ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo—St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has issued a State of Emergency following flooding that destroyed homes, infrastructure and resulted in multiple deaths.
“Please do not drive into water over a road,” Page said in a press release. “It can take just a few inches of moving water to carry away a vehicle.”
The declaration will allow the Office of Emergency Management to request state and federal aid. Officials are still assessing the damage to homes, roads and bridges.
The Meramec River is expected to hit major flooding levels Friday. Road crews are closely monitoring river levels and closing some streets in anticipation of high water. Thursday morning, MoDOT closed Rt. 141 under I-44.
Residents in Pacific, Mo., are already prepping for the worst. The river is expected to flood First and Denton Road Thursday morning. The city says it plans to close roads south of the railroad tracks when necessary. Officials believe the floodwaters will start receding Saturday.