Missouri Summer Camp Evacuates Over 200 Amid Severe Flooding

Intense rain and extensive flooding swept across Missouri on Friday, prompting the evacuation of over 200 children and staff from a summer camp via helicopter, as well as the rescue of roughly 20 individuals who had taken shelter in a collapsing campground structure.

With roads rendered impassable and additional precipitation forecasted, the children remained trapped at Camp Taum Sauk in Lesterville, a small community in southeastern Missouri, according to Sergeant Eddie Young of the state highway patrol. The Army National Guard deployed Black Hawk helicopters to transport them to a nearby elementary school, where they were safely reunited with their families.

The camp issued a statement on Instagram later that Friday, expressing profound gratitude to the emergency responders for their assistance in safeguarding the camp community.

In the meantime, campers at the Bearcat Getaway campground, situated near the Black River approximately 85 miles (136 km) south of St. Louis, climbed onto a structure to escape rising waters, only for the building to collapse, Young reported.

‘The structure failed under the combined weight and the relentless water pressure beneath it,’ he explained.

Three additional individuals were stranded in trees along the Black River in Reynolds County and were rescued on Friday evening, Young added.

No major injuries or fatalities have been reported; however, a woman in Crawford County remains missing after her home was swept from its foundation by the floodwaters. Crawford County lies roughly 71 miles (114 km) southwest of St. Louis.

The National Weather Service issued flash‑flood warnings for the region, which recorded 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of rain as successive thunderstorms drenched the area, according to Matt Beitscher, lead meteorologist at the NWS office in St. Louis.

‘It is a heavily used recreational area,’ Beitscher noted, ‘with numerous campgrounds and float‑trip sites, putting many vulnerable populations at risk of flash flooding.’

The NWS warned that additional heavy rains expected overnight into Saturday morning could produce significant flood impacts across southeastern Missouri.

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency and activated a state search‑and‑rescue team to aid response efforts. On Friday evening, he reported that hundreds of individuals had been rescued from floodwaters, trees, rooftops, and stranded vehicles.

Kehoe noted that several major roadways were rendered impassable due to flooding and structural damage, and warned that the Black River continued to rise, with forecasts predicting a crest exceeding 28 feet (8.5 m) near Annapolis in southeastern Missouri—a record level for the river.

‘As recovery efforts persist and further rain is anticipated, I urge all residents in flood‑prone and low‑lying areas to remain weather‑aware, maintain multiple alert channels, and be prepared to act promptly,’ Kehoe stated in a public announcement.

In Reynolds County, two rescue boats capsized during the flooding, though other emergency personnel successfully retrieved the stranded responders, according to the county sheriff’s office.

Source link