St. Louis flooding: At least 1 dead in historic event

By Julia Musto

Published July 27, 2022

Fox News Flash top headlines for July 27

At least one person is dead after record rainfall caused widespread flash flooding in the St. Louis area on Tuesday.

The person died in a flooded vehicle that was found covered in more than 8 feet of water.

Their identity has not yet been released, but KMOV4 reported that authorities believe that the driver is a man in his 60s.

Several puppies drowned when the Stray Paws Adoptables rescue operation building flooded.

ST. LOUIS FLASH FLOODING SUBMERGES I-70, TRAPS RESIDENTS IN HOMES AFTER RECORD-SHATTERING RAINFALL

Firefighters in boats rescued other dogs and first responders rescued more than 100 people – mostly from vehicles that tried to move through water-covered roads.

St. Louis first responders

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Matthew Robinson holds onto his dog Bebe as and Kimberly Tat are rescued from their home by first responders from Central County Fire and Rescue along Main Street in Old Towne St. Peters after flooding from Dardenne Creek inundated the neighborhood during heavy rains on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

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A tow truck driver moves to clear a flooded car as another rolls along Interstate 70 at Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters after heavy rain fell through Monday night and into the morning on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Heavy rains in St. Louis

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First responders from Central County Fire and Rescue and the St. Charles County Ambulance District transport an evacuated elderly woman from her home on Main Street in Old Towne St. Peters after flooding from Dardenne Creek inundated the neighborhood during heavy rains on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Parts of multiple interstates were closed at various times due to the historic event, stranding some people for hours.

"We've had a tremendous amount of cars that have been door-deep and also roof-deep in some of these low-lying areas," Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said at a news conference.

Jenkerson told reporters that floodwaters made it into homes, with some roofs collapsing under the weight of the water.

The iconic St. Louis Gateway Arch was closed for the day.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST EXPECTED TO BE HIT WITH MAJOR HEAT WAVE THIS WEEK

The downpour dropped more than 12 inches of rain in parts of St. Charles County and up to 10 inches elsewhere in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Most of that rain fell shortly after midnight.

The situation prompted the city's first-ever flash flood emergency from the National Weather Service (NWS).

St. Louis flooding

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Abandoned cars are scattered by flooding across a shuttered Interstate 70 at Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters after heavy rain fell through the night and into the morning on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

St. Louis rescue

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Steven Bertke and his dog Roscoe are taken to dry land by St. Louis firefighters who used a boat to rescue people from their flooded homes on Hermitage Avenue in St. Louis on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

St. Louis flooding

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John Ward, left, and a firefighter help Lynn Hartke wade through the flash floodwater on Hermitage Avenue in St. Louis on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

On Wednesday, the NWS in St. Louis wrote it had recorded 0.92 inches of rain from midnight through 6 a.m. local time.

The agency said the rainfall totals seen on Tuesday – leading to the wettest day in St. Louis history – have a 1 in 1,000 chance of occurring in any given year, according to FOX Weather.

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Acting on behalf of Gov. Mike Parson, Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News and Fox Business Digital.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/st-louis-flooding-at-least-one-dead