ST. LOUIS – Wednesday marks one year since historic flash flooding slammed the St. Louis region, a catastrophe fueled by torrential rainfall and described by regional weather experts as a “one in one-thousand year” occurrence.
Two people died from flooding impacts, more than 100 people were rescued at various stages of flash flooding and thousands of homes suffered some degree of flood damage.
Some parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area reported more than a foot of rainfall on July 26, 2022. The National Weather Service tracked nearly 13 inches in St. Peters, and around one foot of rain in Clayton and University City. In St. Louis City, the day marked a new record for daily rainfall, reaching 7.8 inches and breaking a record that stood more than 100 years.
In recognition of the historic flooding’s one-year anniversary, a task force consisting of University City and Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District officials will gather Wednesday to discuss what’s being done now to prevent future mass flooding events and what still needs to be done. The event will be held for free at University City High School, but registration is required. Click here to register or for more information.
What led up to the flooding?
Overnight into the early morning hours of July 26, a complex of thunderstorms set up along the Interstate 70 and Interstate 64 corridors of Missouri and Illinois.
Persistent rounds of storms made way from several different directions, leading to rainfall up to 2 inches per hour at its peak in some spots.
National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler describes the storm as one that moved into the St. Louis area around midnight, stalled for several and kept pouring water over the same relatively narrowband. Because of that, the rainfall impacts proved sporadic. Some parts of the St. Louis metro experienced up to a foot of rain, while some only collected a few inches.
The National Weather Service adds that St. Louis had been dealing with a drought for several weeks before the rain. Ground conditions and the storm’s proximity to rivers, creeks and other bodies of water likely aided in the flooding.
Impacts then and impacts now
Within hours of the historic flooding, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Missouri state officials all issued emergency declarations. One person died during a rescue effort in west St. Louis, another person died inside a vehicle that went underwater near Hazelwood, and ten puppies drowned from flooding at a St. Peters rescue shelter.
Two days later, another round of heavy rainfall hit the St. Louis metro, not nearly as intense as the first flooding, but enough to add to prolonged concerns.
Within months of both rounds of flooding, FEMA offered more than $100 million in assistance to residents in need. FEMA also helped with home assessments and setting up multiple recovery centers around the St. Louis area through November.
University City asked FEMA for tens of millions of dollars in hopes to buy out 300 homes and apartment complexes deemed condemned by the flooding. U-City concerns continue one year later. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that flood risks remain due to clogs at the nearby River Des Peres and the inability to get the right agencies to address the clogs.
Floodwaters caused millions in damages to the Metrolink system and set back routes for nearly a month. Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, one of Missouri’s oldest churches in north county, required large restorations. The Dardenne Creek levee broke in St. Charles County, prompting concerns for local farm fields. Aquaport in Maryland Heights shut down early for the 2022 season after flooding led to expensive repairs.
The City of St. Louis helped deliver emergency relief through the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and other partners and continues to push to help for those hit hard by flooding.
“We continue to work with our federal and state emergency management partners to help get families the support they need,” said Nick Desideri, communications spokesperson for the St. Louis Mayor’s Office. “The City came together in an overwhelming response one year ago. We remain in contact with our federal and state emergency partners on the next steps.”
A photo slideshow above shows widespread impacts across on July 26, 2022 from multiple counties in Missouri and Illinois.