‘Overwhelmed’ 911 system led to delays in St. Louis storm response, official says

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Strong storms that tore through the St. Louis area last weekend “completely overwhelmed” the region’s 911 systems, a public official said in response to complaints about long delays in fielding sometimes dire calls for help. Officials on Wednesday expressed regret over the deaths of a woman in the city and a child in St. Louis County. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that they said they’re still investigating the responses. The storms that blew into the area Saturday knocked down hundreds of trees and power lines and left tens of thousands without power, some for days. In the instances in which falling trees killed a woman and 5-year-old boy, people said they tried over and over to get help.