State of emergency declared in Missouri as record rainfall caused deadly flooding

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency in the state as “historic rainfall” led to deadly flash flooding.
• At least one person was killed when a car in St. Louis was found covered in more than 8 feet of water. 
• St. Louis had shattered the all-time daily rainfall record set in August 1915.

A State of Emergency has been declared in Missouri as “historic rainfall” led to severe flooding in the St. Louis area.

Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe, acting on behalf of Gov. Mike Parson, who is out of the country promoting trade, signed Executive Order 22-05 on Tuesday.

At least one person was killed when a car in St Louis was found covered in more than 8 feet of water. St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said in a press conferece that the body was discovered inside a vehicle that was underwater at an intersection. The person has not been identified. 

Stray Paws Adoptables, a stray dog rescue operation in a St. Louis suburb, also reported losing several puppies after they drowned when the building became flooded. Firefighters were able to rescue other dogs from the facility using boats.

The water had partially submerged roadways and residential areas, leading to the closure of interstate highways and rescue efforts.

The declaration of a state emergency activates the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan, allowing local jurisdictions to receive aid from state agencies.

St. Louis was hit with massive thunderstorms, which prompted a “historic rainfall event,” according to the National Weather Service. The agency said the city broke the all-time daily rainfall record set in August 1915.

Record rainfall then led to “widespread flash flooding” throughout Tuesday morning, prompting the National Weather Service to declare a flash flood emergency.

 BY 7 a.m. local time, St. Louis had shattered its daily rainfall record, reporting 8.06 inches of rain in just seven hours. The 1915 record brought by the Galveston hurricane was 6.85 inches. 

In a 24-hour period, 9.04 inches of rain fell in St. Louis.

Source: CBS News