St. Louis region hit by more flooding, prompting rescues – Chicago Tribune

Heavy rains brought another round of flooding to the St. Louis region that was already recovering from record rains earlier this week, prompting firefighters to help dozens of people escape the floodwaters.

No injuries were reported from Thursday’s flooding, but the St. Louis Fire Department said on Twitter that it responded to 75 flooding-related emergencies and 60 people were rescued or helped to safety.

Among the rescues, the department said firefighters carried six children to safety from a daycare at Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church, where 15 children and three adults reportedly were trapped.

The storms that began Thursday afternoon lasted for a few hours and dropped about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain, according to early National Weather Service estimates, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Earlier in the week, a storm system dropped more than 12 inches (30 centimeters) in St. Charles County and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in other areas on Tuesday and Wednesday. That prompted widespread flooding. Parts of southern Illinois also saw flooding after heavy rains.

Authorities said two men drowned in the earlier St. Louis-area storm.

The weather service said the rain that began early Tuesday was the most prolific in the St. Louis metropolitan area since records began in 1874.

The flooding came the same week that heavy rains caused deadly flooding and massive property damage in central Appalachia.