Hundreds of people, among them young campers, were rescued across Missouri on Friday after flash flooding from an extraordinary, once-in-1,000-years rainfall sent rivers surging into dangerous torrents.
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms drenched southeastern Missouri with 6 to 12 inches of rain, a volume officials characterized as a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event.
The historic overnight storm led Gov. Mike Kehoe to issue a state of emergency and mobilize one of Missouri’s largest search-and-rescue operations.
The Black River and nearby waterways in southeast Missouri quickly spilled over under the intense rainfall, putting numerous residents and summer visitors in jeopardy.
Kehoe said emergency crews carried out more than 200 water rescues throughout the affected area.
People were left trapped in floodwaters, clinging to trees and rooftops, and stranded inside vehicles.
About 200 campers who became trapped at Camp Taum Stauk in hard-hit Reynolds County were quickly evacuated Friday afternoon, with National Guard helicopters airlifting them to safety, according to State Highway Patrol Sergeant Eddie Young.
Young said roughly half of those rescued from the summer youth camp, located about 100 miles south of St. Louis, were children, while the others were counselors and staff members.
Elsewhere in Reynolds County, around 20 people were swept away after a building at the Bearcat Gateway Campground collapsed from the weight of the stranded campers who had climbed on top of the roof to escape from the raging flood waters, Young said.
Another three people were rescued from trees along the Black River in Reynolds County.
There were 20 to 30 people reported missing throughout the battered Reynolds County, including the campers swept away from Bearcat Gateway Campground, but by Friday evening, all were either rescued or turned up safe.
So far there have been no fatalities or serious injuries reported.
But one woman in Crawford County, located 71 miles southwest of St. Louis, remains missing after the house she was in was swept away from its foundation by the floodwaters.
“Missouri’s first responders once again answered the call with extraordinary bravery, professionalism, and compassion, rescuing hundreds of Missourians from dangerous floodwaters,” Kehoe said.
“As recovery efforts continue and additional rain is expected, I urge everyone in flood-prone and low-lying areas to stay weather-aware, have multiple ways of receiving alerts, and be ready to take protective action.”
Eight states have posted flood watches for over 21 million people from Missouri to Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service.
Additional showers were expected on Friday night across the rain-saturated region, though the weather service warned that “considerable flood impacts will be likely” if southeastern Missouri experiences further heavy rain overnight into Saturday morning.
With Post wires
