NEOSHO, Mo. — Rivers across Southwest Missouri broke their banks on Saturday, forcing hundreds of people to leave their homes.

Jesus Martinez, 26, came home from work to find his children had been evacuated from the house while he was at work. They will stay at a motel for several days — or at least until he can come up with another arrangement. 

Floodwaters reached above his doorstep on Saturday morning, flooding the basement. He said he received no warning from authorities that his home might be in danger of flooding.

“They should have gotten everybody out from that side (of the street) in advance. I did not expect this,” he said, adding that he does not have flood insurance.

Meteorologists said 9 inches of rain fell in an area east of Neosho by Saturday afternoon, while most of the area saw between 3 and 5 inches. More rain is expected to move into the area through this morning, and flooding may not subside until Monday or Tuesday.

Tammy Howe, 32, and her husband and children were among those pulled to safety in a dinghy by rescue workers in east Neosho. Also in tow was her daughter’s friend, who had stayed with the family for a sleepover.

“I’m prepared for tornadoes, not a flood,” she said.

“We were walking on the road, then 10 minutes later, the water was 10 feet over the road,” said Adam Miller, a patrolman with the Anderson Police Department.

He estimated that more than 100 people were evacuated within the city and that roughly a dozen received water rescues.

The American Red Cross of Southern Missouri opened temporary shelters around the region on Saturday to offer flood-impacted residents food, water and a place to spend the night.

Levin writes for the Joplin, Missouri Globe.