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On April 2, 2006, a wall of severe weather struck St. Louis, causing tornados to form in several areas. The near northside was hit very hard, and an eyewitness claims that a small tornado came down near the intersection of 14th Street and North Florissant Avenue to cause extensive wall failure to the Mullanphy Emigrant Home, one of only two remaining examples of Italianate institutional buildings left in St. Louis (the other being William Rumbold's 1869 City Sanitarium, now the State Hospital). According to the eyewitness, who lives across 14th Street from the building, the two chimneys on the south wall twisted before toppling over. Then, the wall fell down. Within an hour, police and firefighters arrived to close 14th Street and rope off the site. Without some urgent action, the building could be demolished and lost forever. There is some time gained due to the fact that the joists run parallel to the damaged wall, so some integrity of floors is maintained. However, wooden lateral beams terminate into the lost wall, and those below the second and third floors are now exposed. The beam under the third floor is already starting to bear down upon its posts and shows signs of sagging that could trigger roof collapse if temporary supports are not put into place very soon. Also hit on April 2 was the long-vacant Nord St. Louis Turnverein just north in Hyde Park.
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