Emergency responders were thrust into action Tuesday following a deluge of rain that resulted in several reports of flash flooding throughout Monroe County and surrounding areas.

Fortunately no injuries were reported.

“Everyone is safe. That’s the main thing,” Monroe County Public Safety Director Kevin Scheibe said.

The heavy rainfall resulted in a flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service.

Scheibe said the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency, Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and Monroe County Highway Department monitored all local roadways for potentially dangerous situations.

Scheibe urged motorists to be on the lookout for “road closed” and “water on roadway” signs when traveling throughout the county.

At noon, Scheibe said Bluff Road was closed from Valmeyer to Prairie du Rocher due to multiple areas along that stretch that were under water and impassable following extremely heavy rainfall. That portion of Bluff Road was back open as of early Tuesday evening.

Late Thursday afternoon, the Monroe County Highway Department said Bluff Road was closed from HH to Hanover roads south of Columbia. That has also since reopened.

Other road closures in Monroe County as of Tuesday evening included Ames Road at Horse Creek near Renault and Deer Hill Road south of HH Road in rural Waterloo. Both roadways have since reopened.

In addition, the St. Clair County EMA reported that portions of Route 158 near Millstadt had standing water on the roadway.

From about 12:30 p.m. through late Tuesday night, local fire departments and other emergency officials responded to a multitude of calls related to flooding – including water seeping into buildings and rescues of motorists stranded in high water on rural roadways in addition to some full building evacuations.

At 12:30 p.m., the Hecker Fire Department responded to a report that a dam at Lake of the Woods subdivision off Route 156 east of Waterloo was in danger of failing due to high water. Fortunately, the dam held.

Shortly after that page out, Hecker firefighters were also sent to the 7100 block of Goeddeltown Road near Reheis Road for a woman stranded in her vehicle with waist-high water. The New Athens, Smithton and Waterloo fire departments provided assistance in this rescue effort, which proved difficult due to water surrounding all avenues to the stranded motorist. The Waterloo Police Department also responded for use of its new drone. 

The woman was eventually rescued without injury at about 2:20 p.m.

The Valmeyer Fire Department responded to assist with traffic control on Route 156 west of Waterloo for water over multiple portions of roadway in that area.

Columbia Fire Department personnel responded to several flood-related reports. 

Firefighters responded to flooding near The Falls on Admiral Weinel Boulevard, at Creative Kids daycare center on North Metter Avenue, and at Top Shooters Sports Bar on Old Route 3. Evacuation efforts took place at Top Shooters, with Old Route 3 eventually closed due to water covering the roadway. 

Employees at Midland States Bank and occupants inside Braun Funeral Home on Quarry Road near Ghent Road were stranded inside their businesses. At 2:15 p.m., the CFD brought its rescue boat to the bank to assist in a voluntary evacuation.

Columbia also assisted Dupo firefighters at about 1 p.m. with a Toyota Prius partially submerged in high water on I-255 just inside St. Clair County. The driver of this vehicle was quickly rescued in that incident. 

Yet another call for the Columbia firefighters was a car stranded in high water in the area of Bluffside Road at Stemler Road northeast of Columbia. The male driver was standing on the roof of his vehicle to stay safe until responders arrived on scene. 

Shortly after 1:45 p.m., the CFD responded to the area of Triple Lakes Road and Wagner Road near Millstadt for another occupied vehicle stuck in water. The CFD utilized its rescue boat to reach the stranded driver. Another stranded vehicle nearby on Wagner Road was also tended to at about 2 p.m., with that motorist also rescued.

At 3 p.m., Columbia firefighters responded to the Garden Place senior living community at 480 DD Road for water creeping over to breach the nearby Palmer Creek. Emergency personnel assisted in a successful evacuation of Garden Place residents, who were transported to the Columbia American Legion Hall temporarily. 

“It went really well,” Scheibe said of the senior care evacuation. “Police, fire, EMS personnel all worked together. It’s amazing.”

Scheibe said this was done as a precaution and residents may not be able to return to Garden Place until sometime Wednesday due to concerns of more water flowing south from places to the north that also received heavy rain in addition to the unknown rainfall in the forecast overnight. 

Scheibe offered an update, saying he gave an “all clear” for Garden Place residents to return to their living spaces at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday, EMCO Chemical Packaging at 1900 Westgate Drive, located just west of Garden Place across the railroad tracks in the Bottoms, evacuated its building without requiring assistance from emergency personnel due to similar concerns.

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., a vehicle left the roadway and got stuck in high water in the area of 3400 State Route 156 near Valmeyer, but the driver was able to safely evacuate on his own.

Another water rescue took place at 9:40 p.m., with Hecker and New Athens units responding to a man standing on the roof of his submerged vehicle in the 8800 block of Nike Road near Richland Creek. The man was rescued by about 10 p.m.

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