200 young campers, staff rescued amid record flooding in Missouri

Rescue crews had to airlift more than 200 people stuck at a children's camp after 6 to 12 inches of rain fell Friday in the southeastern part of the state, cutting off all roads into the area.

The Missouri National Guard mobilized eight Black Hawk helicopters to to fly 202 campers and counselors from Camp Taum Sauk in Lesterville, Missouri, in Reynolds County, according to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe.

"Missouri's first responders once again answered the call with extraordinary bravery, professionalism, and compassion, rescuing hundreds of Missourians from dangerous floodwaters," Kehoe said in a statement. "As recovery efforts continue and additional rain is expected, I urge everyone in flood-prone and low-lying areas to stay weather-aware, have multiple ways of receiving alerts, and be ready to take protective action." 

The flooding covered several counties in southeastern Missouri, including Crawford, Iron, Madison, Reynolds and Wayne, "resulting in a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event in some of these locations," Kehoe said.

Meanwhile, campers at the Bearcat Getaway campground near the Black River, about 85 miles south of St. Louis, had climbed onto a building to get away from the raging waters when it collapsed, Sgt. Eddie Young, with the state's highway patrol, said.

"Between the weight and the constant waters underneath it, it just gave away on them," he said.

Three other people were trapped on trees on the Black River in Reynolds County and were rescued Friday evening, Young said.

There have been no reports of major injuries or fatalities, but a woman in Crawford County was missing after a house she was in was swept from its foundation by the flooding, Young said. The county is about 71 miles southwest of St. Louis.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for the area, which got between 6 and 12 inches of rain as thunderstorms piled on one after another, said Matt Beitscher, a lead meteorologist with the NWS office in St. Louis.

"It's very, very popular place for recreation," Beitscher said of the affected counties. "So there are campgrounds there. There are float trip locations there. A lot of vulnerable populations that would be susceptible to flash flooding."

Several major roads were impassable due to flooding and damage, Kehoe said, warning the Black River continues to rise and is expected to crest at more than 28 feet near Annapolis in southeastern Missouri, which would be a record for the waterway.