Heavy rainfall leaves area soaked

Cars try to navigate flooded streets on N. West Street in Sikeston during a heavy rain Thursday. Nearly three inches of rain fell over several hours in the Sikeston area Thursday, causing flooding on several streets.

David Jenkins/Standard Democrat

On Thursday, several rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms moved across the region dropping a large amount of rain in a short amount of time.

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, said rainfall of 2 to 5 inches fell in just a few hours, creating widespread flooding issues. Some of the worst flooding occurred in western Kentucky, particularly in the Mayfield area, where some homes and apartment complexes were surrounded by floodwaters.

Locally, heavy rain fell around the noon hour, flooding Sikeston roads, making them hard to pass and overflowing some ditches.

The NWS reported the Sikeston/Miner area received 2.44 inches of rain while Charleston received 2.88 inches. In Scott County, a motorist escaped after their vehicle became trapped on deep-flooded roadways at the T-section where county highways 234, 246 and 242 meet, just west of New Hamburg. Scott County Sheriff Wes Drury said emergency personnel responded when the vehicle was spotted in the deep water.

Fortunately, Drury said, someone had picked up the motorist, and the vehicle was stranded on the roadway. No other flood-related emergencies were reported in the county, he said.