Ike brings flooding to county

By Bruce Wallace
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:15 AM CDT

Record-setting rains led to cars washing away and one death in Boone County over the weekend.

Michelle Runkle, a 21-year-old Columbia resident, and former Sturgeon High School basketball player, was washed downstream as she waded into a creek in an attempt to assist a stranded motorist.

The incident happened early Sunday morning near Clark Lane at Hominy Creek. Missouri State Water Patrol officers recovered her body about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The motorist Runkle was attempting to help had driven his car into what he thought was shallow water. His was not the only incident of that nature.

The Southern Boone Fire Protection District was called to the eastern end of Englewood Road on Sunday because a car had washed into the river. However, two campers who had parked near the bridge were safe.

For the four-day period, Ashland received 6.86 inches of rain, 4.83 inches in the 24-hour period of Saturday-Sunday morning, according to KMIZ meteorologist Sharon Ray.

"We had a cool front that came down at the end of the week that caused rain on Thursday and Friday, but Hurricane Ike blew in on Saturday and with the saturated ground, that water caused plenty of problems.

Print this story   |   Email this story