Firefighters had responded to roughly 70 rescues by late Tuesday morning, St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson told reporters. On one block in the western part of the city, the fire department said, it had used an inflatable boat to rescue six people and six dogs trapped in about 18 homes amid severe flooding. About 15 people chose to shelter in place.

Around 10 a.m., a person’s body was pulled out from a car that had been covered by about 8½ feet of floodwater, Jenkerson said. He said the incident was under investigation and did not provide additional details.

Weather.com warned, “Make sure you have multiple ways of receiving National Weather Service flood warnings, including while you’re sleeping, particularly if a rare flash flood emergency is issued. Know how to quickly get to high ground if you live in an area prone to flash flooding. Never drive into flood water, no matter how large your vehicle is. The majority of flood-related deaths occur in vehicles swept away or submerged.”