By Meteorologist Mary Gilbert, and CNN’s Kate S. Petersen
(CNN) — At least five people are unaccounted for in southeastern Missouri, officials say, amid historic flooding in the region that has prompted multiple water rescues Friday.
The five were camping along the Black River in Reynolds County, county Emergency Coordinator Steve Chitwood told CNN. CNN has reached out to authorities for more information.
Flash flooding inundated areas around the river Friday morning. Around 10 people had to be rescued from the rooftop of the Black River Lodge, Chitwood said. The Black River Bridge in Centerville, Missouri, has also been closed and water is over roadways in other areas.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency — the highest level of flood warning — for more than 4,000 people in parts of Reynolds and Iron counties in southeastern Missouri early Friday morning.
The torrential rain that prompted the warning has ended, but the emergency remains in effect for much of Friday afternoon due to lingering flooding issues. Additional rain is possible in the area late Friday and over the weekend.
First responders rescued two people from a cabin by boat, Iron County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jordan Otwell told CNN Friday morning. Another five people were rescued by boat from the rooftop of a mobile home in another area of the county, he said.
Otwell did not know how many people in total had taken refuge on the roof, but said the boat was scheduled to return to the rooftop to pick up more people. There have been no reported injuries in Iron County, but around six area highways were closed due to flooding, he said.
More than a foot of rain has fallen since Thursday evening in rural Missouri. A location near Redmondville, Missouri — about 70 miles southwest of St. Louis — measured 12.25 inches of rain since Thursday evening.
More than a foot of rain in less than 24 hours means this highly localized, ongoing event is at least a 1-in-1000-year flood for the area. This rate of rainfall only has a 0.1% chance of happening in a given year, under normal circumstances. But such extreme rainfall is becoming more common as planet-warming pollution pushes temperatures higher because warmer air holds more moisture.
The heavy rain Friday is just the start of a multiday flood threat that’s expected to impact areas from the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys to the central Appalachians through this weekend.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN Meteorologist Chris Dolce contributed to this report.
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