Missouri Flood Death Toll Rises to One as Faith Gregory's Body Is Found in Huzzah Creek

One Confirmed Death After Days of Searching

Since historic rainfall triggered flash flooding across southeast Missouri beginning Friday, July 10, the death toll has moved from zero to one. Faith Gregory, 23, was found dead Saturday, July 11, in Huzzah Creek, nearly two miles from her home in Crawford County, according to NPR.

Gregory had been reported missing after the floodwaters hit, and search crews spent the following day looking for her before recovering her body. Her death is now the only confirmed fatality tied to the storm system that dropped as much as 12 inches of rain in hours across several Missouri counties.

Gov. Mike Kehoe's office described the rainfall in some areas as a "1-in-1,000-year rainfall event." Kehoe declared a state of emergency Friday as floodwaters swamped roads, campgrounds, and low-lying neighborhoods.

The Camp Taum Sauk Evacuation

The storm's most dramatic rescue played out at Camp Taum Sauk in Lesterville, Missouri, where more than 200 children and counselors were airlifted out Friday after floodwaters overtook the site, according to NPR. Eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, crewed by roughly 35 Missouri National Guard members, ferried campers to a nearby elementary school to reunite with parents.

Ann DeField, whose sons Benjamin, 11, and Teddy, 9, were both at the camp, told NPR she got a flurry of texts from other worried parents Friday morning after flash flooding hit overnight. Camp staff told families children had been moved to higher ground before the helicopter evacuation began that afternoon.

"It was a whirlwind," DeField said. "And my boys, when they got home ... I couldn't hug them long enough."

Her sons, by contrast, treated the ordeal like an adventure. Teddy told NPR the helicopter ride was "very loud and very cool and fast." DeField said she and her husband were more rattled by the experience than their kids were.

Statewide Response

Beyond the camp evacuation, first responders pulled hundreds of stranded Missourians from flooded roads, rooftops, and vehicles across the affected counties. Missouri Task Force 1 deployed 50 members with rescue boats and specialized equipment, according to St. Louis Public Radio.

"Missouri's first responders once again answered the call with extraordinary bravery, professionalism, and compassion, rescuing hundreds of Missourians from dangerous floodwaters," Kehoe said in a statement Friday.

The governor's office reiterated a warning it has issued before: more than half of Missouri's historical flood deaths involved people trapped in vehicles. Kehoe urged residents in flood-prone and low-lying areas to check forecasts before leaving home, avoid driving through flooded roads, and maintain multiple ways of receiving weather alerts, noting additional rain was expected in the days following the storm.

Ongoing Questions and Recovery

While Gregory's death confirms the storm's human toll, questions remain about whether current flood-warning systems in rural Ozark counties gave residents enough lead time given the "1-in-1,000-year" rainfall rates described by the governor's office. No state review of warning adequacy has been announced as of this writing.

Recovery efforts in Crawford County and surrounding areas continue, with state officials continuing to monitor conditions as additional rainfall moves through the region.