Butler County firefighters responded to two separate incidences of motorists trapped in their cars because of high water Thursday.
The first call for assistance came in at 2:20 p.m. Thursday when a vehicle became stranded on County Road 450, which was covered with water.
The occupants were out of that vehicle when firefighters arrived.
The second incident took place at 11:34 p.m. on County Road 557.
Like the earlier incident, a driver’s vehicle became stranded in floodwaters across the road.
Firefighters were able to remove the driver from his/her vehicle at the second call.
The area received heavy rain much of the day Thursday and briefly was under a flash flood warning.
According to the National Weather Service, reports from around Poplar Bluff ranged from 2.68 to 3.23 inches of rain had fallen on the area.
The influx of rainwater also caused a sharp rise in the Black River, which rose from 3.5 feet early Thursday to 14.64 feet by early Friday morning.
Action stage on the Black River at Poplar Bluff is 12 feet and flood stage is 16 feet.