Heavy rain, high winds rip Missouri

ST. LOUIS — Storms with wind gusts up to 80 mph and torrential rains swept across Missouri overnight Thursday into Friday morning, leaving more than 150,000 homes and businesses without power and forcing dozens of water rescues.

Power failures were common in western Missouri — 107,000 customers of Kansas City Power & Light lost electricity Friday morning, and Independence Power & Light reported 42,000 failures. Fort Osage and Independence school districts canceled summer school classes due to power failures.

In eastern Missouri, up to 6 inches of rain fell in some areas.

Lincoln County, north of the St. Louis area, was especially hard hit. Rain came so fast and furious that the Cuivre River and several creeks flooded.

Lincoln County emergency management coordinator Jerry Daugherty said 31 people had to be rescued from homes and cars. About two dozen people had to evacuate their homes in the Winfield area.

U.S. 61 was closed in both directions at the Cuivre River Bridge in Lincoln County. Dozens of roads were closed by flooding across northern and eastern Missouri.

Gov. Jay Nixon planned visits to Clarksville and Winfield today.

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