How much rain fell around Kansas City? Where it was heaviest: Interactive map
Strong thunderstorms with bright flashes of lightning and loud booms of thunder rolled through the Kansas City are overnight, drenching the metro with more than an inch of rain in a matter of hours.
At Kansas City International Airport, 1.48 inches of rain fell between midnight and 8 a.m. Monday. Meanwhile, 1.79 inches of rain fell at Kansas City Downtown Airport–Wheeler Field during that same period, according to automated weather observing systems at area airports.
Other areas in Missouri that saw heavy rains included 1.36 inches at St. Joseph, 1.16 inches at Lee’s Summit, 1.14 inches at Sedalia, 1.1 inches at Warrensburg and 1.07 inches at Whiteman Air Force Base.
In Kansas, some of the heavier rainfall totals during those 8 hours included 1.66 inches at Fort Riley, 1.49 inches at Topeka, 1.01 inches in Lawrence, 1 inch at Olathe and .81 of an inch at Johnson County Executive Airport.
According to StormWatch, a collection of rain gauges in the metro, several cities saw more than 1.5 inches of rain during a 12-hour-period ending at 8 a.m. Monday.
The heaviest rainfall totals included 1.92 inches at Lackman Road and Little Mill Creek in Shawnee, 1.88 inches at Antioch Road and Turkey Creek, and 1.80 inches at Winner Road/12th Street and Gooseneck Creek in Kansas City.
Flood watch in Kansas City
During the heaviest rains, Kansas City firefighters responded to three water rescue calls, including one about 3:20 a.m. at East Ninth Street and Hardesty Avenue, where fire crews had to assist one person from a vehicle stranded in high water, said Battalion Chief Riley Nolan, a fire department spokesman.
The other two calls were canceled shortly after crews arrived or were determined to be unfounded.
With the threat of severe storms and periods of heavy rain possible later on Monday into early Tuesday, the Kansas City area remains on a flood watch through Tuesday morning.
“Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible,” the National Weather Service said. Excessive runoff may also result in the flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
