Flash Flood in Pulaski County, Missouri

This storm report will be a summary of the total damage for the Waynesville area and Pulaski County for this flooding event. Approximately 90 percent of the roads in the county were damaged with 65 percent of the roads had major damage. There were 25 low water crossings that were totally washed out and numerous more needed repairs. There were up to 100 homes and businesses that were inundated by flood waters. Numerous cars were flooded or washed away. Most of the homes flooded were along Mitchell Creek and Rubidoux River near downtown Waynesville. Over 100 people were rescued from swift and high water. There were two flash flood fatalities which occurred near downtown Waynesville.

A stalled frontal boundary led to multiple rounds of thunderstorms which trained over the same areas and produced intense rainfall rates and rainfall totals. Most areas received between one and five inches of rainfall with some localized areas receiving up to 20 inches of rainfall in several days. This caused devastating floods and flash floods with some rivers reaching all time record levels. There were several hundred rescues performed and evacuations of over 500 individuals from their homes across the Missouri Ozarks. Joint agencies from the federal, state, and local assessed over 18 million dollars in damages to property and infrastructure. Over 380 homes and over 130 businesses were damaged due to the floods.