ST. LOUIS — At least two school districts have canceled classes on Monday, Aug. 26 due to heavy rain in the area.
The Rockwood School District and School District of Washington will not be in session Monday due to flash flooding issues.
The Rockwood School District released the following statement about the closure:
'Due to localized flash flooding, Rockwood School District officials are closing the school district today, Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. School buses and passenger cars are having trouble accessing roads around many of our schools. Rockwood transportation officials will turn our school buses around and return kids to their homes as soon as safely possible.'
The School District of Washington released this statement about Monday's closure:
'We have reports of significant flash flooding in Marthasville and Augusta, causing roads to be impassable. There is a flash flood warning in Franklin County. These conditions are causing limited or no bus service and employee routes to school to be delayed. As a result, we regret to inform you that that the School District of Washington will be closed on Monday, August 26, due to the hazardous commute conditions.'
The areas were under a flash flood warning at the time. Some spots in the viewing area reported getting heavy rain at rates of 1-3 inches an hour.
LaSalle Springs Middle School Assistant Principal Adam Gabris saw the effects of the flash flooding firsthand Monday. While on his way to work, he shot video of a car being washed away by the waters.
"I've been at LaSalle Springs for 11 years haven't seen anything like that before."
A man in a service vehicle wedged his truck in between her car so she could escape. Gabris captured the video on his cell phone.
"Once she was safe. That's when I started the video. We didn't do anything until I saw her get into the other truck."
As the water continued to rise, school bus drivers were forced to make split-second decisions. Some pulled over, others moved to higher ground, all in an effort to keep students safe.
"Every bus we had was impacted to one degree or another whether it just be moving very slow because of traffic congestion because of the heavy rain or it was because they had to just pull over and stop and wait it out," said Rockwood Transportation Director Mike Heyman.
That's when district officials made the call to cancel school.
"I believe we made the right decision today without a doubt," Rockwood Superintendent Mark Miles said. "Normally we have several hours in planning with inclement weather. Today we had about 30 minutes to make a decision to promote the safety of students and staff."
When the rain finally stopped, it left behind a lot of damage. Athletic fields at Eureka High School were underwater, forcing the school to find other places to practice.
"It washed out a good part of our baseball field," Eureka High School Athletic Director Gregg Cleveland said. "I know we've lost soccer goal that has been washed evidently under 109."
Cleveland said he’s looking for alternative locations to have soccer, baseball and softball practices. The football field appears to be OK.
The first game is on Friday, but it’s an away game at Ft. Zumwalt West.
To get the full forecast, click here.
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