More than 200 people at a summer camp helicoptered to safety as Missouri faces flooding

By — Hallie Golden, Associated Press Hallie Golden, Associated Press By — Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/more-than-200-people-at-a-summer-camp-helicoptered-to-safety-as-missouri-faces-flooding Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More than 200 people at a summer camp helicoptered to safety as Missouri faces flooding Nation Jul 11, 2026 11:22 AM EDT Heavy rainfall and widespread flooding battered parts of Missouri on Friday, forcing the helicopter evacuations of more than 200 children and staff from a summer camp and the rescues of about 20 people who had moved to safety on a campground building that collapsed. With nearby roads washed away and more rain in the forecast, the children were trapped at Camp Taum Sauk in the small southeastern community of Lesterville, according Sgt. Eddie Young with the state's highway patrol. The Army National Guard used Black Hawk helicopters to fly them to a nearby elementary school and reunite them with their families, he said. The camp thanked emergency crews late Friday in a post on Instagram, saying, "We are beyond thankful for your help keeping our camp community safe." READ MORE: As heat wave breaks, flash flood warnings issued for parts of New York City and Northeast Meanwhile, the campers at the Bearcat Getaway campground near the Black River, about 85 miles (136 kilometers) south of St. Louis, had climbed onto a building to get away from the raging waters when it collapsed, Young said. "Between the weight and the constant waters underneath it, it just gave away on them," he said. Three other people were trapped on trees on the Black River in Reynolds County and were rescued Friday evening, Young said. There have been no reports of major injuries or fatalities, but a woman in Crawford County was missing after a house she was in was swept from its foundation by the flooding, Young said. The county is about 71 miles (114 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for the area, which got between 6 and 12 inches (15 and 30 centimeters) of rain as thunderstorms piled on one after another, said Matt Beitscher, a lead meteorologist with the NWS office in St. Louis. "It's very, very popular place for recreation," Beitscher said of the affected counties. "So there are campgrounds there. There are float trip locations there. A lot of vulnerable populations that would be susceptible to flash flooding." WATCH: One year since deadly flood at Camp Mystic, parents push for better safety standards The weather service warned that if southeastern Missouri sees more heavy rains overnight into Saturday morning, "considerable flood impacts will be likely." Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency and activated one of the state's search and rescue teams to assist. He said late Friday that hundreds of people had been saved