ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department announced in a news conference Tuesday that one person died after drowning in rising flood waters.
According to police, the person drowned in a car on Skinker Boulevard and Rosedale Tuesday.
St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said 8 1/2 feet of water flooded the area.
A civilian, according to Jenkerson, notified the department of a person in a vehicle in the area. As the flood waters receded, the person was pulled from the car and pronounced dead.
The person's identity has not been released. Jenkerson it is not known if the person was already in the area when it flooded and became trapped by the floods, or if the person drove into the flooding area.
This is the first known fatality as St. Louis and surrounding areas experienced historic rainfalls and flash flooding Tuesday.
Jenkerson said at least 70 people have been rescued during the floods.
Jenkerson advised people to never drive through flooded areas, and said the city is working to make sure flooded streets are blocked off.
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