Eight Black Hawk helicopters carried 202 campers and counselors out of a flooded children's camp in southeastern Missouri on Friday after record rainfall cut off every road into the area, CBS News reported.
The Missouri National Guard conducted the airlift at Camp Taum Sauk in Lesterville, in Reynolds County. Gov. Mike Kehoe confirmed the number of people rescued and praised the response.
"Missouri's first responders once again answered the call with extraordinary bravery, professionalism, and compassion, rescuing hundreds of Missourians from dangerous floodwaters," Kehoe said in a statement.
The flooding covered several counties in southeastern Missouri, including Crawford, Iron, Madison, Reynolds and Wayne. Kehoe said the rainfall had produced a "1-in-1,000-year rainfall event in some of these locations."
The situation was dangerous beyond Camp Taum Sauk. At the Bearcat Getaway campground near the Black River, about 85 miles south of St. Louis, campers had climbed onto a building to escape rising water when the structure collapsed under them. State Highway Patrol Sgt. Eddie Young described what happened. "Between the weight and the constant waters underneath it, it just gave away on them," he said.
Three people were also rescued from trees along the Black River in Reynolds County on Friday evening. Two rescue boats capsized during operations, but other emergency personnel recovered the responders safely, according to the county sheriff's office.
No major injuries or fatalities had been reported as of Saturday. However, one woman remained missing. Sgt. Young confirmed that Faith Gregory, of Crawford County, was unaccounted for after the house she was in was swept from its foundation. Family and friends posted on social media urging people to watch for Gregory and her dogs, which were also swept away.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings across the region. Matt Beitscher, a lead meteorologist with the NWS office in St. Louis, said the area is a popular recreation destination. "It's very, very popular place for recreation," he 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 Black River continued to rise Saturday and was expected to crest at more than 28 feet near Annapolis, which Kehoe said would set a record for the waterway. Several major roads remained impassable. Additional rain was expected in the area.
