Hundreds of people were rescued from catastrophic flooding in southeastern Missouri on Friday, including some camping along a river that swelled to historic heights. More than 200 young campers and counselors had to be rescued by helicopter after heavy rain washed away roads near Camp Taum Sauk in the small southeastern community of Lesterville, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Flood Rescues
The Army National Guard flew trapped campers on Black Hawk helicopters to a nearby elementary school, where they reunited with their families. Reynolds County emergency services also responded to a reported building collapse at nearby Bearcat Getaway Campground, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Search and rescue operations were launched for as many as 17 people who may have entered the floodwater in the collapse, the sheriff said. Hours later, all those who were missing from the collapse were either rescued or accounted for, the sheriff’s office said in an update. Five campers at the same campground who were initially reported missing were found earlier in the day, county Sheriff Caleb McCoy told CNN.
Around 10 others in the county were rescued from the rooftop of the Black River Lodge, county Emergency Coordinator Steve Chitwood said. Crews have conducted around 90 water rescues involving residents, campers, and motorists, as of Friday afternoon, according to the Reynolds County Sheriff’s Office release, but no serious injuries have been reported.
National Guard Response
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency — the highest level of flood warning — for more than 4,000 people in parts of Reynolds and Iron counties early Friday morning. The floodwater inundated areas around the Black River as it rose rapidly to an all-time record high of 28.7 feet.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon, saying dangerous flooding has led to multiple swift-water rescues. Activating the State Emergency Operations Plan allows our agencies to move quickly, coordinate resources, and support local response efforts. I’m grateful for every first responder and local team member working around the clock to help save lives, Kehoe said.
Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.
