St. Louis Sees Record-Shattering Rain: Roads Flood, Rescue Boats Deployed

ST. LOUIS, MO — Cars and streets were underwater Tuesday in St. Louis when the area was hit with historic rainfall, forcing emergency responders to use boats to reach those trapped by the floodwaters.

The city’s previous daily rainfall record was shattered by 7 a.m., with 8.06 inches, surpassing the 6.85 inches the area received Aug. 20, 1915. Showers and thunderstorms were forecast to continue well into the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

“Multiple water rescues of homes and vehicles are still taking place,” the weather service said around 9:30 a.m. in a flash flood warning set to expire 11:45 a.m. “Between 5 and 9 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is already occurring.”

At one point early Tuesday, almost 1 million people in the St. Louis metro area were under a flash flooding emergency — an alert withheld for extreme flooding events, according to AccuWeather.

By 5 a.m. Tuesday, first responders were using boats to aid those trapped in vehicles fully submerged in water, according to the fire department. As of 7 a.m., crews had rescued six people and six dogs from flooded homes in the 2700 block of Hermitage Avenue, the fire department reported. Another 15 occupants of the neighborhood chose to shelter in place.

For those who were displaced, a shelter was established at the Richmond Heights Community Center, according to the St. Louis County Office of Emergency Management.

The office also urged residents to avoid travel and not to enter flooded roadways. Interstates 70, 64 and 270, as well as U.S. Route 61 all experienced closures, according to AccuWeather.

The St. Louis Lambert International Airport was open but experiencing delays. The Gateway Arch was closed.