IRON COUNTY, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Heavy rain overnight caused flash flooding south of St. Louis.
Friday morning, First Alert 4 received reports of flooding in Iron, Reynolds and Crawford counties. Specialized swift water rescue teams from the St. Louis region were deployed to assist those counties.
Central County 911 reported campers stuck in trees and unable to get down.
Around 11:30 a.m., Reynolds County Sheriff Caleb McCoy told First Alert 4 that they had rescued around 50 people. He also shared that five people camping at Bearcat Getaway were missing.
McCoy also said that they had four rescue boats “go down” in the morning. Two were popped, and two had mechanical issues. He also said one overturned and three rescuers went in the water but were later rescued.
Chief Deputy Jordan Otwell with the Iron County Sheriff’s Office also told First Alert 4 that there have been quite a few rescue calls in the area.
Multiple road closures are also in effect, with reports of water four to five feet deep. Closed roads include Missouri Route 21 in Hogan, K Highway at County Road in the Annapolis area and more.
In Annapolis, Missouri, flooding made Highway K and the Big Creek Bridge impassable.
The Lesterville R-IV School District posted on social media that the school is open for anyone who needs a safe place to go.
During the early morning hours on Friday, the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for northwest Iron County, southern Iron County, and northeast Reynolds County.
The NWS ordered anyone in the area to seek higher ground immediately and warned that the situation was dangerous. Areas impacted by flash flooding included Viburnum, Annapolis, Glover, Oates, Bixby, Lesterville, Black, Hogan, Chloride, and Sabula. The area also includes Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and Taum Sauk Mountain State Park.
The NWS said law enforcement reported thunderstorms producing between 5 and 9 inches of rain. The expected rainfall rate was 1 to 2 inches per hour, with an additional 1 to 3 inches possible in the area.
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This is a developing story; First Alert 4 will provide updates as they come in.
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