Flash floods claim 5 lives in Missouri, including 2 poll workers
Two of the fatalities involved poll workers in Wright County, Missouri, the Wright County Clerk's Office confirmed in a statement to FOX Weather.
St. Louis area evacuated following flooding as levee nears failure
An area of Iron Mountain Lake, Missouri, is being evacuated following flooding Monday afternoon.
ST. LOUIS – At least five people were killed after torrential rainfall led to flash flooding in central and eastern Missouri, impacting transportation and making it challenging for some voters to reach their polling place on Tuesday.
According to the St. Louis County Police Department, preliminary investigations revealed that one of the victims, identified as an adult female, drove her car into floodwaters in the area of Interstate 55 and Bayless Avenue in St. Louis Tuesday morning as the worst of the flash flooding was ongoing.
Five other vehicles were also discovered after the flooding had subsided, but the occupants were able to escape. However, the Affton Fire Protection District confirmed another death associated with the flooding along Gravois Creek in the area.
Two other fatalities involved poll workers in Wright County, Missouri, the Wright County Clerk's Office confirmed in a statement to FOX Weather. The victims were a man, 70, and a woman, 73, who drowned trying to swim to dry ground after their vehicle was swept into floodwaters, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Hailing from the Manes, Missouri, area, both were found deceased at 8:45 a.m. local time.
The relentless rain, which shattered November rainfall records, turned streets into rivers, inundated homes and forced widespread closures.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office first reported just before 7 a.m. that Twin River Road near Highway W was impassible, making it difficult for voters to get to a polling location at Brookdale Farms in Eureka. Deputies have advised residents to proceed to the Administration Building in Hillsboro as an alternative voting location.
"Voters have yelled at deputies on flash flood assignments suggesting that they are intentionally suppressing votes," the sheriff's office said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. We are trying to keep everyone updated on road closures so you can go around and vote. Simply ask the deputy for an alternate route if we don’t have it posted."
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The St. Louis County Board of Elections said the polling place at Holy Name Community Center in Bellefontaine Neighbors had a power outage following the storms.
St. Louis International Airport has broken multiple rainfall records. On Tuesday morning, the airport had received 3.25 inches of rain, surpassing the previous daily record of 1.62 inches set in 1956.
The unprecedented rainfall event has also set a new record for the highest 24-hour rainfall total for the month of November. With over 6.4 inches of rain falling since Monday, the airport has shattered the previous record of 3.56 inches set on Nov. 18, 1921.
The nearly 7 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period caused Deer Creek to overflow its banks, submerging major streets in Maplewood, Brentwood and Webster Groves, FOX 2 in St. Louis reported.
The deluge forced the Brentwood School District to cancel classes Tuesday due to power outages and flooding.
On Monday, state troopers recovered the body of a 66-year-old man whose vehicle was swept off a flooded bridge by floodwater, carried about half a mile downstream, and crashed in Ironton, Missouri.
In St. Francois County, officials issued voluntary evacuations for Iron Mountain Lake due to the possibility of a levy failing near the town. In Bismarck, the firefighters responded to multiple water rescues.
SEVERE WEATHER POUNDS PARTS OF CENTRAL US ON MONDAY
Floodwaters in St. Francois County, Missouri.
(Bismarck Fire Protection District)
Drone footage captured the force of the flash floods, showing rapid water surges surrounding homes and businesses in Park Hills.
Drone video shows flash flooding inundate Missouri town
Drone video showed flash flooding surround homes and buildings in Park Hills, Missouri, on Monday.
As the waters begin to recede, residents are left to assess the damage and clean up the debris.
Showers and storms began to taper off from west to east on Tuesday afternoon. Those in the area can expect dry and mild conditions on Wednesday and Thursday, with highs in the mid-50s to mid-60s.
A cold front is forecast to become nearly stationary across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys by Wednesday with only scattered showers and thunderstorms remaining in the vicinity into Thursday morning.