Severe storms caused unexpected levels of flash flooding that essentially cut off the south central Missouri town of Cassville.

“There’s a lot of flooding. We have numerous roads in the county are closed,” said a spokesman for the Barry County Sheriff’s Department. “We have had evacuations and rescues in Cassville.’’

The department’s website was even more blunt, stating “Cassville is CLOSED! Do NOT come to Cassville!’’

Witnesses say the flash flood really started to strike around 9 a.m.  Henry Thomas was in a local barbershop when the flood hit.

“I was sitting there, and this waste-paper basket comes floating out from the back room,” Thomas said. “‘We got a little current in here,’ is what I told J.T. That’s when he started cranking up his barber chair. He got it as high as it would go.”

“The water from Horner Branch came across the road and Flat Creek came up back behind us. We got it from both sides. It was like a river across this area. It was 2 foot deep at my front door,” barber J.T Blankenship told the Joplin Globe.

A Budget Inn had the entire first floor flooded.

Steve Runnels of the National Weather Service said that a flash flood emergency sent for the area around the Roaring River was vital, enabling the staff of the Roaring River State Park to evacuate campers.

“We knew it was going to be extreme,” Runnels said. “They got them moved out before they were trapped. Lives may have been saved because of those efforts.”

The city of Branson was also hit with flooding and many roads had to be closed because of impassably high water.