Flooding may have stabilized across much of the KVOE listening area, but more rainfall could be coming as soon as Thursday evening.
Storms are expected to fire in central Kansas by late afternoon and head our way later. TV-13 meteorologist Doug Meyers says the flash flood risk is off to our west, but any more rainfall will aggravate the river-based flooding currently underway.
Flood warnings continue for Chase and Greenwood counties until 10:45 am. A flash flood watch has been posted for Morris County from 10 am Thursday through Friday morning. Greenwood County is in a separate watch until 10 am.
Severe weather is possible, with all hazards on the table. Meyers says the main tornado threat is to our west, so hail and high winds are the main concerns here.
Road closures lists are long areawide. Current Lyon County closures include:
*Kansas Highway 99 from Emporia south city limits to Road 130
*400 block Road 170; 1500 block of Road 170 from R to R-1
*Road A from US Highway 50 to Road 180
*Road B-2 from US Highway 50 to Road 180
*Road B-5 from 170 to 173; from US Highway 50 to Road 180
*Road D north of 150
*Road F north of 140
*Road G from 20 to 40
*Road G north of 160; south of 170
*Road J north of 190
*Road K from 190 to 210
*Road K-7 south of 70
*Road M from 190 to 197
*Road N from 175 to 180
*Road U south of 75
*Road U-5 south of 75
*1700 to 1778 Road P-2 near Camp Alexander
*Road 137 north of N
*Road 140 north of P
*Road 150 from D to E
*Road 160 west of G; west of J
*Road 170 at P
*Road 170 from C5 to E; from E5 to F
*Road 180 east of Burlingame Road; from P to P5
*Road 190 east of Burlingame Road
*Road 210 from K to L
Chase County
*Kansas Highway 177 between Cottonwood Falls and Strong City
*Numerous county roads
Coffey County
*8th Rd between Garner and Homestead
*10th Rd between Reaper and Shetland
*11th Rd between Trefoil Rd and Underwood
*13th Rd between Blackbird and Contour; between Fauna and Garner
*14th Rd between Blackbird and Contour
*28th Rd between Underwood and Verdure
*Contour Rd at 28th
*Dobbin Rd at 24th
*Jacob’s Creek East/West of the cemetery
Greenwood County
*10 Street between Kansas Highway 99 and Q
*55 Street between H and J
*70 Street between Kansas Highway 99 and Z
*140 Street between P and P-50; between Z and AA; between CC and FF
*150 Street between L-75 and N
*180 Street between L and N; between T and U
*200 Road between EE and FF
*210 Street between BB and CC; between EE and FF
*270 Street between H-50 and M-50
*280 Street between Kansas Highway 99 and X-50; R and T
*300 Street between V and W
*320 Street between V and W
*330 Street between BB-50 and CC
*340 Street between Y-25 and Z
*350 Street between R-25 and T
*360 Street between P and R
*380 Street between V and V-50
*AA Road between 210 and 230; between 310 and 320
*BB-50 Road between Elk County line and US Highway 400
*CC Road between 200 and 202
*CC-50 Road between Fall River and US Highway 400
*DD Road between 190 and 200
*G Road between 185 and 195
*GG Road between 290 and 300
*H Road between 12 and K
*J Road between 50 and 60
*K Road between 50 and 60
*L Road between Elk County line and 13; between 110 and US Highway 54; between River Road and 180
*P Road between 130 and 140; between 360 and 370
*R-50 Road between 160 and 175
*T Road between 310 and 320
*U Road between 160 and 170; between 380 and Lyon County line
*V Road between Elk County line and 10; between 310 and 320
*X Road between 375 and Lyon County line
*Y-50 Road between 250 and 255
*Z Road between 60 and 70
*Badger Creek between Sunflower Hill and BB
*Casner Road between Y-25 and Z-50
Morris County
*Dunlap Road
Heavy rain, both since Saturday and earlier this month, has had an impact on Emporia’s infrastructure projects — both above and below ground. City Engineer Jim Ubert says the downtown sanitary sewer project is currently on hold, with over 15 inches of rain in town this month. Heavy rain has also put Emporia’s new water tower project in southeast Emporia on hold until things dry out. Repaving Weaver Street has been delayed until the middle of next week.
At Emporia State University, 15th Avenue is closing earlier than expected as work is set to begin on renovating Abigail Morse Hall. 15th is closing Thursday between the Silent Joe bell tower and the southwest corner of Welch Stadium. The closure wlll let salvage trucks from nonprofit agencies have a place to park as the renovation process begins. The street will reopen May 30 to June 3 to avoid conflicts with the Dirty Kanza. It was originally supposed to close in early June.
Most rivers are in flood across the KVOE listening area.
The Cottonwood is in flood from Emporia west to Cottonwood Falls.
*At Emporia, the river is at 25.48 feet, above flood stage of 20. The river should crest at 25.7 feet shortly after noon and go below flood stage Sunday evening. A flood warning is posted until Monday afternoon.
*At Plymouth, the river is at 33.75 feet, above flood stage of 32 feet and down from 33.91 feet Wednesday. The river could still climb to 34.4 feet Friday morning and go below flood stage Saturday morning. A flood warning goes until Saturday afternoon.
*At Cottonwood Falls, the river is at 12.7 feet, above flood stage of 9 feet but below a tentative crest of 13.4 feet Wednesday. The river is falling and should go below flood stage Friday morning. A flood warning is up until Friday night.
The Neosho is in flood from Emporia southeast to LeRoy.
*At Emporia, the river is at 21.65 feet, above flood stage of 19 but below a tentative crest of 23.04 feet Wednesday. The river should go below flood stage before noon. The current warning goes until Thursday afternoon.
*At Neosho Rapids, the river is at 26.34 feet, above flood stage of 22 feet. The river could get to 26.4 feet before noon and go below flood stage Sunday night. The warning goes until Monday afternoon.
*At Burlington, the river is at 30.82 feet. Flood stage is 27. The river could climb to 31.6 feet Thursday morning, which would be ninth-highest all-time for the gauge if the forecast is accurate. The flood warning goes until further notice.
*At LeRoy, the river is at 27.18 feet, above flood stage of 23 but below a mark of 28.2 feet earlier Wednesday. The river could hold steady at 27.4 feet, or close to that mark, for several days. The river is in a flood warning until further notice.
After increasing water releases at John Redmond Reservoir at times Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers is now holding the release at 26,000 cubic feet per second — or almost 12 million gallons of water a minute. Flood-prone areas in Burlington and LeRoy in Coffey County and further downstream in Neosho Falls are impassable or will be shortly. The Red Cross has opened a shelter at the Allen County Community College Red Barn in Iola for residents needing a place to stay. Coffey County residents who decide to leave are told to call the Coffey County Sheriff’s Office at 620-364-2123 so authorities can account for those who have evacuated and those who have not.
In other related news, Governor Laura Kelly has adjusted the state’s disaster declaration, adding more counties to the original declaration from May 9. In our area, Coffey County was added, meaning all counties in the KVOE listening area are now covered by the declaration. In all, 43 counties are now included.
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