Missouri floods kill one, rescue hundreds including summer camp children

Heavy rain on Friday triggered flash flooding across Missouri, sweeping away roads, homes and trapping people in remote areas. The National Weather Service warned that the storm system, moving from the Ozark Mountains eastward into the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys, could produce damaging winds and additional flooding through Sunday.

In the southeastern town of Lesterville, rising waters at Camp Taum Sauk forced the Army National Guard to airlift more than 200 children and staff by Black Hawk helicopters to a nearby elementary school, where they were reunited with families. The camp posted a thank-you message on social media for the rescue crews.

At the Bearcat Getaway campground near the Black River, campers climbed onto a building to escape rising water, but the structure collapsed under the weight and pressure of the flood. Three individuals were also rescued after becoming stranded in trees along the river.

Authorities in Crawford County recovered the body of Faith Gregory, whose home was swept from its foundation. Her remains were found about 1.8 miles downstream in Huzzah Creek. The county sheriff’s office expressed condolences to her family.

Governor Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency and activated a search-and-rescue team, noting that hundreds of people had been saved from floodwaters, rooftops and stranded vehicles. He warned that the Black River was expected to crest at over 28 feet near Annapolis, potentially setting a record, and urged residents in flood-prone areas to stay alert and have multiple ways to receive weather warnings.

Emergency responders also recovered two rescue boats that capsized in Reynolds County without injury. The storm system continued to affect other states, prompting flash-flood warnings and advisories to seek higher ground.