4 people dead after heavy rain causes flooding in Missouri

PIEDMONT, Mo. (AP) -- Parts of southern Missouri received more than 10 inches of rain over the past day-and-a-half, leaving four people dead and hundreds out of their homes.

The rains are finally expected to come to an end on Wednesday, leaving residents and community officials from Springfield to Cape Girardeau assessing the damage of the sudden and ceaseless rain that began Monday and continued virtually nonstop into Wednesday morning.

Two of the dead were in Greene County in the Springfield area, the latest a 67-year-old man who drove his car into a flooded creek 1 mile east of the city. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Ronald Rudd's car was swept 600 feet downstream Tuesday night and became lodged in debris.

Rudd's 69-year-old wife, Dorothy Rudd, suffered minor injuries and was taken to St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Missouri Department of Transportation worker Joshua Slatten, 21, of Springfield died Tuesday when his dump truck was struck by a semi as Slatten was setting up barriers along a flooded area of U.S. 65. The name of the second Greene County victim was not released. He died when his car was pushed off the road by floodwaters, according to the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency.

An 81-year-old man was found dead around noon Tuesday in the hard-hit town of Ellington, about 120 miles southwest of St. Louis, said Missouri State Water Patrol spokesman Lt. Nicholas Humphrey. Walter Baker was found drowned in floodwaters near a cluster of debris.

State officials haven't confirmed the fourth death, but the Southeast Missourian newspaper in Cape Girardeau reported that 69-year-old Thurman Shelton of Jackson died when his pickup was swept into a creek in Marble Hill.

Gov. Matt Blunt activated the Missouri National Guard. Hundreds of roads were closed in southern, central and eastern Missouri because of high water.

Flash flooding was the biggest problem, but some rivers were also rising signicantly. The Meramec was expected to crest 10-15 feet above flood stage at some spots, threatening towns like Eureka and Valley Park. The Big and St. Francis rivers were also expected to see significant flooding.

Two of the hardest hit towns were only a few miles apart in southeast Missouri -- Ellington and Piedmont.

Propane tanks floated free Tuesday near Ellington, and a mudslide closed Highway H. Up to 50 homes and half of the town's businesses were evacuated. SEMA said a bridge was at risk due to rushing water.

Earlier Tuesday, a Water Patrol boat sank near Ellington while searching for flood victims. One officer was on the boat, but he made his way to shore and was unharmed.

An estimated 300 houses and businesses were flooded in Piedmont, a town of 2,000 residents. There were no immediate reports of injuries there. Wayne County Emergency Management Director Eric Fuchs said McKenzie Creek was the culprit, rising well above its banks.

Scott and Marilyne Peterson and their 25-year-old son, Scott Jr., scurried out of their mobile home in rural Piedmont after watching the water rise 3 feet in five minutes. The family had just enough time to grab some essentials, a few clothes and the family dog.

"You didn't have time to worry," Scott Peterson Sr. said. "You just grab what you can and go and you're glad the people are OK."

There were no reports of injuries in Piedmont, but dozens of people were rescued in about 15 to 20 boat trips.

In Winona in Shannon County, 20 to 30 homes along Pike Creek were evacuated. Water had flooded Winona High School and the Dollar Store. Missouri Route 19 was briefly closed when dislodged propane tanks got stuck under a bridge.

Firefighters and police were called to pull motorists out of flooded roads in and around Springfield, said Greene County Emergency Management Director Ryan Nicholls. Three dozen roads were closed. Lake Springfield was nearing the top of its banks, threatening to close the James River Expressway, a major thoroughfare.

"It's absolutely abnormal to have this much rain and more on the way today and tonight," Nicholls said.

In Rogersville, a town of about 1,500 people 20 miles east of Springfield, water from flooded creeks flowed into as many as three dozen homes.

"Some of them have washing machines and dryers floating in several feet of water," Fire Chief Rich Stirts said.

In Bollinger County, conservation workers helped rescue people near Marble Hill. Propane tanks broke loose and were leaking.

Cape Girardeau County received about 10 inches of rain, causing flooding in the streets. Some residents of Cape Girardeau were trapped in their homes, SEMA officials said. At least two private levees were reported breached.

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AP reporters Marcus Kabel in Springfield, Jim Salter and Christopher Leonard in St. Louis, and Chris Blank in Jefferson City contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

National Weather Service River Watch: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/riverwatch.