Remnants of Hurricane Beryl are expected to produce heavy rain and flooding in the St. Louis region Tuesday.
The area is expected to get two to four inches of rain from the storm. Meteorologists say the area is especially prone to flooding because soil is already saturated and unable to hold much more water after the city received heavy rain last week.
Lydia Jaja, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis, said it’s dangerous to drive in floodwaters and strongly advises against it.
“Even if you think that it’s really not that deep or the water’s not even moving, you don’t know that until you’re swept away,” Jaja said.
She said that most of the rain will hit between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Tuesday and that people should be cautious if they have to drive, especially in the morning.
“Just because it’s rain and not snow doesn’t mean that it can’t be blinding,” she said. “Make sure you have your lights on when you’re driving. Make sure you have your windshield wipers on, because I don’t think people realize just how invisible cars can be in heavy rain.”
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Monday in St. Louis County from 1 a.m. Tuesday till Wednesday morning. Jaja said the storm is predicted to have the most impact just east of St. Louis and through south-central Illinois.
Sarah Russell, commissioner of the City of St. Louis Emergency Management Agency, said people should pay attention to the forecast of their specific area to stay safe since some areas have higher threats than others.
“Making sure that wherever you live, that you’re paying attention to the local media forecasts, as well as your own local emergency management agencies, for any alerts due to flooding is very important,” Russell said.
She said the city is working with various departments to ensure roads are safe and first responders are on standby for emergencies. She advises people to secure outdoor items or store them inside, clean gutters and drains and stay updated on weather conditions.
Russell suggests having needed items ready in case of an evacuation emergency, including vital documents and medication.
“It’s still important to have these plans and processes in place to make sure that if for some reason you were to need to leave your home, that you’re able to do so and have the resources you need with you to do so safely,” she said.
Jaja said she wants people to take the warnings and weather alerts seriously because they’re in place for a reason.
“We care,” Jaja said. “We’re not just issuing these warnings just because we want to. We’re issuing them because we really do care about the lives of the people that we serve.”
Current conditions for St. Louis from the National Weather Service can be viewed here.
