Category Archives: Flooding

Flood watch for Wichita and surrounding area

Aug. 17, 200912:43 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for 17 counties in southern Kansas, including the Wichita metropolitan area.

The watch lasts through Tuesday afternoon. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to continue overnight in the warned area, with rain falling on already saturated ground.

The counties included in the watch are Reno, Harvey, Butler, Greenwood, Woodson, Allen, Kingman, Sedgwick, Harper, Sumner, Cowley, Elk, Wilson, Neosho, Chautauqua, Montgomery and Labette.

Cities in the watch area are Wichita, Hutchinson, Newton, El Dorado, Augusta, Andover, Kingman, Sedan, Yates Center, Anthony, Harper, Wellington, Winfield, Arkansas City, Chanute, Coffeyville, Independence and Parsons.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding | Comments (0)

Flood warning for Sumner and Cowley counties

Aug. 17, 200912:19 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Sumner and Cowley counties until 6:45 p.m. today.

Radar indicated thunderstorms with very heavy rainfall were striking the warned area, with rainfall rates of more than an inch an hour indicated with the stronger storms.

With the ground already saturated in many areas, flooding is likely in the warned areas.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding | Comments (0)

Heavy rain in Reno County prompts flood warning

April 30, 200912:24 p.m.

Torrential rain in the Pretty Prairie area this morning – 1.75 inches in 45 minutes – has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning for southeastern Reno County.

The basin most affected by the rainfall will be the north fork of the Ninnescah River.

Expect more episodes like this over the next several days, forecasters warn.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding, Rain | Comments Off

Roads closed around Kansas by flooding

April 27, 200912:28 p.m.

The Kansas Department of Transportation has compiled a list of roads closed around the state due to flooding. There are 10 at the moment, including two in the Wichita area: one in Butler County and one in Sumner County.

With skies clearing later today in the Wichita area and Tuesday expected to be dry, it will give area waterways several precious hours to ease back from flood conditions.

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Flash flood warning for Sedgwick County

April 26, 20097:20 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for Sedgwick County until 1 a.m.

Radar indicates 1 to 2 inches of rain have fallen in the area, with another 1 to 3 inches possible over the next few hours.

Another flash flood warning has been issued for portions of Dickinson, Geary and Morris counties in northcentral Kansas until 10:15 p.m.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding | Comments (2)

With steady rains on the way, flood watch issued for Wichita area

April 25, 20098:15 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch stretching from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon in 8 counties in southern Kansas, including Sedgwick, Harvey, Butler, Sumner and Cowley in the Wichita area.

Sporadic thunderstorms are expected to deliver as much as 3 inches of rain in parts of the watch area by Monday morning.

Other counties included in the flood watch are Marion, Chase and Greenwood north and east of the Wichita area.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding | Comments Off

Eleven counties earn disaster declaration after flooding

Oct. 2, 20089:16 a.m.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday signed a State of Disaster Emergency for 11 Kansas counties affected by severe storms, heavy rains and flooding that began Sept. 11.

The counties named in the declaration are Anderson, Butler, Chase, Cowley, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Lyon, Russell, Sedgwick, and Sumner.

“Although people often think of tornadoes as the big destructive force of nature in Kansas, floods can be just as damaging, if not more so,” Sebelius said. “While tornadoes are generally limited in scope, floods affect many, many square miles, destroying or damaging roads, bridges, power lines and other vital infrastructure.”

Local damage assessments are continuing and federal assistance may be requested as the damage total rises.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding | Comments Off

It’s never rained this much in Wichita before

Sept. 12, 20083:16 p.m.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Lowell are rewriting Wichita’s record book.

The record for most rain in a 24-hour period in Wichita was 7.99 inches on Sept. 6-7, 1911. As of 1 p.m. today, 8.27 inches of rain had fallen….in just 12 hours. That number will climb, too.

“We’re not done yet” with the rain, National Weather Service meteorology intern Jerilyn Billings said.

Talk about an unwanted record……

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding, Rain | Comments (4)

Early flooding an ominous sign

Sept. 12, 20089:23 a.m.

The long, wet weekend is only just beginning, and flooding is widespread in and around the Wichita metropolitan area. Streets and roads are submerged, flash flood warnings have been issued for much of the metro area – and one look at a rainfall map for the past 3 days shows why:

With more rain expected well into Saturday, widespread flooding would be no surprise.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding | Comments Off

Latest forecast: Plenty of rain for Wichita, but…

Sept. 11, 20084:33 p.m.

….the metropolitan area should be spared worst-case scenarios.

Chance Hayes, warning coordination meteorologist for the local branch of the National Weather Service, said he is forecasting 4 to 5 inches of rain for Wichita by Sunday night. That’s still a lot of rain, but it’s half what some forecasting models were projecting on Wednesday.

Flooded streets and highways will be a concern this weekend because the soil is already saturated, so be alert and cautious when traveling. Floods – particularly flash floods – kill more people each year than any other weather phenomenon.

Why? Because people underestimate the force and power of water, and 60% of all flood deaths result from people trying to cross flooded roads in vehicles…and the water sweeps them away.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Flooding, Hurricanes | Comments Off