More thunderstorms headed to Kansas City, flooding risks worsen from record rain
Heavy rains have covered Kansas City roads with water Tuesday, raising concerns of localize flooding — and more thunderstorms are headed this way.
A new round of thunderstorms is expected develop and move through the Kansas City area during the afternoon and evening, mainly along and south of the Missouri River, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
Some severe weather associated with theses storms could produce damaging winds and large hail. Heavy rains could also inundate already soggy soils from morning rains.
As of 10:30 a.m., Kansas City already has received 2.84 inches of rain for the day, breaking a previous record for this date: 2.44 inches set in 1996, the weather service said on Twitter. In comparison, the metro typically sees only 5.32 inches of rain for the entire month of May.
Flood warning
The weather service has issued a flood warning for a large portion of the Kansas City area through 2 p.m. , saying between 2 and 4 inches of rain has already fallen in the area and an additional .5 to 1 inch of rain is possible.
“Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring,” the weather service said in the warning.
Some of the areas experiencing flooding include Kansas City, Overland Park, Olathe, Independence, Shawnee, Lenexa, Leavenworth, Leawood, Liberty, Gladstone, Prairie Village, Gardner, Lansing, Excelsior Springs, Merriam, Mission, Smithville, Kearney and Bonner Springs.
Flood warnings issued for rivers in the metro area including:
- The Missouri River at Napoleon, Missouri, between Wednesday morning and Friday evening. The river is expected to crest at 18.2 feet early Thursday. Flood stage is 17 feet. At that level, low-lying areas unprotected by levees begin to flood.
- The Little Platte River at Smithville, until Tuesday evening. The river is expected to crest at 27.2 feet Tuesday morning. Flood stage is 27 feet.
- Stranger Creek near Tonganoxie, between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning. The creek is expected to crest at 25.3 feet Tuesday afternoon. At 23 feet, low-lying farmland along the creek flood. At 25 feet, County Highway 6 floods about 3 miles east of the city.
- Fishing River near Mosby, until Wednesday morning. The river is expected to crest at 23.2 feet Tuesday afternoon. At 18 feet, fields near Mosby flood and a low-water crossing on west road is impassable.
Drivers who encounter roads covered by water are urged to turn around and find an alternate route to avoid getting stuck in high water and possibly drowning.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 11:13 AM.
