At least five people are missing in southeast Missouri, authorities said Friday, amid historic flooding in the region and multiple water rescues.
The five people were camping along the Black River in Reynolds County, county emergency coordinator Steve Chitwood told CNN. CNN has contacted authorities for further information.
Areas flooded around the river due to flash flooding Friday morning. About 10 people had to be rescued from the roof of Black River Lodge, Chitwood said. The Black River Bridge in Centerville, Missouri, is also closed, and water is flooding roads in other areas.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency, the highest level of flood warning, early Friday for more than 4,000 residents in parts of Reynolds and Iron counties in southeastern Missouri.
The heavy rain that triggered the warning has subsided, but a state of emergency will remain in place for much of Friday afternoon as flooding continues to be an issue. More rain is possible in the region late Friday and into the weekend.
Iron County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jordan Otwell told CNN on Friday morning that first responders rescued the two people from the cabin by boat. He said five more people were rescued by boat from the roof of a mobile home in another part of the county.
Otwell did not know the total number of people who took shelter on the roof, but said the boat was scheduled to return to the roof to pick up more people. No injuries were reported in Iron County, but about six area highways were closed due to flooding, he said.
More than a foot of rain has fallen in rural Missouri since Thursday night. Locations near Redmondville, Missouri, about 110 miles southwest of St. Louis, have seen 12.25 inches of rain since Thursday night.
Thunderstorms dumped 6 to 12 inches of rain overnight and early this morning, causing massive and devastating flash flooding across eastern Missouri. Further rainfall is expected in the same area tonight and a flood watch remains in place. #stlwx #mowx #ilwx pic.twitter.com/6Owqmhu0bi
— NWS St. Louis (@NWSStLouis) July 10, 2026
More than a foot of rain in 24 hours means this highly localized and ongoing event is at least a once-in-a-millennium flood for the area. Under normal conditions, this precipitation rate only has a 0.1% chance of occurring in a year. But as temperatures rise due to pollution from global warming, these extreme rainfall events are becoming more common because warmer air holds more moisture.
Friday’s heavy rains are just the beginning of a multi-day flood threat expected to impact areas from the central Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys to the central Appalachians into the weekend.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
