O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Record rainfall caused widespread flash flooding across the St. Louis area early Tuesday, closing multiple roadways and prompting rescues from vehicles and homes.
There were no immediate reports of injuries to people, but several puppies drowned when water got into a building at Stray Paws Adoptables, a stray dog rescue operation in St. Peters. Firefighters in boats were able to rescue other dogs from the building.
Damage across the St. Louis region was widespread after a massive downpour dropped more than 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain in parts of St. Charles County and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) elsewhere in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
By 8 a.m., 8.3 inches of rain had fallen at Lambert Airport, demolishing the previous daily record of 6.85 inches set Aug. 20, 1915, when remnants of the Galveston, Texas, hurricane moved north to St. Louis. Forecasters expected Tuesday’s rain to wrap up by late-morning, but more storms were likely through the rest of the week.
Firefighters across the St. Louis region were busy with water rescues. A section of Interstate 70 was closed in St. Peters, and many other roadways were flooded. Some vehicles were completely submerged. The Missouri State Highway Patrol on Twitter urged drivers to avoid I-70. Some motorists took to social media to report being stranded for several hours.