Strong storms descend on KC, raising threat of flooding

The Kansas City region is getting drenched again Thursday as a strong cold front moves through the area, bringing rounds of storms, some producing heavy rains.

Storms are expected throughout the day, with a few holding the potential to become severe in some parts of the region.

Because the ground is saturated and many streams are nearly full from runoff from Wednesday’s storms, flooding is a concern.

A severe thunderstorm Thursday morning produced golfball-size hail.

 

The greatest chance for severe weather will fall south of Kansas City primarily along and southeast of a line from Clinton to Columbia in Missouri.

The storms have the potential to produce large hail, damaging winds and an isolated tornado Thursday afternoon as the cold front passes through.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch until Thursday evening for areas south of Kansas City, including Miami and Linn counties in Kansas, and Randolph, Howard, Cass, Johnson, Pettis, Cooper, Bates and Henry counties in Missouri.

Preliminary rainfall totals for the 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. Thursday show that Kansas City International Airport had 2.04 inches of rain. Meanwhile, the downtown Kansas City airport had 2.48 inches, Johnson County Executive Airport had 0.72, Olathe New Century AirCenter 1.19, Sedalia 2.10 and Lee’s Summit 1.47.

The storms Wednesday brought street flooding in Kansas City, including reports of people stranded in their cars in high water at Topping and Deramus avenues in the East Bottoms, at Independence and Topping avenues, at Truman Road and Indiana Avenue and other locations.

Street flooding also occurred in Tonganoxie, near Missouri City, Moberly and Richmond.

As the storms clear Thursday evening, colder temperatures and quiet are expected to move into the area.

Highs Friday are expected to be in the upper 50s with lows in the upper 40s. Saturday’s high is expected to reach 60 degrees with the low in the upper 30s.

This story was originally published October 2, 2014 at 8:40 AM with the headline "Strong storms descend on KC, raising threat of flooding."