Rescue operations began around 2:30 a.m. Friday after emergency calls reported numerous campers trapped by rising floodwaters across central and eastern Missouri. By the time daylight arrived, more than 90 water rescues had been conducted involving residents, campers, and motorists.
The most dramatic scene unfolded at Bearcat Getaway Campground, located near the Black River about 85 miles south of St. Louis. A group of campers had climbed to the roof of a building to escape rising water. The building collapsed beneath them, sending them into the flood. Sgt. Eddie Young of the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed at a press conference that about 20 people were rescued from the water. All were reported safe.
Initial reports from the Reynolds County Sheriff's Office had indicated that 10 to 17 individuals on the roof may have entered the water as a result of the collapse. Five campers previously reported missing from the same campground were later located and accounted for.
Governor Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency Friday and activated one of the state's search and rescue teams. A helicopter from the Missouri National Guard was deployed to reach people stranded in areas cut off by floodwaters. Several major roads were impassable due to flooding and damage. A family reunification center was set up in the area.
In parts of Iron and Reynolds counties, between 7 and 12 inches of rain fell overnight. The Black River at Lesterville rose 8 feet in a single hour. That surge of water moved downstream toward Annapolis, where river levels rose quickly. In Reynolds County, two rescue boats capsized during operations, though other emergency personnel recovered the responders safely.
Matt Beitscher, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in St. Louis, described the area as a destination for outdoor recreation. "It's very, very popular place for recreation," Beitscher said. "So there are campgrounds there. There are float trip locations there. A lot of vulnerable populations that would be susceptible to flash flooding."
The affected areas include state parks and recreation sites such as Johnson's Shut-Ins and Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. Towns under flash flood emergency included Viburnum, Annapolis, Glover, Lesterville, and several others across the region.
Kehoe urged residents and visitors to take the continuing threat seriously. "Over the past 24 hours, intense storms have created dangerous flash flooding across several regions of Missouri, resulting in multiple swift-water rescues," he said in a statement. "With additional heavy rain expected through the weekend, the threat is not over. If you're camping, floating, or spending time near rivers and streams, move to higher ground and stay alert of weather conditions."
A level 3 of 4 moderate risk rating for excessive rainfall remained in effect for southeastern Missouri on Friday. A Flood Watch covered more than 21 million Americans stretching from the Mississippi Valley into parts of the central Appalachians. Additional rounds of heavy rain were forecast to continue through the weekend across the central Plains east to the Ohio Valley and interior portions of the Northeast.
