The aftermath of a tornado looks nothing like what you see on television. Standing amid the destruction in St. Louis, surrounded by thick stone walls—12 to 18 inches deep—that had been torn apart like paper, our team witnessed devastation that left us speechless. Buildings we thought were indestructible had been reduced to rubble, creating a damage path so wide and long it resembled something from a war zone.
But in the midst of this destruction, something remarkable happened. As cars pulled up with bottled water and supplies, people naturally formed human conveyor belts. Neighbors helping neighbors! The usual barriers that divide communities dissolved as desperation brought out the best in humanity, creating an unexpected cultural melting pot where any other concerns took a backseat to helping those in need.
Beyond the Immediate Crisis
While the initial response focused on search and rescue, a different kind of challenge emerged as the dust began to settle. City inspectors started flagging homes as uninhabitable, giving residents limited time to salvage their belongings before properties became inaccessible. In areas like West Florissant and Fair Avenue, we encountered people who couldn’t even walk a few blocks to reach supply distribution centers, let alone figure out how to preserve their lifetime of possessions.
This is where All-Star Moving’s unique skill set becomes invaluable during disaster recovery. What many don’t realize is that All-Star Moving offers more than just transportation—we provide the muscle, expertise, and resources that families desperately need when their world has been turned upside down.
The Moving Solution During Recovery
When homes are damaged but not destroyed, families face a race against time. They need to quickly remove salvageable items before further damage occurs from weather exposure or structural deterioration. This is where professional moving services become essential, offering several critical advantages:
Immediate Access to Supplies: Moving companies such as All-Star Moving maintain large inventories of boxes and packing materials, with established supplier relationships that ensure availability even during high-demand disaster situations. When families are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, having boxes delivered on-site eliminates one major hurdle.
Professional Handling: Trained moving crews know how to quickly and safely pack valuable items, from fragile family heirlooms to important documents. Their experience in efficient packing and loading maximizes what can be saved while minimizing damage during the rushed evacuation process.
Storage Coordination: While families arrange their own storage units—including climate-controlled options for sensitive items—our professionals handle the heavy lifting. This partnership approach allows homeowners to focus on insurance claims and temporary housing while experts manage the physical relocation of their belongings.
Logistical Expertise: Moving trucks and equipment can often navigate disaster zones more effectively than personal vehicles, reaching areas where families might struggle to transport their possessions safely.
The Human Element
What struck our team most wasn’t just the physical destruction, but the human resilience we witnessed. At distribution centers like the Urban League and Action St. Louis, we saw two lines—one for dropping off donations, another for picking up supplies. Volunteers filled in wherever bodies and hands were needed, creating an organic support system.
All-Star Moving’s role in this recovery extends beyond business transactions. In neighborhoods from Skinker to Pershing, from Union to Waterman Boulevard, and Richmond Heights to Clayton, professional movers become temporary neighbors, working alongside families during some of their most vulnerable moments.
Here’s what Mathew Heldenbrand, owner of All-Star Moving, had to say about the many days spent in the disaster zones:
“I spent a lot of time working with those two guys. It was fun and very inspiring to hear how they dedicated their waking hours (and lack of sleeping hours) to directly helping individual families and residents who needed it MOST. I may or may not have negotiated/been a part of redirecting certain goods and supplies to ensure that they got into the deepest parts of the neighborhoods and into the hands of elderly who simply couldn’t leave their homes. I would call these two guys multiple times a day to see where my trucks and I were needed most. The leaders of charitable agencies were dealing with higher level issues to communicate effectively, so I often stepped in to help smooth the comms and streamline deliveries of large quantities.
I “made it happen” with the help of the volunteers closer to the middle and bottom of the hierarchy.”
The gentleman in the middle, Sequoi, was featured on a few local news channels repeatedly and even some podcasts about his pop-up donation site at West Florissant & Fair Ave. For over a week he neglected the damage to his own home to focus solely on his neighbors’ needs.
Planning for the Long Term
Disaster recovery isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon that can last weeks or months. Many families don’t realize that relocation and storage costs in these situations are often covered by insurance policies, with clients typically receiving reimbursement for professional moving services. This coverage removes financial barriers and allows families to make decisions based on what’s best for preserving their belongings rather than what they can afford at the moment.
Some are calling this St. Louis’s Katrina—a comparison that speaks to both the scale of destruction and the community response required. As we’ve learned from previous disasters, the companies that step up during crisis moments don’t just provide services; they become part of the community’s healing process.
When disaster strikes, professional movers offer more than boxes and trucks. We provide hope—the promise that even when everything seems lost, there are still ways to save what matters most and begin rebuilding from a foundation of preserved memories and salvaged dreams. Together, we can relocate safely, or help rebuild, and your house can become your home again.
