WEATHER: Several Lyon County roads still closed near Emporia and Americus, but north K-99 reopens

Floodwaters are easing for most area residents, but the Lyon County road network is still hampered by the effects of flooding earlier this week.

A fair amount of roads south of Emporia — and also between Emporia and Americus — remain closed Thursday morning:

*1200 block Road 170
*Road F south of 235
*Road J from 140 to 160
*Road N from 150 to 170
*Road P from 150 to 170
*Road R from 150 to 170
*Road 140 from J to Kansas Highway 99
*Road 150 from J to Kansas Highway 99; from M to S
*Road 155 west of Kansas Highway 99
*Road 160 from N to S
*Road 180 from S to T
*Road 190 west of K-5
*Road 210 at K; west of Kansas Highway 99
*Road 215 east of F-5; at H; at J; at J-7
*Road 225 west of F-5; at H-5

Lyon County Deputy Danny Broyles encourages residents to be safe and heed the barricades.

Kansas Highway 99 north of Emporia was closed for most of Wednesday but reopened.

Currently, there is only one active flood warning:

*The Neosho River at Emporia is in a warning until just after 4 am Friday. The river was at 23.67 feet shortly before 1 am, above flood stage of 19 feet and above the original expected crest of 23.6. It is expected to go below flood stage by late Thursday afternoon.

Rain is out of the forecast until Friday night and Saturday morning. Strong storms are unlikely but possible Friday night.

We’ll keep you posted on the flooding situation as it develops on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.

8 pm Wednesday: K-99 reopens north of Emporia

Several Lyon County roads are barricaded after flooding rainfall Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, but one state highway has reopened.

Kansas Highway 99 was closed just north of Emporia for much of Wednesday after anywhere from 1.5-4 inches of rainfall countywide. The highway reopened shortly after 7:30 pm Wednesday.

There are currently no indications the Kansas Department of Transportation will have to close K-99 south of Emporia. The Cottonwood River will apparently stay within its banks as flooding continues along the Neosho River between Americus and Neosho Rapids. Other current closures:

1-5 pm Wednesday: K-99 closed north of Emporia as list of Lyon County road closures continues to grow

Rainfall has been over since early Wednesday, but the impacts continue to affect residents and travelers in Lyon County.

The Kansas Department of Transportation has closed Kansas Highway 99 just north of Emporia due to water over the highway. The road will be closed until further notice.

So far, there is no indication KDOT will close K-99 south of Emporia. The Cottonwood River at Soden’s Grove does not appear like it will approach flood stage of 20 feet.

Several Lyon County roads remain closed:

Meanwhile, a flood warning involving east Lyon and west Osage counties has been allowed to expire, but a new warning now affects a small area in eastern Morris and western Lyon County — along the Neosho River, essentially from Council Grove to northwest of Americus — until 6 pm. Dunlap Road has flooded, according to the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, although the town is not under water as of early Wednesday afternoon.

For other active flood warnings:

*The Neosho River at Americus is in a warning from 7 pm Wednesday until Thursday evening. The river was at 23.4 feet, nearing flood stage of 26 feet. It’s expected to go above flood stage Wednesday evening, crest at 26.2 feet early Thursday and fall below flood stage shortly after that.
*The Neosho River at Emporia is in a warning until just before 6:30 am Friday. Moderate flooding is currently underway as the river is approaching 20 feet, above flood stage of 19, and on the way to an expected crest of 24 feet early Thursday. The river should go below flood stage Thursday evening.
*The Marais des Cygnes River above Reading remains in a warning until late Wednesday night. Moderate flooding is underway with the river at 21.5 feet, above flood stage of 19 and also above the original crest projection of 20.6 feet.

8 am-1 pm Wednesday: Flood warnings issued for Neosho, Marais des Cygnes rivers with more road closures announced

Flood warnings are either underway or are starting soon after heavy rainfall Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Parts of Lyon and Osage counties, including Reading, are in a flood warning until 1 pm as the Marais des Cygnes River near Reading went above flood stage of 19 feet by 8 am.

Speaking of the Marais des Cygnes above Reading, it is now in a flood warning until around 2:40 am Thursday. The river should crest at 20.8 feet by Wednesday afternoon, near the point when Road Y-5 floods near the gauge. The river should go below flood stage before sunset.

Flood warnings are also up for the Neosho River from Americus to Neosho Rapids.

At Americus, the warning is from 7 pm Wednesday to 2:40 pm Thursday. The river was at 19.9 feet. Flood stage is 26 feet. The river should go above flood stage Wednesday evening, crest shortly afterward at 26.2 feet and go below flood stage early Thursday.

At Emporia, the warning goes until just before 6:30 am Friday. The river was at 17.9 feet, nearing flood stage of 19 feet. The river should go above flood stage before noon Wednesday and crest at 24 feet early Thursday. It could go below flood stage Thursday evening.

At Neosho Rapids, the warning goes from 12:40 pm Wednesday to 8:20 pm Thursday. The river was at 16.4 feet and expected to go above the 22-foot flood stage by Wednesday afternoon. It should crest at 22.6 feet Wednesday evening and go below flood stage early Thursday.

Several Lyon County roads are already closed:

Lyon County Deputy Danny Broyles reminds residents the affected roads probably won’t reopen immediately after the floodwaters subside.

Rainfall amounts ran anywhere from 1.5-4 inches, with the heaviest totals of 3.5-4 inches from Bushong west to Council Grove. Totals in the Emporia city limits generally ran between 2-3 inches.

We’ll keep you posted on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media. If you have rain totals or photos, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863.

2-8 am Wednesday: Several Lyon County roads closed after anywhere from 1.5-4 inches of rain; flood warning issued for parts of Lyon and Osage counties

Some road flooding developed after heavy rain in and around Lyon County late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

Lyon County deputies are reporting several roads or intersections flooded, including:

*1200 block Road 170
*Road J from 140 to 160
*Road N from 150 to 170
*Road P from 150 to 170
*Road R from 150 to 170
*Road 140 from J to Kansas Highway 99
*Road 150 from J to Kansas Highway 99; from M to S
*Road 155 west of Kansas Highway 99
*Road 160 from N to S
*Road 180 from S to T

Parts of Lyon and Osage counties, including Reading, are in a flood warning until 1 pm as the Marais des Cygnes River near Reading approaches flood stage of 19 feet. The river was above 18.8 feet as of 7 :30 am.

This followed a roughly hour-long deluge.

*KVOE studios: 2 inches
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 1.71 inches
*700 block South Weaver: 2.74 inches
*1100 block Constitution: 2.6 inches
*2300 block West 15th: 2.5 inches
*10th and Weaver: 2.35 inches
*Coronado Avenue: 2.5 inches
*Mount Vernon Terrace: 2.8 inches
*South and Sylvan: 2.8 inches
*Allen: 3-3.5 inches
*Americus: 3-3.25 inches
*Burlington: 2 inches
*Bushong: 4.01 inches
*Between Hartford and Olpe: 1.45 inches
*Cottonwood Falls: 1.25 inches
*Council Grove: 3.8 inches
*Gridley: 1.4 inches
*Hartford: 0.90 inches
*Lebo: 1.7 inches
*Madison: 1 inch
*Olpe: 1.5 inches
*Reading: 2 inches
*Roads 170 and V-5: 2 inches
*Thorndale: 2.8 inches

Lyon County Deputy Danny Broyles is asking drivers to be prepared — and to be ready to adjust their plans.

Ponding water in Emporia was deep enough to submerge wheels on West Sixth between Lincoln and Grand, while water collected deep enough to submerge sidewalks at Fifth and Merchant and one vehicle got stuck in high water outside Tyson Foods.

Besides the rain, there were other storm impacts. In Emporia, storms brought down a large tree branch near Seventh and Arundel as well as a small tree near Ninth and Constitution. Elsewhere, scattered small-scale power outages were reported from Madison to Hamilton and near Waverly early Wednesday.

The current forecast calls for a decent chance of showers and storms Friday night and a slight chance of rainfall Saturday morning, followed by more slight chances of rain early next week.

We’ll keep you posted on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media. If you have rain totals or photos, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863.

10 pm Tuesday-3 am Wednesday: Flash flood warnings ongoing for Lyon, Coffey counties until 4:30 am

Flooding rainfall has been the hallmark of strong storms early Wednesday.

ACTIVE WARNINGS/WATCHES

*Flash Flood Warning: Lyon and Coffey counties until 4:30 am Wednesday

Storms brought down a large tree branch near Seventh and Arundel as well as a small tree near Ninth and Constitution.

Heavy rainfall started falling in Emporia around 11:30 pm, leading to notable street ponding:

Emporia

*Ponding reported on 12th Avenue at Mary and Rural shortly before midnight
*Water on West Sixth between Lincoln and Garfield covered vehicle wheels around 12:10 am
*Sidewalks at Fifth and Merchant were under water around 12:15 am
*At least one vehicle was reported stuck in high water outside Tyson Foods around 12:15 am

Morris County

*Flooding reported along Kansas Highway 4 near White City

Scattered small-scale power outages were reported from Madison to Hamilton and near Waverly early Wednesday.

Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates. Join KVOE’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter if you haven’t already done so. KVOE’s Storm Team volunteer spotter network will provide reports if needed.

8:43 pm

Severe thunderstorms are a possibility until the early morning hours Wednesday across the entire KVOE listening area.

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for all area counties until 4am Wednesday. Hail to the size of quarters, winds up to 70 mph and localized flooding are the main concerns with both time periods, although an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.

2:51 pm:

Strong to severe thunderstorms are back in the picture for all area counties from Tuesday evening into the pre-sunrise hours Wednesday.

The Storm Prediction Center has expanded an enhanced risk area to include the north half of the KVOE listening area, essentially along and north of a line from Dunlap to Reading to Lyndon. Areas south of that line are in a slight risk area. As was the case early Tuesday, the National Weather Service says isolated storms could develop and move through the area before sunset. More widespread coverage is expected by late Tuesday evening into early Wednesday morning.

Hail to the size of quarters, winds up to 70 mph and localized flooding are the main concerns with both time periods, although an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.

7 am Tuesday: Strong storms possible areawide Tuesday

Strong storms and heavy rain are possible later Tuesday across the KVOE listening area.

Officially, there is a slight severe weather risk for all area counties. TV-13 meteorologist Doug Meyers says the morning round of storms currently underway could play a role in the storm forecast all day.

Two rounds of storms are expected by the National Weather Service after noon, with isolated storms possible by late afternoon into early evening and more widespread coverage from late Tuesday night into early Wednesday. Large hail and damaging winds are the lead threats with both rounds, although isolated tornadoes can’t be ruled out.

Heavy rain and localized flash flooding are also possible with the late-night round of storms.