The National Guard has scrambled to rescue over 200 campers trapped by floodwaters.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency on Friday as rapidly rising floodwaters threatened the Camp Taum Sauk summer camp, 100 miles southwest of St. Louis, prompting the National Guard to evacuate children by helicopter.
Also airlifted to safety were around 20 campers who had climbed to the roof of a collapsed building at the Barecat Getaway campground in Reynolds County.
“Over the past 24 hours, intense storms have created dangerous flash flooding across several regions of Missouri, resulting in multiple swift-water rescues,” Gov. Kehoe said in a statement.
He added, “With additional heavy rain expected through the weekend, the threat is not over. If you’re camping, floating, or spending time near rivers and streams, move to higher ground and stay alert to weather conditions.”
The swift evacuations come just over a year after tragedy struck Camp Mystic in Texas, where 27 girls and counselors died during a disastrous flash flood on Independence Day.
An inquiry into that tragedy found that, despite knowing of a flash flood warning, the camp failed to call the National Guard for assistance for a crucial 90 minutes.
In Missouri, the Army National Guard used Black Hawk helicopters to rescue campers and fly them to a nearby elementary school to reunite them with their families, said Sgt. Eddie Young of the state’s highway patrol.
“Thank you also camp leadership & staff,” one parent wrote under an instagram post from the camp thanking emergency services. “I can’t imagine how challenging it was to navigate all the decisions you had to make and the weight of that responsibility. My boys were never scared and thought it was a big adventure, which speaks volumes to the grace in which the staff handled everything. We are grateful to you.”
The National Guard was kept busy rescuing stranded campers, not just at the summer camp.
There have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries due to the flooding thus far, but at least one woman is missing, after the house she was in was swept from its foundations.
