Missouri flash flooding leaves 1 dead as Black River tops 28 feet, stranding campers on roofs

Campers wound up on bathhouse roofs and roads, and bridges were damaged in multiple counties after flash flooding hit southeast Missouri late last week, pushing the Black River above 28 feet and leaving one person dead, according to KCUR.

Now, some of the communities that bore the brunt of the flooding are entering a difficult recovery phase, with families facing the loss of livestock and shortages of basic necessities.

What happened?

After Governor Mike Kehoe declared an emergency on Friday, Reynolds, Iron, and Crawford counties emerged as some of the hardest-hit areas.

In Crawford County, officials in Davisville reported extensive damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, while rescue crews were also called to Riversedge Campground in nearby Lesterville.

Authorities also confirmed one death. As detailed in KCUR, the body of 23-year-old Faith Gregory was found in Huzzah Creek, which is about two miles from her home in Davisville.

Asked to describe the destruction, Crawford County Undersheriff Adam Carnal offered a blunt assessment: "We had a lot of infrastructure that was impacted: bridges, roads, some roads no longer exist."

Riversedge Campground Director of Operations Becky Stull said the campground's lodges were used as temporary shelters, where flood victims received "food, clothing, things like that" until roads began to reopen.

Recounting the rescue conditions, she said, "Some were on top of our bathhouse roofs."

Why does it matter?

For local families, Carnal said, the damage goes beyond buildings and roads, including major losses of animals and feed.

"We've had a lot of livestock misplaced or missing and then also feed. All that stuff has been destroyed," he said.

What's being done?

Officials are still trying to measure the total destruction.

Carnal said the Missouri State Emergency Agency and the county commission are conducting damage assessments to determine whether the area could qualify for federal assistance.

Local organizations are also stepping in to help.

Carnal said Davisville is collecting donations for animal feed, while the Davisville Historical Society is helping with cleanup work.

In Lesterville, the school district briefly served as a donation hub before pausing general donations to better identify the community's most urgent remaining needs.

Volunteers have already arrived at campgrounds to help residents recover what they can. 

Longtime camper Deanna Kuse said her family returned after fleeing dangerous conditions, only to find that "our tent on the tree" had been "completely wrapped around the tree, twisted up."

"In 16 years, I've never seen anything like this out there," Stull said.

And as Carnal put it: "It's a lot of damage to determine a cost and amount, and we're still in that process currently."

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