The heavy rains on Tuesday (April 7) brought flash flooding in streams and low-lying areas across Jefferson County, creating some treacherous circumstances.
In Fenton, a pond near Murphy Elementary School overflowed, sending water streaming into the school and down a hallway and eventually into six to eight kindergarten and first-grade classrooms, where it stood 2 or 3 inches deep, said Katie Cothron, community relations coordinator for the Northwest R-1 School District.
“The rain came down so quickly. The kids were safe. The custodial staff and teachers are credited with getting the students out of the classrooms,” Cothron said. “There was some damage, mostly to things that were setting on the floor.”
Custodians in the building acted quickly, and custodians from other buildings in the district were brought in to help with the cleanup.
Firefighters from the High Ridge Fire Protection District also helped with the cleanup, with at least half a dozen firefighters with squeegees moving water to the drains.
“It’s all been taken care of,” Cothron said. “Students will be back in their classrooms tomorrow,” she said.
High Ridge firefighters also responded to a stalled vehicle in standing water at Carolyn and Tricia drives in the Sue Lynn Estates subdivision off Schumacher Road.
The driver of the Pontiac Grand Am drove into the standing water, assistant chief John Lakin said.
“It was a lot deeper than what he thought. The water went up to the engine and it stalled,” he said.
The water rose and fell so quickly, it had already receded and was only about a foot deep when firefighters arrived. The water also was no longer moving. Firefighters put on life vests, walked over to the vehicle and opened the door for the man, who got out safely. The vehicle, however, did not fare as well. Water had gotten into the engine and it had to be towed home, Lakin said.
The heavy downpour inundated areas that are not usually prone to flooding, said High Ridge Fire Chief Mike Arnhart.
“With the high volume of water, we saw challenges where we haven’t seen them before,” he said.
In Dittmer, two mobile homes in the 8000 block of Dittmer Ridge Road were surrounded by water when a swollen creek overflowed after the mid-morning downpour.
By the time firefighters arrived, the water was already receding, said Greg Shuster, assistant chief of the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District.
“We contacted them (the occupants of the mobile homes) by phone and made sure they were safe and OK with it. We didn’t leave until then,” he said.
Shuster said allowing people to stay in their homes as waters recede can be less hazardous than trying to evacuate them.