Floodwaters continue having a significant impact on the KVOE listening area.
Water climbed up noticeably into the David Traylor Zoo and All Veterans Memorial this week. Zoo Director Lisa Keith says water got up about halfway into the bison exhibit, but the animals are in good shape.
The zoo remains open. People need to take East Logan to South Exchange to access the zoo.
Water is also encroaching on the Soden’s Grove ballfield and is covering much of the Sertoma Club’s miniature train track. Club members recently finished track repairs from flooding last fall. A damage assessment won’t start until the floodwaters recede, perhaps by the weekend or early next week.
Lyon County authorities are telling drivers to expect barricades to remain posted well after the flooding ends. Assistant County Engineer Jim Brull says damage is already evident on roads north of Emporia where floodwaters have pulled back. Damage varies from minor to significant, and road crews are already planning for repairs when things get back to normal.
Lyon County road closures
*Kansas Highway 99 from Soden’s Grove to Road 130
*1900 block Road 60
*800-1000 block Road 140
*700 block, 1900-2000 blocks Road 145
*300-500 blocks, 800-1000 block, 1200 block, 1300-1500 blocks, 1900 block Road 150
*1000 block Road 155
*1300-1500 blocks Road 160
*1300-1500 blocks Road 170
*1400 block Road 177
*1200 block Road 190 (Rinker Corner); 1400 block Road 190
*600 block, 800-1000 blocks Road 215
*600-800 blocks Road 225
*300 block Road 240
*200 block Road 250
*1700 block Road A
*1700 block Road B2
*1700 block Road B5
*1700 block Road C
*3500 block Road D
*1400-1600 blocks Road E
*1600 Road F (Lockerman Road)
*1400 block Road G
*1700 block Road G5
*1400 block Road H
*1300-1600 blocks, 1900 block, 2400-2500 blocks Road J
*1300-1500 blocks Road K
*1300-1500 blocks, 1900 block Road M
*1600-1700 blocks Road N
*1700 block Road N5
*1400 block, 1600 block Road P
*1700 block Road P2
*1400-1500 blocks, 1600-1700 blocks Road R
*1300 block Road S
*1300-1400 blocks Road T
*1200-1500 blocks Road W
*1300 block East 18th
In Chase County, Kansas Highway 177 has one lane open between the Strong City railroad tracks and Cottonwood Falls. A pilot car and flagger are getting traffic through that area.
Council Grove Reservoir has started releasing water down the Neosho River as the lake approaches record levels, and numerous trails and coves are closed until further notice. What’s In Outdoors host Phil Taunton says a marina had to come down as a preventive measure.
The lake is five feet above the record listed by the National Weather Service set in 1977, but it’s five feet below the record listed by the US Army Corps of Engineers dating back to June 1993.
Osage County has no road closures to report. However, Melvern Lake has a host of campsites closed at the Turkey Point, Coeur d’Alene and Arrow Rock locations due to flooding. Those areas will be closed until May 15.
John Redmond Reservoir also has several campgrounds, boat ramps and RV areas closed. The Corps of Engineers has not said when those could reopen.
Minor to moderate flooding continues along the Cottonwood from Emporia to the west and on the Neosho east of Emporia.
The Cottonwood River at Emporia is at 25.63 feet, above flood stage of 20 and trending down from a crest of 26.17 feet Thursday evening. Moderate flooding is underway. The river may go back into its banks Monday and it may not totally clear Highway 99 until Sunday afternoon. A flood warning now continues until Monday night.
The Cottonwood at Plymouth is at 33.52 feet, above flood stage of 32 but below its crest of 34.42 feet Thursday. Moderate flooding is ongoing. The river could go below flood stage Saturday afternoon. The warning now gues until Saturday night.
The Cottonwood at Cottonwood Falls is at 11.75 feet, above the 9-foot flood stage but below Thursday’s crest of 14.1. The river could go below flood stage Saturday. The warning now continues until Sunday morning.
At Neosho Rapids, moderate flooding is ongoing. The river is at 26.51 feet, above flood stage of 22 but below a tentative crest of 27.11 feet Thursday. The river may go below flood stage early Tuesday. The flood warning now continues until Tuesday evening.
Photos by Chuck Samples/KVOE News
{gallery}Floods Chuck Samples 051019{/gallery}
