How high are KC area rivers and creeks after record-setting rain, flash floods?
Record-setting rains caused Kansas City area waterways to rise overnight. Some increased more than 21 feet.
Creeks and rivers are still high in the metro after the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings around 3 a.m. Roads closed and power went out around the area.
The Kansas City Fire Department performed more than 20 water rescues overnight, according to spokesperson Michael Hopkins. All were vehicles stuck in high water, and the rescued people were uninjured.
Wednesday’s 2.78 inches of rainfall more than doubled the previous record for the date, set in 1968. And by 7 a.m. Thursday, Kansas City had already received more than 2 inches of rain.
The Star looked at NWS water gauge data for seven waterways in Jackson, Johnson, Clay and Wyandotte counties. The list below compares the highest waterway level overnight to the water level at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Five waterways sampled by The Star reached their peak overnight, but two rivers are predicted to rise. The Missouri River in Kansas City is expected to peak at 7 p.m. today, with the Blue River at 71 Highway cresting at 1 p.m.
How high are rivers and creeks?
Here is information about the levels of waterways on the Kansas and Missouri sides of the metro. Find information about other creeks and rivers at water.noaa.gov.
Blue River at 71 Highway rose more than 21 feet overnight. The south Kansas City waterway reached the action stage, which means governments should prepare for possible flooding.
Tomahawk Creek at Roe Avenue rose more than 11 feet at the border between Overland Park and Leawood. The creek experienced minor flooding, when water approaches the northbound lane of Tomahawk Creek Parkway.
Turkey Creek at Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, rose 10.5 feet and reached the action stage. If the waters would have risen 2.5 more feet, the Southwest Boulevard bridge would have been covered by flood water.
Indian Creek at Overland Park off of Metcalf reached the moderate flooding stage, rising more than 10 feet.
Brush Creek at Ward Parkway, just off of the Plaza almost reached minor flooding overnight, peaking at 9.6 feet over.
Little Platte River at Smithville rose 9 feet. The Northland river reached its crest at around 8:45 a.m.
The Missouri River is not expected to reach any flood stage in Kansas City, but is predicted to cause moderate flooding downstream in Napoleon and Miami, Missouri. The major river has already risen 5 feet, and is forecasted to rise another 3 feet before its crest at around 7 p.m.
Have more questions about weather in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 1:34 PM.
