Flash flooding caused by record-breaking rainfall wreaked havoc in the St. Louis area Tuesday, flooding homes, trapping dozens of people and killing at least one person.
The National Weather Service (NWS) St. Louis reported 7.02 inches of rainfall in a five-hour period early Tuesday, breaking the over 100-year-old rainfall record of 6.85 inches from August 1915. Rainfall totals later topped 1 foot. The NWS quickly issued a flash-flood emergency warning of a “life-threatening situation,” its most severe and urgent alert, the Weather Channel reported.
Rescuers evacuated residents from affected areas, completing rescues for over 100 people throughout the afternoon, according to The Weather Channel. Many vehicles were stranded and submerged on Interstate 70, forcing the shutdown of parts of the interstate, the outlet noted.
Parts of St. Louis are dealing with incredible flash flooding this morning as a slow moving storm system produced 6-9 inches of rain overnight causing neighborhoods to turn into rivers and lakes. This is what it looked outside Bianca Gonzales house in Saint Peters Missouri. pic.twitter.com/jMqfanHNfi
— Eric Zernich (@EricZernich) July 26, 2022
First responders recovered the body of an individual found trapped in a submerged car Tuesday afternoon, according to the Weather Channel. The car was reportedly found in over 8.5 feet of water, reaching over the roof of the vehicle. The body has not yet been identified. (RELATED: Massive Earthquake Hits Asian Nation)
Rescuers responded to about 18 homes in St. Louis’ Ellendale neighborhood, where six people and six dogs were rescued by boat, the city fire department announced in a tweet. A local dog shelter, Stray Paws Adoptables, also flooded, leaving 10 puppies dead before rescue teams were able to reach them, according to Fox 2 Now.
Thank you to our first responders who are working tirelessly to protect our residents. Here are photos from a water rescue in Hazelwood. pic.twitter.com/tCAofqzLGc
— County Executive Sam Page (@DrSamPage) July 26, 2022
Following St. Louis County declaring a local state of emergency Tuesday afternoon, Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson declared one for the entire state of Missouri as well.
Our Administration will work to assist affected Missourians and provide ongoing relief and support during this emergency.
We urge Missourians to follow the direction of local authorities and emergency managers, never drive in floodwaters, and always use common sense. https://t.co/cNHHZOpd7D
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) July 26, 2022
“We’re having some partial roof collapse. Some of the vacant buildings are also suffering from the stress of this water,” St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said, according to CNN. “There was a significant area over around … McCausland and Southwest where we had right around 14 to 15 homes that suffered significant flooding.”
Thousands of power outages have been reported in St. Louis County and neighboring areas, CNN reported.
