Boone County reports three stranded vehicles during rainy weekend

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several drivers were left stranded on flooded roads over the weekend has heavy rains in Mid-Missouri closed out the month of May.

Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp told ABC 17 News on Monday three vehicles were stuck in floodwaters from Friday to Sunday this past weekend. The BCFPD also assisted the Columbia Fire Department in a rescue at around 6:30 a.m. Monday on Blackfoot Road in northwest Columbia.

"They [CFD] put their rescue boat in the water and were able to retrieve two people off of Blackfoot Road here this morning," Blomenkamp said.

Blomenkamp added emergency responses overall this season were nothing new.

"There's three things about Missouri that I'll tell you: It gets hot, it's very cold, and we get a lot of rain, and we'll have flash flooding." Blomenkamp said "Having a few more inches of rain may be out of the ordinary, but again, it's the same flash flooding issues that we see every year."

ABC 17 Stormtrack Meteorologist John Ross reported that Columbia saw more than 2.8 inches of rain from Friday through Sunday. Columbia Regional Airport also reported a total of 8.35 inches of rain in the city this past May, putting May 2026 in the top-10 wettest Mays in Columbia's history.

Spring 2026 also ranks as the third-wettest spring in Columbia's history, with Columbia Regional Airport also reporting nearly 21 inches during the season.

Blomenkamp reminds drivers that vehicles can be swept away in just five to six inches of water. Residents should also expect the same areas to flood during every heavy storm.

"People should stay out of the water if it's over the roadway and they can't see it," Blomenkamp said. "What we saw this weekend was typically those vehicles in flooded roadways, same type of deal: They get out there, it's deeper than what they thought, their vehicle either starts to flood or it gets stuck and it dies and so they're not able to move, so then they get out the windows and sit on top of the car."

Blomenkamp added that high water can also obscure damage to the road. Residents in Rocheport reported that Sinking Creek Road in Rocheport was washed out over the weekend due to flooding. An ABC 17 News reporter in the area observed Boone County Road and Bridge Crews in the area treating the bridge at around 3 p.m. Monday.

Flooded roads and other closures can be found on Boone County's Road Dashboard.