ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – Record rainfall hit the St. Louis region Tuesday morning, and flash flooding has consumed cars, homes and businesses all around the area.
As many as 11 inches of rain fell Tuesday in St. Charles County. Nearly 10.5 inches fell in the city of Clayton, the highest reported total in St. Louis County.
Many roads and interstates had closures or delays amid the flash flooding. A section of Interstate 70 was closed in St. Peters, and many other roadways were flooded. Some vehicles were completely submerged. The Missouri State Highway Patrol on Twitter urged drivers to avoid I-70. Some motorists took to social media to report being stranded for several hours.
At one point, sections of interstates 64, 55 and 44 also were closed in the St. Louis area.
Flooding was so bad that the iconic Gateway Arch even closed for the day.
There were no immediate reports of injuries to people, but several puppies drowned when water got into a building at Stray Paws Adoptables, a stray dog rescue operation in St. Peters. Firefighters in boats were able to rescue other dogs from the building.
In the city of St. Louis, the fire department rescued people from 18 homes in the same general area after floodwaters made it into houses. The fire department said on Twitter that six people and six dogs were rescued by boat, while 15 others declined to leave their homes.
While the St. Louis region got the worst of it, other places were soaked, too. The central Missouri town of Mexico received more than 6 inches of rain. Similar rainfall totals were reported in parts of southern Illinois.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.