A Missouri couple working the polls together on Election Day died in a flash flood.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a news release that the incident happened around 4:30 a.m. when three cars were carried off the road by floodwaters from Beaver Creek, a stream that begins in Douglas County and flows southwest through Taney County.
Two people from two vehicles were able to escape the flood and swim to safety. However, an unidentified 70-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman from Manes, MO, in the third car were found dead outside their vehicle at 8:45 a.m.
The couple were poll workers in the county, the Wright County Clerk’s Office. The office said it is not releasing their names for privacy reasons.
“This is a terrible loss for Wright County,” County Clerk Loni Pedersen said in a statement. “This couple were wonderful people who donated their time to serve their community. We will miss them dearly and the service they provided to my office.”
Newsweek has contacted the Wright County Clerk’s Office for further comment.
Record-breaking rainfall on Monday led to flash flood warnings in Missouri. On Tuesday, at least five counties east of Springfield reported anywhere from 10 inches to 12.28 inches of rain in 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service office in Springfield.
The Wright County Clerk’s office was open for voters if flooding prohibited their ability to make it to their polling place.
Missourians voted for a ballot measure called Amendment 3 on Tuesday to allow abortions up to fetal viability.
Donald Trump won Missouri and its 10 electoral votes. The former president and convicted felon has won the 2024 presidential election and will return to the White House for a second non-consecutive term.
In St. Louis County, two additional deaths were reported. Firefighters responded on Tuesday morning after a submerged SUV was spotted near the flooded Gravois Creek, close to Interstate 55. Crews broke through the sunroof to pull out a woman, who was later pronounced dead, according to Lemay Fire Protection District spokesperson Jason Brice per the Associated Press.
A few hours later, the body of a man was discovered in the same flooded creek. Authorities are investigating how he ended up there. Brice also reported that fire crews rescued 10 other people from flooded vehicles.
On Monday, Missouri state troopers recovered the body of a 66-year-old man after his car was swept off a bridge in Ironton, about 90 miles south of St. Louis.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected]
The post Details Emerge About 2 Poll Workers Killed In Floodwaters: ‘Terrible Loss’ appeared first on Newsweek.
