A flash flood hit Cape Girardeau on Monday, June 8, causing hazardous conditions and significant damage to the Cape Girardeau Police Department
Public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Bobby Newton, said while the flood did not last long, it caused several vehicles to require emergency assistance.
“We had several roadways that were flooded. The water did go down quickly. There's just a lot of rain at one time. We had several roadways that were flooded as well, and several vehicles that were stalled in the roadways; the 911 center took over 50 calls within a one-hour period of time for stranded motorists involving the weather,” Newton said.
Newton said the Police Department was flooded, and equipment and vehicles were damaged, resulting in the department needing $1.7 million for repairs.
“We had flooding on the back lot where all of our patrol cars are parked. We had approximately 20 patrol cars that were damaged from the floodwaters. We're still working through that process, but we think there are between five and seven vehicles that are going to be a total loss. We also have water that's backed up into the police department headquarters here and causing damage inside the building as well.”
Newton said the police department has taken measures to mitigate damage from flash floods in the Cape Girardeau area in the past, but it was hard to prepare for this much water at once.