
STEELVILLE, MO. - Around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, staff at Huzzah Valley Resort in Steelville, Mo., evacuated more than 150 campground guests after a flash flood warning and record flooding that damaged parts of the property, including the resort store, according to updates posted by team lead Chase Cottrell and the resort.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Cottrell said the flooding was unlike anything the resort had previously experienced.
“We are seeing record flooding that we have never seen before,” Cottrell said. “About 3:30 in the morning, we safely evacuated everybody from the campground.”
The resort said the flood came quickly and caused “significant damage” to the property, explained Cottrell.
“Around 3:30 a.m., on July 11, 2026, we received a flash flood warning, and our team immediately began evacuating the campground,” the resort said in an update. “The record-breaking flood came fast and caused significant damage to our property, including our store.”
Cottrell said the store took on about three feet of water.
“We are currently dealing with our store situation where we got about three feet of water inside the store,” he said. “We are not sure about the damage to the store. We will give updates over the next couple of days to see where we are going to be.”

The resort said phone lines are down and that floating, camping, and lodging services are temporarily paused while crews clean up and assess the damage.
“At this time, our phone lines are down, and all floating, camping, and lodging services are temporarily paused while we clean up and assess the damage,” the resort said.
The resort said all guests were evacuated safely.
“Everyone made it out safely, and we’re incredibly thankful for our staff and campers for their patience and cooperation,” the resort said. “We’ll continue to share updates as we make progress. Thank you for being so understanding.”
The resort also said guests with reservations during the disruption should wait to be contacted by staff.
“If you had a reservation during this time, hang tight; our team will be in contact with you as soon as we can,” the resort said.
If you have a news, human interest or sports idea, e-mail Danbrannan@riverbender.com or call or text 618-623-5930. Follow Dan Brannan on Facebook and on Twitter.

