not completed, according to Amazon, which leases the building.
