Woman dies in tornado while holding hands with her husband
ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) - A woman in St. Louis was killed during last week’s tornado outbreak while holding hands with her husband as they hid in their basement.
Rena Scott-Lyles, 60, along with her husband Alan Lyles, were highly regarded in their neighborhood. They had lived at the same house for 25 years, were both neighborhood block captains and were well-known for helping others in the community.
“And they both used to walk around and assist people if it was needed,” Scott-Lyles’s sister, Earleana Scott, said.
The two were home at the time the tornado hit and were trying to take shelter in the basement.
“They were holding hands, and all of a sudden, the wind came. Very strong,” Scott said
Family said the wind pulled the couple apart and caused the house to collapse on top of them.
People nearby heard Lyles calling for help and were able to rescue him, but Scott-Lyles didn‘t survive.
“I’m just going to truly miss my sister,” Scott said.
Although authorities have not officially released the names of the five people killed in the storm, Scott-Lyles is the 4th victim to be identified by relatives.
The others include 70-year-old great-grandmother Delois Holmes, 48-year-old food truck owner Juan Baltazar and Patricia Penelton, who died when the roof of Centennial Christian Church collapsed during the storm.
Copyright 2025 KMOV via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
