By rssfeeds-admin Photo of flooding south of St. Louis Friday. Photo Credit First Alert 4 News
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency Friday in response to dangerous flash flooding across central, south-central and southeastern Missouri.
The order follows reports of storm damage and water rescues across the region. KYTV of Springfield reported Friday morning Rolla Public Schools were assessing damage after Thursday night storms, dozens of people had been rescued and five campers were missing in Reynolds County, and a person was rescued in Phelps County after a truck was swept off a low-water bridge on County Road 8050 just before 6 a.m.
Kehoe’s executive order activates the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan, allowing state agencies to coordinate directly with local jurisdictions and speed up assistance.
Kehoe said intense storms over the past 24 hours have caused dangerous flash flooding in several regions of the state and led to multiple swift-water rescues. He said the threat is not over, with more heavy rain expected through the weekend.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, State Emergency Management Agency, Division of Fire Safety, Missouri State Parks and Missouri Department of Conservation have responded to impacted areas and are working with local emergency responders. The state says flash flooding has affected homes, roads and campgrounds, with some areas receiving 6 to 12 inches of rain.
Missouri Task Force 1 has also been activated and deployed with 50 members, specialized equipment and rescue boats.
The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for multiple locations Friday, with more rounds of thunderstorms expected. Another 2 to 4 inches of rain is possible, with higher amounts in some areas.
Missourians are urged to monitor local forecasts, follow warnings and have multiple ways to receive alerts, especially overnight. Drivers are also reminded not to cross flooded roads, as even shallow moving water can be dangerous.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.