1 dead, more than 350 people rescued after flash flooding in southeast Missouri

Hannah Wyman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Jul 11, 2026

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ST. LOUIS — More than 350 people have been rescued from flooded areas of southeast Missouri as of Saturday morning, officials said.

One woman from Crawford County, Faith Gregory, 23, was found dead at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department said.

Gregory was discovered by volunteer searchers in Huzzah Creek about 1.8 miles downstream from her home.

Gregory was last seen Friday morning about 3:30 a.m. when she was swept away from her home near Davisville, Crawford County Sheriff’s Department Maj. Adam Carnal said. The unincorporated town is about 110 miles southwest of St. Louis.

Flash flooding continues to impact parts of southeast Missouri after more than 12 inches of rainfall fell Thursday night into Friday, causing buildings to collapse, RVs to float away and the helicopter evacuation of camp children who had been stranded at a dining hall for hours.

By Saturday morning, 361 people had been rescued, according to Pacific Fire Protection District public information officer Nicholle Spencer.

Rescue teams were still working to search for people Saturday morning, Spencer said.

“The water went down some,” she said. “Things are looking pretty good.”

The number of people rescued includes 202 young campers and counselors stranded at Camp Taum Sauk, in Reynolds County. The Missouri National Guard used helicopters to evacuate the campground and reunite the campers with their families.

The highest rainfall fell near Dillard, Black and Lesterville along the Black River where thousands of people camp, kayak and float throughout the summer. The National Weather Service said the Black River at Annapolis had risen to nearly 29 feet, breaking its 1993 flooding record.

Local responders rushed in to help beginning at around 12:20 a.m and were soon joined by the Missouri State Highway Patrol's water rescue unit and other regional agencies.

No rescues were made overnight, and they currently have 75 first responders and boat crews searching different areas. She said they are focusing their efforts in Reynolds County, where most of the damage has happened.

Though severe thunderstorms are expected through Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service forecasters say the rain shouldn’t compromise search efforts or cause additional flash flooding, said Kate Moore, public relations officer of the Missouri Region C Incident Support Team and Task Force 1.

Gov. Mike Kehoe applauded the work of emergency responders Friday night who rescued “hundreds of Missourians from dangerous floodwaters.”

More than 200 water rescues saved people stuck in trees, rooftops and stranded vehicles, Kehoe said.

“Today's extraordinary efforts reflect the very best of our state emergency response teams and we will continue supporting communities as response and recovery efforts move forward,” Kehoe said in a social media post.

People looking for family in flooded areas should call the highway patrol at 417-469-3121.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Eddie Young said things stabilized overnight and they only had one or two calls for rescues. While some people have been reported missing to the hotline, officials have been able to connect families to loved ones, Young said. Cell service in the area is unreliable, he said.

Young said the flood damage already looks like it will be “devastating” for people who’ve lost homes and vehicles.

“It’s going to exceed what people would expect normally,” Young said Saturday. “Everything turned into a swamp down there. It’s amazing how far wide the water got to.”

Agencies set up a reunification center at Arcadia Elementary School for people rescued from flooded areas.

Missouri highways in Reynolds and Iron counties were still closed Saturday morning, including parts of Highway 49 and Route K and F. Part of Highway 21 north of Ironton was also closed. Other state highways in Crawford County were also closed because of flooding or bridge damage.