Heavy rains cause flash flooding in the Wichita area of Kansas, stranding motorists
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the Wichita area of south-central Kansas, forcing firefighters to rescue dozens of people, including stranded motorists.
Sedgwick County’s emergency management director, Julie Stimson, said at a briefing Tuesday night that the county had received anywhere from 1 1/2 inches to 7 inches (4 centimeters to 18 centimeters) of rain since Monday. She warned motorists who run into flooded areas not to drive around barricades or emergency vehicles, and to turn around instead.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a disaster emergency declaration to enable state agencies to provide assistance.
The Wichita Fire Department used boats to rescue several motorists trapped in their cars. While the water sometimes reached windshield height, some people still attempted to drive through it.
“We have to put ourselves in danger with our life jackets and our boats to get them into a life jacket and into a boat to get them out of the water,” Fire Capt. Lance Diffenbaugh told KSN-TV. “So there’s no sense in it if they can just turn around and wait 10 minutes for the water to go down.”
A few roads remained closed Wednesday morning, according to the county’s interactive map.
About 30 miles (48 kilometers) east, the torrential rainfall caused the Walnut River to overflow, flooding several streets in Dorado and sending people scrambling for safety.
“By the time we got most of the stuff out of there and were going to get the last few things, it was already up to our waist, and we were pretty much swimming to get out,” resident Michelle Yerge told KAKE-TV.
Severe storms also slammed the Kansas City area on Tuesday, with high winds toppling a tractor-trailer on Interstate 435, overturning portable toilets and barriers at the stadium where the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals play, and downing trees. The National Weather Service warned of a tornado and urged people to take cover as rain battered the area. No major damage was reported.
Severe weather on Tuesday also disrupted the Indiana Pacers’ travel plans to the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City, where heavy rain and wind interrupted airport arrivals and departures. The team’s charter was first diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The plane then took a scenic route around another band of weather before finally landing in Oklahoma City about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule.
Wednesday’s forecast for Kansas called for dry conditions, but more storms were forecast for Thursday. Officials warned that the soil in the area is saturated and even an inch or two of rainfall could lead to localized flooding.
