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Since midnight, 7.02 inches of rain have poured in St. Louis, sweeping out the previous record of 6.85 inches set on August 20, 1915, and causing flash floods.
Numerous Missouri and Illinois towns and cities have been pummeled by thunderstorms and torrential rain, leaving stranded motorists in the once-in-a-century downpour.
The St. Louis branch of the National Weather Service has declared a flash flood emergency for the area, advising locals to take higher ground and steer clear of driving or walking through flooded areas.
Doppler radar estimates that rainfalls have already exceeded eight inches, with some regions receiving close to a foot of rain.
Forecasters anticipate that the storm won’t start to weaken until 10am.
As the water levels rise, Twitter users have been alarmingly tweeting videos and pictures of drowned cars and inundated basements.
The rapid flooding has rendered Interstate 70 completely inaccessible and closed east of Mid Rivers Mall Drive close to Costco.