Record-breaking floods, hail and wind cause widespread damage in Grundy County
GRUNDY COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) -- A historic storm system brought record-breaking rainfall and baseball to golfball-sized hail to Grundy County on Saturday night, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and flooding rivers, creeks and farmland across the area.
According to preliminary estimates, at least 8.8 inches of rain fell in some locations, breaking a record set in the 1800s.
The heavy rain began around 5 p.m. and continued until roughly midnight, with the bulk of the precipitation occurring in a five-hour window.
Golfball to baseball-sized hail was also reported, damaging buildings and vehicles.
Winds knocked down trees and branches, and there was even a reported train derailment north of Trenton due to debris.
Glen Briggs, Emergency Management Director for Grundy County, said the storm is unlike any he has seen in his 19 years on the job.
"We've had some big floods, but this one, I think it's going to be record breaking," Briggs said. "We had the entire month's worth of May rainfall and a third of June's rainfall in five hours last night."
Initial damage estimates include at least $300,000 in road infrastructure damage.
Briggs said somewhere north of 200 homes have experienced some form of hail or water damage, though those numbers remain preliminary. Farmland damage is also extensive.
"I have no idea. Lots of farm fields," Briggs said. "Every river and creek is at or near flood stage right now. Or above."
Cleanup efforts are already underway. Crews have been focused on removing tree debris from roadways and pushing roads back open before addressing washouts and damaged culverts.
Briggs noted that several state highways are being worked on by MoDOT after underground tubes were undermined by flooding.
Despite the destruction, Briggs expressed pride in the community's response.
"It makes me feel tired, but also proud of our community," he said. "We're a tight knit community, and everybody's coming together. I've already had lots of Facebook messages, 'Is there anybody who needs help? Where can I go help out?' It's a tiring job, but it's also thankful to see how our community comes together in times like this."
The severe weather threat is not over. More rain is expected Sunday night, and officials are urging residents to remain vigilant.
"We're not done with the weather threat again," Briggs warned. "There's more weather threat tonight, more weather threat tomorrow. Please pay attention. This is an abnormal amount of rain. The soil is saturated, so it's not going to take much. You might think half an inch of rain might not cause major flash flooding, but it might tonight and tomorrow. Just pay attention to this being an abnormal situation."
