Flash flooding reported in the Heartland after heavy rain

(KFVS) - Some Heartland communities saw flash flooding on Monday, June 8, after heavy rain.

In Cape Girardeau, first responders were called to several reports of stalled or flooded vehicles.

Cape Girardeau Fire Chief Randy Morris said they had 27 calls, including several rescues from vehicles stalled in the water.

He said one person was treated after nearly drowning and being pulled from a flooded vehicle on South Kingshighway by Dirt Cheap. The person was taken from the scene by ambulance. No word yet on their condition.

You can see it in this photo here.

Emergency crews responded to the scene and a man working in a nearby food truck stepped up to rescue the person inside.

Miguel Morales said he pulled the driver out despite the large amount of water.

On the corner of Bloomfield Road and Kingshighway, a tow truck was partially submerged underwater. It was called to pull out a flooded vehicle and sunk into a flooded ditch. Another tow truck was eventually called and successfully removed the submerged truck from underwater.

“I guess it was coming to get another crash, and it just sort of went down. And I guess it didn’t see the grass because it was really flooded and it straight up just swerved in the grass,” said witness Kylie Jones. “It was kind of intense. The rain was really bad. It was way more water than I thought it was.”

Cape Girardeau Mayor Robbie Guard sent Heartland News this statement on Monday evening:

“This evening, our community experienced an extraordinary weather event, with multiple inches of rain falling in about an hour. This amount of rainfall overwhelmed drainage systems in some areas and has resulted in flooded roadways, stalled vehicles, and localized flooding throughout the city.

“Please know that city crews, emergency personnel, and public works employees are actively responding and doing everything possible to address impacted areas and keep residents safe. Their efforts will continue until conditions improve.

“We ask everyone to use caution, avoid flooded streets, and never attempt to drive through standing water. If you do not need to travel, please stay off the roads and allow emergency responders and work crews access to affected locations.

“Most importantly, remain calm. While the flooding is significant, our community has faced challenges before and will get through this one as well. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and support as crews work to restore normal conditions.

“Please continue to monitor official city updates for the latest information.”

According to Kristin Tallent, communications director for Cape Girardeau Public Schools, they have some water damage to the office at 301 North Clark Street. It was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, and will stay closed on Thursday, June 11 while the cleanup work continues. Maintenance crews are still cleaning up the reception area in the front office. They hope to reopen on Friday. She said this does not affect the summer school schedule.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts posted on Facebook that their lobby at the William Street location was closed due to water entering the building. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had reopened.

According to the National Weather Service, Cape Girardeau recorded 3.31 inches of rain in one hour, between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

This could rank as the highest hourly rainfall on record in Cape Girardeau history, dating back to 1972.

In Scott City, police ask that people not try to travel in town because most of the roads are flooded, including the Interstate 55 off-ramps and in front of the high school.

They said many other spots on Main Street were also flooded.

In Graves County, Kentucky, strong storms and heavy rain impacted the Mayfield and Fancy Farm areas the most, with the sheriff’s office reporting numerous downed trees and some power outages.

The county fire departments have been called out to assist with tree removal from some roads, along with crews to restore power.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet reported on Tuesday that KY 855 in Crittenden County is closed between U.S. 60 and KY 70, near Frances Road, because of high water.

KYTC said KY 902, north of Fredonia near Union Grove School Road, is also closed due to high water.