1 dead, hundreds rescued in southeastern Missouri as 1-in-1,000-year rainfall triggers catastrophic flooding

By Meteorologist Mary Gilbert, and CNN’s Kate S. Petersen

(CNN) — At least one person has died and hundreds were rescued from catastrophic flooding in southeastern Missouri 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. The Army National Guard flew trapped campers on Black Hawk helicopters to a nearby elementary school, where they reunited with their families, The Associated Press reported.

In nearby Crawford County, a woman who was swept into floodwaters and was missing overnight into Saturday was found dead about 2 miles downstream from her residence, the sheriff said. She went missing after floodwaters rapidly rose in a short amount of time and washed away a wall in her home, the office said.

Extensive search operations for the woman were suspended Friday due to darkness and the search resumed Saturday morning, when the woman’s body was found, the sheriff said.

“While this search has come to a heartbreaking conclusion, it once again demonstrated the strength of our community and the willingness of so many to come together in a time of need,” the sheriff’s office said.

In Reynolds County, where campers and counselors were rescued, 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, said Steve Chitwood, the county’s emergency coordinator.

“Thank you National Guard, Reynolds County 911 emergency responders … we are beyond thankful for your help keeping our camp community safe,” the camp said in a social media post after the dramatic rescues.

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.”

At least three others were rescued using “ground teams, watercraft, and aerial drone operations” amid “extremely dangerous” conditions, the sheriff’s office said earlier in a social media post.

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.

First responders rescued two people from a cabin by boat, Iron County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jordan Otwell told CNN Friday morning. Another five people were rescued by boat from the rooftop of a mobile home in another area of the county, he said.

Otwell did not know how many people in total had taken refuge on the roof, but said the boat was scheduled to return to the rooftop to pick up more people. There have been no reported injuries in Iron County, but around six area highways were closed due to flooding, he said.

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.

The torrential rain that prompted the initial flood warning has ended, but the flash flood emergency remains in effect for much of Friday afternoon due to lingering flooding issues. Additional rain is possible in the area late Friday and over the weekend.

More than a foot of rain has fallen since Thursday evening in rural Missouri. A location near Redmondville, Missouri — about 70 miles southwest of St. Louis — measured 12.25 inches of rain since Thursday evening.

More than a foot of rain in less than 24 hours means this highly localized, ongoing event is at least a 1-in-1000-year flood for the area. This rate of rainfall only has a 0.1% chance of happening in a given year, under normal circumstances. But such extreme rainfall is becoming more common as planet-warming pollution pushes temperatures higher because warmer air holds more moisture.

The heavy rain Friday is just the start of a multiday flood threat that’s expected to impact areas from the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys to the central Appalachians through this weekend.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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CNN Meteorologist Chris Dolce contributed to this report.