Bell Introduces Bill Directing FEMA and NOAA to Modernize Disaster Warning on Anniversary of St. Louis Tornado

May 15, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C.— Today, Representative Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) introduced the Tornado Preparedness Act, a bill aimed at strengthening our nation’s ability to detect, forecast, and respond to tornadoes while improving community resilience in high-risk areas. The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to modernize forecasting and warning capabilities while improving coordination and planning with state and local emergency management agencies. The bill comes one year after the devastating May 16, 2025 tornado, which significantly impacted the St. Louis region, including North St. Louis. “One year after the worst natural disaster to hit our region since the late 1950s, families across St. Louis are still rebuilding and recovering from the devastation left behind by last year’s tornado,” said Rep. Bell . “Not only do we need to continue to support these communities and expedite federal funds, but we must learn from the failures exposed during the storms. We must ensure that every level of government has the most advanced technologies, warning systems, and emergency coordination capabilities in place to warn residents in advance before severe weather strikes.” The bill directs NOAA and FEMA to establish a national program to modernize tornado detection and warning capabilities. This includes investing in next-generation radar and sensor technologies, advancing forecasting models using artificial intelligence and machine learning, and expanding localized, impact-based warning systems integrated with state and local emergency management. The legislation also establishes a FEMA grant program to help communities build and retrofit storm shelters, modernize warning systems, deploy backup power capabilities, and expand public preparedness efforts. The bill aims to implement lessons learned from the May 2025 St. Louis tornado, which exposed serious concerns in local warning systems and emergency coordination. Rep. Bell has fought to hold FEMA accountable since the tornado last year, working to ensure that families get the assistance they need to recover. In October 2025, Rep. Bell introduced the FEMA Operations Continuity Act to ensure that FEMA can deliver disaster relief and recovery during a lapse in government funding. He also introduced the FEMA Accountability Act in February 2026 to require FEMA to publicly report each month how disaster relief funds are being spent. Rep. Bell is continuing to work on legislation to reform disaster relief to ensure that no American has barriers to getting the financial help they need when disaster strikes. Read the full bill text here .