Water rescues ongoing in southeast Missouri amid heavy rainfall

U.S. newsWater rescues ongoing in southeast Missouri amid heavy rainfallAuthorities said about 20 people who were unaccounted for at the Bearcat Getaway campground in Lesterville were located and are OK.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Flooding in Steelville, Mo., on Friday.Erin Whitson via FacebookShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 10, 2026, 7:09 PM EDTBy Dennis RomeroRescue efforts continued Friday amid roiling floodwaters in parts of southeast Missouri, where nearly a foot of rain fell in some areas earlier in the day and more was expected.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“This is an unfolding event and we’re going to stay here and serve the citizens of Missouri until we get the job done,” said Ernie Rhodes, leader of the federal search-and-rescue cooperative known as Missouri Task Force 1.In Reynolds County, a group of about 20 people were on a structure at Bearcat Getaway campground in Lesterville, along the Black River, when it collapsed and put many in the floodwaters, Sgt. Eddie Young of Missouri Highway Patrol said at a news conference Friday.He said all have been accounted for and are OK.Earlier, five missing campers at the location, about 125 miles south of St. Louis, were accounted for, the Reynolds County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. During the day’s rescue operations, two boats carrying first responders capsized, but all on board were rescued and safe, the office said.“We are thankful that no serious injuries have been reported,” it said.First responders have conducted more than 90 rescues in the area, the sheriff’s office said.Water rescues were also taking place in southern Crawford County, the highway patrol said.Authorities said rescue efforts are ongoing.“We’re not done,” said Young. “And the resources are not finished coming into this area and the affected areas.”Elsewhere in the area, a road collapsed and others were shut down due to flooding, the Reynolds...