ST. LOUIS - Residents of North St. Louis gathered at St. Luke Memorial Church to voice their frustrations over delayed and denied insurance claims, 100 days after an EF-3 tornado devastated the area.

The community meeting saw hundreds of residents demanding answers from insurance companies, which they accuse of dragging their feet in processing claims for damages caused by the tornado. Issues such as mold and improperly repaired roofs have left many feeling abandoned.

“We have to spend ten to fifteen percent of money to go and get another adjuster to come in and get us money that our policy adjuster should be giving us," said tornado victim Gwendolyn Cox.

Angela Nelson, Missouri’s Insurance Director, attended the meeting and assured residents that her office is taking action, noting that the department has recovered $23 million for Missouri residents this year.

“We do regulate the insurance here in the state of Missouri! And if folks are having issues… we can investigate those claims. And all of the services we provide are free of charge," Nelson said.

The NAACP highlighted a deeper issue, pointing to historical redlining practices that have long affected North St. Louis neighborhoods. This history, they argue, is linked to the current challenges residents face with insurance denials.

“It’s just a matter of corporate greed! Corporate insurers… their intent is to take in as much premiums as they can and pay out as little money as they can," said NAACP St. Louis president Adolphus Pruitt.

Residents like Cox expressed their frustration, sharing that it took 40 days just to have her home inspected.

“We can’t get the equity out of our homes. We can’t pass that wealth down to our children because of the redlining… it’s still happening today," Cox said.

Community leaders are adamant that if insurers do not serve North St. Louis fairly, they should not be allowed to operate in Missouri. Residents left the meeting with promises of action but will watch closely.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.