First day of summer brings more rain to Kansas City; flash flood warning until 2 p.m.
A flash flood warning is in effect for the Kansas City area until 2 p.m. Friday as a storm system that has already caused downed trees, power outages and hail moves through.
At about 10:45 a.m., up to three inches of rain had fallen, according to the National Weather Service.
The flash flood warning was originally set to expire at 11 a.m. Friday, but was extended as another line of thunderstorms formed.
The rainfall has prompted water rescues and other problems in Kansas City, the warning said.
At 25th and Southwest Boulevard, sewers at capacity sent stormwater gushing into the air from a manhole. Crews were being sent to put up barricades, said Kansas City water department spokeswoman Heather Staggers Frierson.
Drivers that encounter flooding roads should turn around, she said. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles, according to the National Weather Service.
At the airport in Lee’s Summit, wind gusts of 74 mph were recorded, said Sarah Atkins, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Pleasant Hill office.
This weekend, the rain is likely to continue along with concerns about flash flooding.
“We’re in an active, wet pattern again,” Atkins said.
Saturday night and into Sunday will bring a good chance for showers as well as the possibility of severe weather including damaging winds and large hail. The chance for a tornado is low, but can’t be ruled out, Atkins said.
The precipitation will stick around throughout Sunday.
A reprieve from the rain may arrive early next week for a couple of days, Atkins said.
This story was originally published June 21, 2019 at 9:56 AM.
