Kenneth Ludwig, 41, of Hillsboro was found dead Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 5, after flash flooding in south St. Louis County. His body was found in the Gravois Creek hours after an Affton woman was found dead in an SUV near the same creek, St. Louis County Police reported.
Ludwig was found at about 2:45 p.m. in the 1600 block of Avenue H. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police are investigating his death as a suspected drowning, the report said.
Nancy Parisotto, 63, was found by fire crews at about 11:30 a.m. She was inside an SUV that had been submerged in water near Bayless Avenue and I-55, according to the report.
Police first responded to the area where Parisotto was found at about 6 a.m., and they closed Bayless Avenue for several hours because of the flooding.
Investigators believe Parisotto drove into the water “during the height of the flash flood,” and they are investigating her death as a suspected drowning due to the flood waters, the report said.
The flash flooding followed record rainfall throughout the St. Louis area.
The National Weather Service office in Weldon Spring said 3.89 inches fell between midnight and 4 p.m. Tuesday at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, a new record for the highest amount in a 24-hour period in the month of November.
The previous record was 3.56 inches on Nov. 18, 1921, according to the weather service.
St. Louis County Police reported that an official cause of death for Ludwig and Parisotto will not be known for approximately six to eight weeks.
Investigators ask anyone with information about the deaths to call 636-529-8210.