Wayne Cox, center, and Scott Troeckler, right, from Kirberg Company work from a bucket held by a crane to strap loose debris to another crane during cleanup at Centenary United Methodist Church in ºüÀêÊÓƵ after an overnight storm took off the building's steeple on Saturday, July 10, 2021. The workers will place plastic over the exposed area of the steeple once the debris has been removed, "in order to mitigate water damage and prevent a collapse," said Adam Gwaltney of Kirberg Co. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Webster Groves public works employees were called in before dawn to clear fallen trees that covered roads throughout the area following early morning storms on Saturday, July 10, 2021. This oak blocked Forest Green Drive at Grant Road. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
Robert Cohen
Search and rescue crews use a camera to check drains near Interstate 70 and Airflight Drive where a 12-year-old girl went missing after the car she was in was caught in floodwaters early Saturday, July 10, 2021. The girl's body was found hours later by searchers. Photo by Daniel Shular of the Post-Dispatch, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Kirkwood City Electric Department worker David Moore, right, takes a piece of an electrical pole from Brendan Kelly, left, that was damaged in a storm over night on Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Kirkwood. Throughout the city of Kirkwood crews moved debris from roads and tried to restore power to residents. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Trees downed by high winds smashed a car parked along the north side of Tower Grove Park, after overnight storms in the Southwest Garden neighborhood of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, which was left with a power outage, shown Saturday morning, July 10, 2021. A neighborhood resident said that during the storm it felt like her roof was being lifted off. Photo by Michael Hamtil, mhamtil@post-dispatch.com
Neighbors marvel at a massive tree that was brought down by high winds on a street just west of Tower Grove Park, after overnight storms in the Southwest Garden neighborhood of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, which was left without power on Saturday, July 10, 2021. The property owner, Dr. Heidi Sandige, second from right, came home to the damage after working overnight. “This was a beautiful tree. Probably the oldest tree in the neighborhood except for the Botanical Garden. It was a draw for the property,” she said. Photo by Michael Hamtil, mhamtil@post-dispatch.com
A downed power line and pole snapped in half are seen in a neighborhood without power just west of Tower Grove Park, after overnight storms in the Southwest Garden area of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Photo by Michael Hamtil, mhamtil@post-dispatch.com
A tree limb damaged preschool playground equipment at Kirkwood United Methodist Church at Clay and Washington avenues in Kirkwood when heavy winds moved through the region early Saturday, July 10, 2021. Photo by Kim Bell, kbell@post-dispatch.com
Kim Bell
Kirkwood City Streets Department worker Larry Pirtle uses the bucket of a bulldozer to break off damaged limbs from a tree after an overnight storm in Kirkwood on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Throughout the city crews moved debris from roads and tried to restore power to residents. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Kirkwood City Streets Department worker Hassan Ward uses a leaf blower to clear damaged limbs and leaves from Fillmore Avenue in Kirkwood on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Throughout the city of Kirkwood crews moved debris from roads as a result of severe overnight storms. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Caution tape blocks the sidewalk in front the Centenary Church of ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Downtown. Crews closed the sidewalk for a cleanup of the property after an overnight storm took off the building's steeple. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Members of the Missouri Highway Patrol huddle together before leaving the scene of a tunnel that runs under Interstate 70 towards Lambert International Airport where they were searching for Alyeya Carter on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Family members and friends of Alyeya Carter comfort each other in front of a Bring them home STL Search and Rescue volunteer's car as rain falls on Natural Bridge Road near Lambert International Airport after recieving news that Alyeya's body had been found on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Crowds gather along Natural Bridge Road waiting to hear updates on the search for Alyeya Carter after calls for help went out on on social media platforms near Lambert International Airport on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
Members of the Missouri Highway Patrol and Metropolitan ºüÀêÊÓƵ Sewer District search a tunnel that runs under Interstate 70 towards Lambert International Airport for Alyeya Carter on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
UPDATED at 6 p.m. Saturday with additional details.
ST. LOUIS — A 12-year-old girl was killed Saturday when she was swept away by floodwater following a powerful storm that caused broad damage in the ºüÀêÊÓƵ region.
The storm knocked down trees and utility lines, cut power to thousands of people and had crews scrambling to remove debris from yards and roads.
The girl was in a car traveling east on Interstate 70 near ºüÀêÊÓƵ Lambert International Airport about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, according to Missouri Highway Patrol Cpl. Juston Wheetley. The car was caught in a current when the driver attempted to make a U-turn and navigate Airflight Drive.
The car was swept into a large concrete storm drain, Wheetley said. Two children and the woman driving the car were able to exit safely, he said. But the 12-year-old was swept into the storm drain as she attempted to get out of the car.
The child disappeared just to the south of the airport, and her body was found hours later in Coldwater Creek near McDonnell Boulevard, to the north of the airport.
She was identified by Wheetley as Alyeya Carter, although several social media posts by people who appeared to be family and friends referred to her as Aaleya. She lived with her family in Black Jack.
It wasn’t clear if the other three in the car were hurt, he said.
Several other vehicles attempted to drive through the same floodwater and were stalled, Wheetley said.
Steeple collapses
ºüÀêÊÓƵ fire officials, meanwhile, reported that the steeple at Centenary United Methodist Church collapsed. The church is downtown near the intersection of Pine Street and North 15th Street. Debris fell onto the streets and parking lots below. No injuries were reported.
Pastor Kathleen Wilder, 61, said she noticed as she drove into the city from her home that she couldn’t see the cross atop the steeple off in the distance as she normally could most mornings. She then discovered why.
“It really was a part of the skyline,†Wilder said. “As I was driving in, I noticed it was gone, and I lost my breath.â€
She wasn’t sure how much repairs will cost but said it will be expensive. The portion of the church damaged in the storm was built in 1869, she said.
The church’s caretaker, Gregory Allen, 63, was asleep when the damage occurred, he said. He awoke to firefighters knocking on his bedroom door around 1 a.m.
“When I heard the firefighters banging on my door, I thought I was dreaming,†Allen said.
Widespread damage
Many people woke Saturday to fallen trees and limbs that damaged homes and cars, and blocked roadways across the region.
Officials in Clayton issued an advisory telling people to use caution when traveling in the city because of the debris that had fallen onto roads.
The Tower Grove farmers market in ºüÀêÊÓƵ was canceled because of what officials said was “extensive†damage to the park.
A car was crushed by a tree in the Southwest Garden neighborhood of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, and elsewhere in the neighborhood, Dr. Heidi Sandige came home after working overnight to find a large tree had toppled over in her yard.
“This was a beautiful tree. Probably the oldest tree in the neighborhood except for the Botanical Garden,†she said. “It was a draw for the property.â€
Other areas to the west also appeared to be hard hit. A large limb fell on preschool equipment at Kirkwood United Methodist Church in Kirkwood, and crews in that city were busy much of the day clearing trees and limbs from roads.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jared Maples said roughly 1 to 2 inches of rain fell late Friday and early Saturday in most places in the metro area. Some places saw more, with an additional 1 to 2 inches falling through the day Saturday in some spots.
A flash flood watch was in place through Sunday morning. Maples said the likeliest chance of flooding was south of I-70.
Gusts early Saturday reached up to 70 mph, according to Kevin Anders, vice president of operations at Ameren Missouri.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ and ºüÀêÊÓƵ County were the areas most affected, with Maryland Heights, Overland and Creve Coeur among the places receiving particularly extensive damage.
Ameren Missouri reported that at the height of the outage there were more than 60,000 customers statewide without power. The utility said power to some customers may not be restored for 48 hours because of the extent of the damage and a forecast with a chance of more thunderstorms through the weekend.
Electrical supply from Ameren’s energy centers was not an issue, Anders said. He knew of at least five downed power poles and said fixing power line infrastructure was the big task for crews Saturday.
Ameren had 300 people working and called in additional workers from neighboring utilities to speed the process, he said.
Photos: Strong storm roars through ºüÀêÊÓƵ, causing widespread damage and one death
Steeple lost at Centenary Church of ºüÀêÊÓƵ
Steeple lost at Centenary Church of ºüÀêÊÓƵ
Storms cause extensive damage across ºüÀêÊÓƵ overnight
Storms cause extensive damage in ºüÀêÊÓƵ overnight
Storms cause extensive damage overnight in ºüÀêÊÓƵ
Trees down across the region following overnight storms
This map, which updates every 20 minutes, shows how many local Ameren customers are experiencing outages. Zoom out to see other areas.
Wayne Cox, center, and Scott Troeckler, right, from Kirberg Company work from a bucket held by a crane to strap loose debris to another crane during cleanup at Centenary United Methodist Church in ºüÀêÊÓƵ after an overnight storm took off the building's steeple on Saturday, July 10, 2021. The workers will place plastic over the exposed area of the steeple once the debris has been removed, "in order to mitigate water damage and prevent a collapse," said Adam Gwaltney of Kirberg Co. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Webster Groves public works employees were called in before dawn to clear fallen trees that covered roads throughout the area following early morning storms on Saturday, July 10, 2021. This oak blocked Forest Green Drive at Grant Road. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
Search and rescue crews use a camera to check drains near Interstate 70 and Airflight Drive where a 12-year-old girl went missing after the car she was in was caught in floodwaters early Saturday, July 10, 2021. The girl's body was found hours later by searchers. Photo by Daniel Shular of the Post-Dispatch, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Kirkwood City Electric Department worker David Moore, right, takes a piece of an electrical pole from Brendan Kelly, left, that was damaged in a storm over night on Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Kirkwood. Throughout the city of Kirkwood crews moved debris from roads and tried to restore power to residents. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Trees downed by high winds smashed a car parked along the north side of Tower Grove Park, after overnight storms in the Southwest Garden neighborhood of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, which was left with a power outage, shown Saturday morning, July 10, 2021. A neighborhood resident said that during the storm it felt like her roof was being lifted off. Photo by Michael Hamtil, mhamtil@post-dispatch.com
Neighbors marvel at a massive tree that was brought down by high winds on a street just west of Tower Grove Park, after overnight storms in the Southwest Garden neighborhood of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, which was left without power on Saturday, July 10, 2021. The property owner, Dr. Heidi Sandige, second from right, came home to the damage after working overnight. “This was a beautiful tree. Probably the oldest tree in the neighborhood except for the Botanical Garden. It was a draw for the property,” she said. Photo by Michael Hamtil, mhamtil@post-dispatch.com
A downed power line and pole snapped in half are seen in a neighborhood without power just west of Tower Grove Park, after overnight storms in the Southwest Garden area of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Photo by Michael Hamtil, mhamtil@post-dispatch.com
A tree limb damaged preschool playground equipment at Kirkwood United Methodist Church at Clay and Washington avenues in Kirkwood when heavy winds moved through the region early Saturday, July 10, 2021. Photo by Kim Bell, kbell@post-dispatch.com
Kirkwood City Streets Department worker Larry Pirtle uses the bucket of a bulldozer to break off damaged limbs from a tree after an overnight storm in Kirkwood on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Throughout the city crews moved debris from roads and tried to restore power to residents. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Kirkwood City Streets Department worker Hassan Ward uses a leaf blower to clear damaged limbs and leaves from Fillmore Avenue in Kirkwood on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Throughout the city of Kirkwood crews moved debris from roads as a result of severe overnight storms. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Caution tape blocks the sidewalk in front the Centenary Church of ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Downtown. Crews closed the sidewalk for a cleanup of the property after an overnight storm took off the building's steeple. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Members of the Missouri Highway Patrol huddle together before leaving the scene of a tunnel that runs under Interstate 70 towards Lambert International Airport where they were searching for Alyeya Carter on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Family members and friends of Alyeya Carter comfort each other in front of a Bring them home STL Search and Rescue volunteer's car as rain falls on Natural Bridge Road near Lambert International Airport after recieving news that Alyeya's body had been found on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Crowds gather along Natural Bridge Road waiting to hear updates on the search for Alyeya Carter after calls for help went out on on social media platforms near Lambert International Airport on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Members of the Missouri Highway Patrol and Metropolitan ºüÀêÊÓƵ Sewer District search a tunnel that runs under Interstate 70 towards Lambert International Airport for Alyeya Carter on Saturday, July 10, 2021. 12-year-old Carter went missing after the car she was riding in was swept into a storm drain near Airflight Drive by floodwater around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com