Thousands without Power, Drivers Rescued from Water After Strong Storms Hammer Missouri

Carolyn Williams
Published: June 26,2015

Powerful storms hammered parts of Missouri Thursday night into early Friday, leaving thousands without power and causing widespread flooding.
Over 150,000 customers – the majority from Kansas City Power & Light – experienced power outages, the Associated Press reported.

Storms seen over Chillicothe, Missouri, on June 25, 2015. (Photo Credit: Instagram/ttwags88)

"A cluster of thunderstorms, known to meteorologists as a mesoscale convective system, rolled through northeast Kansas and western Missouri, with damaging winds and locally flooding rain," said weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman.
(FORECAST: Severe Thunderstorm, Flash Flood Threats in the Midwest, South and East)
Heavy flooding closed sections of Highway 61 and Highway 79 early Friday morning, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Motorists were warned to stay off the roads to avoid being swept away.
Several water rescues were performed in the cities of Winfield and Troy, Missouri, where flash flooding inundated several cars, KSDK-TV reported.
About 10 residents in Winfield had to evacuate their homes after the McLean Creek levee overflowed, according to the Post-Dispatch. Flooding also prompted the evacuation of some residents in Old Monroe, Missouri, the AP said.
(MORE: Pakistan Heat Wave Kills At Least 1,000; Death Toll Rises Despite Lower Temperatures)
The Red Cross opened a shelter in Troy, Missouri, KTVI-TV said.
A lightning strike caused an apartment building fire in Granite City, Missouri, KSDK reported. Four apartments were damaged. There were no injuries.
The National Weather Service reported additional damage, including downed trees and power lines and overturned structures.
MORE: Southern Plains Flooding - May 2015