Record rainfall causes widespread flash-flooding near St. Louis, including on I-70
(CNN) — Torrential and record-breaking rainfall caused widespread flash flooding in the St. Louis area Tuesday morning, submerging vehicles on streets, forcing rescues from homes and cars, and spurring numerous road closures, including part of Interstate 70, officials said.
In St. Louis itself, more than 8 inches of rain had fallen from midnight to 7 a.m. Central Daylight Time — already surpassing the city’s all-time one-day record of 6.85 inches set on August 20, 1915, the National Weather Service said.
And more rain was expected before tapering by 10 a.m., the National Weather Service’s office in St. Louis wrote.
In the wider St. Louis area, about 6-10 inches of rain fell from midnight to 6 a.m. CT., according to the weather service.
“Move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the weather service’s St. Louis office wrote early Tuesday.
Vehicles were reported submerged or otherwise stranded on flooded streets in various parts of the St. Louis area, the weather service said.
In the city itself, fire personnel checked about 18 flooded homes, and rescued six people and six dogs by boat, the city fire department said early Tuesday. In the suburb of University City, a rescue from a stranded vehicle was reported early Tuesday, the weather service said.
Motorists are urged to avoid I-70 in the St. Louis area because of flooding, the state highway patrol said. At least one stretch of I-70 — in St. Peters, roughly a 30-mile drive northwest of St. Louis — was reported closed in both directions, the weather service said.
“Many areas of St. Charles and St. Louis counties are experiencing flash flooding. Specifically I-70!” the patrol said. “Avoid this highway and use alternate routes this morning. Please don’t attempt to cross flooded roadways.”
The three other interstates heading to downtown St. Louis — I-64, I-55, and I-44 — also had at least one closure early Tuesday, CNN affiliate KMOV reported.