‘It was absolutely terrifying,’: Reflecting on two-year anniversary of historic flooding

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – Friday marks the two-year anniversary of the historic flooding in the St. Louis Metro area, as almost a foot of rain fell in some locations and two people drowned.

During the early morning hours of July 26, 2022, a complex of thunderstorms set up along the Interstate 70 corridor in Missouri and the Interstate 64 corridor in Illinois. One of the hardest-hit areas was St. Peters, where upwards of 11 inches of rain fell in about eight hours.

“It was absolutely terrifying. I have never felt like I was going to die before, and at that point, I did,” Ashley Miller, an employee at Elm Point Animal Hospital who was trapped in floodwaters, said.

At Elm Point Animal Hospital in St. Charles, a worker and animals became trapped in the flash flooding and at Stray Paws Rescue, 10 puppies died and 15 others were found with water standing up to their necks.

Highway C in St. Charles turned into a river, with chunks of pavement washing away. Cars were submerged and the water made it into homes and apartments, leading to some close calls.

Emergency teams in St. Charles evacuated over 80 people and rescued dozens more. There were dozens of other rescues in St. Louis County.

Over the span of the event, St. Louis Lambert International Airport observed 9.04 inches, the highest 24-hour rainfall on record. Two fatalities were reported: one in St. Louis City, where a man drowned in his car near Skinker Boulevard and another in Hazelwood, where a man drowned while attempting to flee his flooded truck.

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