Overview
- Slow-moving thunderstorms on Friday dumped roughly 6 to 12+ inches of rain in parts of Iron and Reynolds counties, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Flash Flood Emergency, the highest alert reserved for catastrophic, life‑threatening flooding.
- Rescue teams carried out dozens to hundreds of water rescues, including National Guard Black Hawk helicopters that airlifted about 200 people from Camp Taum Sauk and crews who pulled roughly 20 people from floodwaters after a building collapsed at Bearcat Getaway campground.
- Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a State of Emergency and activated the State Emergency Operations Plan to coordinate search‑and‑rescue, sheltering and family‑reunification efforts across the affected counties.
- Floodwaters washed out and closed multiple state routes, at least two rescue boats capsized with crews recovered, and counts of missing or unaccounted‑for people remained fluid as search teams continued operations and damage assessments began.
- Weather agencies have placed a broad multi‑state corridor under Flood Watches and an excessive‑rainfall risk, meaning additional heavy storms through the weekend could worsen local damage and may lead to larger federal assistance requests after surveys are completed.