More than 200 children and staff from Camp Taum Sauk in southeastern Missouri were evacuated by Black Hawk helicopter Friday as heavy rain turned roads impassable and trapped them at the facility near Lesterville. State highway patrol Sgt Eddie Young said the camp's location became cut off as flooding swept across the region, forcing the army national guard to fly evacuees to a nearby elementary school where families could reunite.
The rescue operation unfolded as Missouri faced what forecasters described as an unusually dangerous scenario. The area received 6 to 12 inches of rain as successive thunderstorms pounded the region. Matt Beitscher, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in St. Louis, noted that southeastern Missouri's popularity as a recreation destination made the flooding especially hazardous, with numerous campgrounds and float trip locations scattered across flood-prone terrain.
The camp thanked emergency crews in a Friday evening Instagram post, stating: "We are beyond thankful for your help keeping our camp community safe."
The crisis extended beyond Camp Taum Sauk. Roughly 20 people taking refuge atop a collapsing building at Bearcat Getaway campground near the Black River, about 85 miles south of St. Louis, had to be rescued after the structure failed. Young explained that the combination of the building's weight and relentless water pressure underneath caused it to collapse as campers stood on its roof.
Responders also saved three people clinging to trees in the Black River, pulling them to safety Friday evening. Two rescue boats capsized during operations in Reynolds County, though emergency personnel successfully recovered all the responders aboard.
A woman from Crawford County, roughly 70 miles southwest of St. Louis, remained missing after floodwaters swept her house from its foundation. There have been no reports of fatalities so far, though the danger from rising water persisted through the night.
Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency and activated a state search and rescue team. He said late Friday that hundreds of people had been extracted from flood waters, trees, rooftops, and stranded vehicles statewide. Multiple major roads were rendered impassable, and the Black River was expected to crest at more than 28 feet near Annapolis in southeastern Missouri, a record level for the waterway.
The National Weather Service warned that additional heavy rain overnight into Saturday morning could trigger "considerable flood impacts." Kehoe urged residents in flood-prone and low-lying areas to maintain multiple ways of receiving weather alerts and to be ready to evacuate on short notice.
Author James Rodriguez: "When campgrounds fill with water this fast and buildings start collapsing, you're looking at disaster that could have been far worse without those helicopters nearby."
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