Water rescues, campground evacuations after rains flood parts of southeastern Missouri

GLEN ALLEN, Mo. (AP) — A drenching storm dropped several inches of rain in a short time Monday morning in an area of southeastern Missouri, shutting down roads and prompting several water rescues.

Unconfirmed reports of up to 8 inches of rain fell in Bollinger County, a rural area about 120 miles (193 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. No injuries or deaths were reported, but campers had to be rescued when water inundated two campgrounds.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said rescue crews with boats were going door-to-door in the hardest hit areas. High water also closed roads in several counties, including sections of U.S. 67.

The Bollinger County Sheriff’s Office said rescuers were focused on the area in and around the tiny village of Glen Allen, trying to get people to higher ground. The First Baptist Family Life Center in neighboring Marble Hill was set up as a shelter for those flooded out of their homes.

Portions of southwestern Missouri also saw more than 3 inches of rain as strong storms swept across the state Sunday and early Monday.