'Please stay away': Lincoln County officials want 'flood tourism' to stop as residents evacuate

  • Source: KSDK-TV NBC 5 St. Louis
  • Published: 06/03/2019 03:09 AM

The severe storms that rolled through the St. Louis area Saturday night caused another levee to breach in Lincoln County. Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief Aaron Lee said a lot of rainwater and debris pushed up against the Pin Oak levee wall, causing it to breach Sunday afternoon. Another unusual sight is being seen as water rushes into Winfield and Foley: people coming to see the high flood waters and taking pictures. Emergency Management officials are calling it “flooding tourism.” But officials are urging “flood tourists” to stop. Foley resident April Kuhlman is a single parent, a Navy veteran, and now a flooding victim. "You have people coming down and getting in the way who don’t even live in the town, and you’re just trying to move, and they are in the way,” an emotional Kuhlman said. “When [first responders] tell you, ‘don't go there, please stay away,' it's hard. It's very difficult for us."



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