Emergency crews in southeastern Missouri launched multiple water rescues Friday morning after heavy thunderstorms dumped up to nine inches of rain, trapping campers in trees and forcing authorities to request state mutual aid.
The National Weather Service issued a catastrophic flash flood emergency for southern and northwest Iron County, as well as northeast Reynolds County, effective until 12:15 p.m. CDT.
Local law enforcement reported that between 5 and 9 inches of rain had already fallen, with an additional 1 to 3 inches expected to fall at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Weather officials ordered anyone in the high-risk zones to move to higher ground immediately.
The extreme weather left several popular outdoor recreation areas inundated, including Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, First Alert 4 reported.
According to dispatchers at Central County 911, emergency calls included reports of stranded campers who climbed into trees to escape rising waters. To assist with the widespread emergencies at area campgrounds, officials in both counties requested state mutual aid.
Several main roads across the region were completely underwater, with flooding reaching depths of four to five feet. Closed routes include Missouri Route 21 in Hogan and Highway K at the Big Creek Bridge near Annapolis.
Chief Deputy Jordan Otwell of the Iron County Sheriff’s Office told First Alert 4 that deputies were answering a high volume of rescue calls throughout the morning.
For residents displaced by the rising water, the Lesterville R-IV School District announced on social media that it had opened its school building as a temporary emergency shelter.
The flash flooding covers several communities, including Viburnum, Annapolis, Glover, Oates, Bixby, Lesterville, Black, Hogan, Chloride and Sabula.
