3 Dead in Missouri Storms; Flooding Forces Hundreds of Rescues

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Torrential rain caused Missouri waterways to burst their banks over the weekend, forcing hundreds of road closures and killing at least three people.

Some parts of the state got as much as a foot of rain over the weekend, though most areas got about half that. There was only a slight chance of rain on May 1, but rivers were expected to continue to rise, fed by runoff from fields and flooded sewer systems.

The Mississippi River was expected to reach 16 1/2 feet above flood stage in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau, within a half-foot of the all-time record. And the Meramec River near St. Louis was expected to approach record levels reached less than 18 months ago. Valley Park Mayor Michael Pennise issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents living behind a levee.

The widespread weekend flash-flooding led to hundreds of water rescues, including more than 70 in southern Missouri’s Howell County, where several homes and businesses were destroyed in and around the town of West Plains. Doug Cramer, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Springfield, said up to 12 inches of rain fell in parts of southwestern Missouri, forcing hundreds of evacuations.

In Jefferson County, south of St. Louis, a 78-year-old man drowned Sunday after walking to a creek to look at rising water. Authorities say he slipped and was swept away.

Two others died when their vehicles were swept away by floodwaters. Gideon Jenkins, 18, of Richland, was killed early Sunday in Pulaski County. Madelaine Krueger, 72, of Billings, was killed Saturday in Christian County.

Hundreds of roads were closed, including a 57-mile stretch of Interstate 44. Levees were straining to hold back the water. A Cuivre River levee was topped near Old Monroe, Missouri, north of St. Louis.

The storms were part of a bigger system that spawned severe storms and tornadoes, claiming at least 15 lives.