St. Louis: Extensive flash flooding caused by record rains

• More than 8 inches of rain fell overnight in St. Louis, surpassing the city’s all-time one-day rainfall record.
• Emergency calls come in for “multiple people stuck” in floodwaters.
• Interstate 70 is closed northwest of St. Louis. Rainfall this intense only occurs once every 500 years.

Tuesday morning in the St. Louis region, torrential and record-breaking rains led to extensive flash floods; floods that submerged automobiles on the streets, necessitated rescues from houses and vehicles; and prompted many traffic closures, including a portion of Interstate 70.

The National Weather Service reported that more than 8 inches of rain fell in St. Louis from midnight to 7 a.m. CT; breaking the city’s previous record for a single day of 6.85 inches established on August 20, 1915.

Additionally, according to the St. Louis office of the National Weather Service; there would be additional rain until it stopped around 10 a.m.

According to the meteorological service, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell in the greater St. Louis area; between midnight and 6 a.m.

Emergency calls were rolling in for “several persons caught” in floodwaters in St. Louis County; according to the county emergency management office.

The office tweeted, “We encourage everyone to avoid travel!,” noting that the county’s central regions were most hit.

The weather service reported just after 6:30 a.m. that vehicles were reported submerged; or otherwise trapped on flooded roadways in numerous portions of the St. Louis region.

According to the local fire department’s early Tuesday report; firefighters visited roughly 18 flooded residences in the city and used boats to rescue six humans; and six dogs. Early on Tuesday, the weather service recorded a rescue from a stranded car in the University City area.

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The state highway patrol advised drivers to avoid I-70 in the St. Louis region due to floods. The meteorological agency stated that at least one section of I-70 in St. Peters; about 30 miles northwest of St. Louis, was shut down in both directions.

“Flash flooding is occurring in several locations throughout St. Charles and St. Louis counties. Particularly I-70 “says the patrol. “Use different routes this morning and stay away from this roadway. Don’t try to cross flooded roads, please.”
I-64, I-55, and I-44; the three additional interstates leading to downtown St. Louis, all experienced at least one shutdown early on Tuesday.

According to data from the meteorological service, rainfall this heavy rarely happens; in the St. Louis region on average once every 500 years.

However, the climate issue is causing these extremes to occur more frequently and is accelerating global rainfall. As temperatures rise, the atmosphere can contain more moisture; increasing the likelihood that important records may be broken. Higher rainfall rates are caused by increased atmospheric water vapour; which increases the amount of moisture that may fall as rain.

On average, the earth has warmed by a little over 1 degree Celsius due to emissions from fossil fuels; with warming over terrestrial regions being more pronounced. Scientists have warned that severe weather events will get worse; and more dangerous with every tenth of a degree of warming; and they are becoming more and more certain of the role that the climate issue plays in them.

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