Missouri has had just about enough of the sky's relentless waterworks and declared a state of emergency over severe storms and flash flooding battering the central, south-central, and south-eastern parts of the state.

Governor Mike Kehoe announced that the Missouri state emergency operations plan is now activated, letting state agencies coordinate directly with local jurisdictions to speed up emergency assistance. Because when you've got 6 to 12 inches of rain in some areas, you want your bureaucracy moving at something faster than a crawl.

"Over the past 24 hours, intense storms have created dangerous flash flooding across several regions of Missouri, resulting in multiple swift-water rescues," Kehoe said, sounding like a man who's seen enough people needing to be plucked from suddenly mobile rivers. "Activating the plan allows our agencies to move quickly, coordinate resources, and support local response efforts. I'm grateful for every first responder and local team member working around the clock to help save lives."

But the governor warned the threat was "not over" - surprise, surprise - with "additional heavy rain expected through the weekend." His advice for anyone camping, floating, or just hanging out near rivers and streams: "Move to higher ground and stay alert." Good luck with that.

The Missouri state highway patrol, emergency management agency, division of fire safety, state parks, and department of conservation are all on the case, working alongside local responders to deal with flooding that has affected homes, roads, and campgrounds. The state's task force is also activated, boasting 50 highly trained members, specialized equipment, and rescue boats - because when your street turns into a river, you want professionals.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) got in on the action Friday, issuing a Flash Flood Emergency for parts of Iron and Reynolds counties, warning of more thunderstorms and heavy rains through Friday evening, with an extended flood watch over the weekend. Flash flood warnings were also in effect for parts of Iron, Reynolds, Andrew, Madison, Washington, Buchanan, Crawford, Clinton, DeKalb, and Holt counties - basically, a whole lot of places you don't want to be right now.

The NWS noted that "the flash flood risk is increasing across south-eastern Missouri into the Tennessee Valley" as heavy rain falls on already saturated soils. "Numerous flash floods are likely," they said, urging residents to stay alert and avoid driving or walking through flooded roads. You know, the usual advice that people tragically ignore.

The NWS office in St. Louis reported that thunderstorms dropped 6 to 12 inches of rain from Thursday night into Friday morning, causing "extensive and catastrophic flash flooding across eastern Missouri." And because the weather has a sense of humor, "additional rainfall is expected in the same area through tonight."

Meanwhile, the NWS in Kansas City warned of "damaging winds and heavy rainfall," with hail and even a brief tornado not ruled out. "Storms will be efficient producers of torrential rainfall that could lead to flooding," they said. Efficient - that's one word for it.