Heavy rain south of Emporia has led to a flash flood warning.
ACTIVE WARNINGS
*Greenwood County: Flash flood warning until 5 am Wednesday. Between 1-3 inches of rain had fallen as of the time the warning was issued at 11 pm Tuesday. The National Weather Service says another 1-4 inches of rain could fall.
Severe thunderstorm warnings have led to one severe weather report so far across the KVOE listening area.
HAIL REPORTS
*5 miles southwest of Emporia: Quarter-sized hail
*1.5 miles northeast of Bethel Corner: Pea-sized hail
ACTIVE WATCHES:
*Coffey County: Severe thunderstorm watch until 3 am Wednesday. Main concerns are egg-sized hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph.
*Lyon, Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties: Flood watch until 7 am Wednesday
*Chase and Greenwood counties: Flood watch until 1 am Thursday
5:15 pm Tuesday: Greenwood County in severe thunderstorm watch until 10 pm
A potential for severe thunderstorms is now borne out by a severe thunderstorm watch just south of Emporia.
Greenwood County is now included in a watch until 10 pm. Hail to golf ball size and winds up to 60 mph are possible with storms that develop through late Tuesday evening. Heavy rain is a concern — again — after heavy rainfall areawide Monday night into Tuesday.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
3 pm Tuesday: Flood watch extended for Lyon, most surrounding counties to 7 am Wednesday
A flood watch has been extended for Lyon County and several surrounding counties.
Originally set to end at 1 am Wednesday, the flood watch involving Lyon, Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties now runs until 7 am. The National Weather Service expects up to two additional inches of rain on top of the 1-2 inches of rain that fell Monday night into Tuesday morning.
Chase and Greenwood counties remain in a flood watch until 1 am Thursday. Another inch or two is possible on top of rain totals ranging from 1.5-5.5 inches Monday night and Tuesday morning.
River levels have been rising areawide but all gauges are below flood stage as of mid-afternoon Tuesday. Just a few Lyon County roads and intersections are closed at this time:
*Road A (Lyon-Chase county line) north of US Highway 50; at Lyon County Road 180
*Road 155 at F-5; at G
Flooding rainfall is a definite concern, but severe weather is also a potential issue. Hail and wind are possible if storms develop through the late-afternoon and evening hours.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
11:45 am Tuesday: More rounds of rainfall possible through Wednesday evening; short list of Lyon County road closures develops
For the third straight week, the KVOE listening area is dealing with either confirmed flooding or the risk of floods.
Flood watches now cover all area counties. For Lyon and most surrounding counties, the watches run until 1 am Wednesday. The exceptions, Chase and Greenwood counties, are in watches until 1 am Thursday after both Cottonwood Falls and Strong City reported street flooding and several county roads were flooded between Cottonwood Falls and Bazaar on Monday night.
Just Monday night, area totals ranged from nearly an inch to over 5 inches.
Rain totals — Emporia
*KVOE studios: 1 inch Monday, 1.3 inches total
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.81 inches, 1,11 inches total
*Emporia Country Club: 2 inches
*6th and East: 0.78 inches
*10th and Burns: 2 inches
*10th and Weaver: 1.2 inches
*18th and Briarcliff: 1.1 inches
*1100 block Constitution: 1.25 inches
*1700 block Wheeler: 1 inch
Rain totals — Area
*5 miles southwest of Emporia: 1.7 inches
*7 miles southwest of Emporia: 1.4 inches
*1.5 miles northeast of Bethel Corner: 1.25 inch
*Allen: 0.70 inches
*5th and Orange in Americus: 1.25 inches
*East of Cottonwood Falls: 1.7 inches Monday, 2.25 inches total
*421 Walnut in Cottonwood Falls: 5.5 inches
*Council Grove: 0.40 inches
*Olpe: 0.30 inches
*Reading: 1.25 inches
*Fifth and Chestnut in Strong City: 2.59 inches
*Thorndale: 1.25 inches
Several Lyon County roads are closed at this time:
*Road A (Lyon-Chase county line) north of US Highway 50; at Lyon County Road 180
*Road 155 at F-5; at G
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates. Join KVOE’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get instant alerts wherever you may be.
4:30 am Tuesday: Flood watches up areawide after up to 5.5 inches of rain
Tornado and severe thunderstorm watches have been replaced by flood watches for area counties.
Severe weather was a concern Monday evening, and there were several reports of quarter-sized hail in and around Emporia as well as central Chase County. However, the big issue turned out to be hard, heavy rain from numerous rounds of storms — anywhere from an inch to over 5 inches reported before midnight, and storms have continues to train across the area overnight.
Rain totals — Emporia
*KVOE studios: 1 inch Monday, 1.3 inches total
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.81 inches
*Emporia Country Club: 2 inches
*6th and East: 0.78 inches
*10th and Burns: 2 inches
*10th and Weaver: 1.2 inches
*18th and Briarcliff: 1.1 inches
*1100 block Constitution: 1.25 inches
*1700 block Wheeler: 1 inch
Rain totals — Area
*5 miles southwest of Emporia: 1.7 inches
*7 miles southwest of Emporia: 1.4 inches
*1.5 miles northeast of Bethel Corner: 1.25 inch
*Allen: 0.70 inches
*5th and Orange in Americus: 1.25 inches
*East of Cottonwood Falls: 1.7 inches Monday, 2.25 inches total
*421 Walnut in Cottonwood Falls: 5.5 inches
*Council Grove: 0.40 inches
*Olpe: 0.30 inches
*Reading: 0.90 inches
*Fifth and Chestnut in Strong City: 2.59 inches
Places like the Mechanic Street underpass and Prairie just south of 15th were flooded Monday night. Those areas have reopened — and at least for now, there has been no impact on Lyon County’s road network as a whole.
Flood watches now cover all area counties. For Lyon and most surrounding counties, the watches run until 1 am Wednesday. The exceptions, Chase and Greenwood counties, are in watches until 1 am Thursday after both Cottonwood Falls and Strong City reported street flooding and several county roads were flooded between Cottonwood Falls and Bazaar on Monday night.
This is the area’s third round of flooding in as many weeks, and TV-13 meteorologist Doug Meyers says the rainfall likely isn’t over for the week yet.
Meyers says strong to severe thunderstorms are possible by late afternoon Tuesday. Hail, wind and more heavy rain are possible through at least mid-evening.
As far as Monday’s severe weather is concerned, quarter-sized hail was reported near 10th and Burns and also at 11th and Union in Emporia as well as in Cottonwood Falls and Strong City. Wind gusts were as high as 66 mph in Emporia and 70 mph in Cottonwood Falls.
Power outages were isolated, but at one point over 400 Evergy customers in Emporia were offline. Those outages have been restored.
Several injury crashes were reported in Lyon County during storm activity, including 24th and Graphic Arts, Kansas Turnpike mile marker 124 just southwest of Emporia and the intersection of Roads 200 and G. Details are pending on all three incidents.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates. Join KVOE’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get instant alerts wherever you may be this holiday weekend.
We have several storm photos from KVOE listeners with our coverage online at KVOE.com. If you have rain totals, storm reports or storm photos, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863.
