Flooding impacts appear to be isolated to scattered after heavy rainfall this week, especially Thursday.
Rain amounts of 1-4 inches just on Thursday caused numerous flood or flash flood alerts Thursday into early Friday. Announced shortly before 9 am was a flood warning for the Neosho River near Emporia from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. The river was nearing 17 feet by 9 am and approaching flood stage of 19 feet. The river is expected to crest around 19.3 feet just after midnight and fall below flood stage before sunrise Saturday.
The Marais des Cygnes River above Reading remains in a flood warning until late Friday night. the river was at 23.2 feet Friday morning, above flood stage of 19 feet. The river should crest early Friday afternoon and go below flood stage before sunset.
Several Lyon County roads closed overnight due to flooding and remain closed at midday:
*Road 150 from Road J to Kansas Highway 99; from Road N to Road P
*300 block Road 180
*1700 block Road D
*Road J from Road 140 to Road 150
Given the heavy rain totals Thursday, Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod (JEH-rid) Fell tells KVOE News flooding issues could have been more widespread.
Fell also reminds drivers not to pass barricades — one, because of safety, and two, because it’s illegal.
KVOE listeners have submitted a long list of rain amounts — some involving Thursday, others stretching back to Tuesday:
*KVOE studios: 1.25 inches Thursday, 1.75 inches total since Tuesday
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 1.36 inches Thursday, 1.56 inches total since Tuesday
*3.5 miles west of Emporia Golf Course: 1.50 inches total since Tuesday
*1100 block Constitution: 1.6 inches Thursday, 2 inches total since Tuesday
*South and Sylvan: 1.70 inches Thursday, 2.15 inches total since Tuesday
*10th and Weaver: 2 inches since Tuesday
*Deerbrook Addition: 1.60 inches since Tuesday
*1 mile north of Allen: 2.60 inches Thursday, 3.75 inches since Tuesday
*Americus: 1.65 inches Thursday, 2.65 inches since Tuesday
*3 miles west of Americus: 3.75 inches Thursday, 4.20 inches since Tuesday
*Cottonwood Falls: 2 inches Thursday, 3.10 inches since Tuesday
*Emporia Energy Center (Lyon County Road 200 near Road S): 1 inch Thursday
*Eureka Milliken Airport: 0.18 inches Thursday, 1.26 inches total since Tuesday
*Kansas Highway 99 at Lyon-Greenwood county line: 0.45 inches Thursday, 1.20 inches since Tuesday
*Lake Kahola: 3.11 inches Thursday, 4.85 inches since Wednesday
*Lebo Heidi Inn: 1.60 inches Thursday, 2.85 inches since Tuesday
*Lyon County Roads 200 and M: 0.90 inches Thursday, 1.25 inches since Tuesday
*300 block Lyon County Road C: 2.70 inches Thursday, 3.20 inches since Tuesday
*The Orchard (Kansas Highway 99 6 miles north of Emporia): 1.30 inches Thursday
*Toledo: 1 inch Thursday
If you have rain totals or see road flooding, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5863.
6:45 am Friday
Heavy rainfall this week, culminating with waves of rainfall Thursday, triggered several flood-related alerts for area counties and also flooded some roads.
Most of Lyon County is now clear from any flood alerts after areas immediately north of Emporia were under a flash flood and then a flood warning for the evening hours Thursday. The Marais des Cygnes River above Reading remains in a river-based flood warning until late Friday night. The river jumped above flood stage of 19 feet shortly before 11 pm and is now above 23 feet, high enough to be considered in moderate flood and washing over Road Y-5 near the gauge site. The river should go below flood Friday afternoon.
Flood or flash-flood warnings also covered parts of Chase, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties for several hours Thursday afternoon and evening. Chase County remains in a county-specific flood warning until 9:30 am.
All flood watches announced for area counties this week have either expired or were canceled early.
Several Lyon County roads closed overnight due to flooding:
*Road 150 from Road J to Kansas Highway 99; from Road N to Road P
*300 block Road 180
*1700 block Road D
*Road J from Road 140 to Road 150
There was a flash flood reported 1 mile south of Burlingame, with water over the intersection of Morgan and South Topeka. Updates are pending.
Rain totals of 1-4 inches were commonplace Thursday:
*KVOE studios: 1.25 inches Thursday, 1.75 inches total since Tuesday
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 1.36 inches Thursday, 1.56 inches total since Tuesday
*3.5 miles west of Emporia Golf Course: 1.50 inches total since Tuesday
*1100 block Constitution: 1.6 inches Thursday, 2 inches total since Tuesday
*South and Sylvan: 1.70 inches Thursday, 2.15 inches total since Tuesday
*10th and Weaver: 2 inches since Tuesday
*1 mile north of Allen: 2.60 inches Thursday, 3.75 inches since Tuesday
*Americus: 1.65 inches Thursday, 2.65 inches since Tuesday
*3 miles west of Americus: 3.75 inches Thursday, 4.20 inches since Tuesday
*Cottonwood Falls: 2 inches Thursday, 3.10 inches since Tuesday
*Emporia Energy Center (Lyon County Road 200 near Road S): 1 inch Thursday
*Eureka Milliken Airport: 0.18 inches Thursday, 1.26 inches total since Tuesday
*Kansas Highway 99 at Lyon-Greenwood county line: 0.45 inches Thursday, 1.20 inches since Tuesday
*Lake Kahola: 3.11 inches Thursday, 4.85 inches since Wednesday
*Lebo Heidi Inn: 1.60 inches Thursday, 2.85 inches since Tuesday
*Lyon County Roads 200 and M: 0.90 inches Thursday, 1.25 inches since Tuesday
*300 block Lyon County Road C: 2.70 inches Thursday, 3.20 inches since Tuesday
*The Orchard (Kansas Highway 99 6 miles north of Emporia): 1.30 inches Thursday
*Toledo: 1 inch Thursday
Conditions dry out for the next week, based on the current forecast. Friday will have sunshine and highs in the mid-60s, followed by sunshine and highs in the low- to mid-70s for the upcoming weekend. Temperatures gradually climb to the low 80s by the middle of next week.
If you have rain totals or see road flooding, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5863.
6:30 pm Thursday: Flash flood warning issued for parts of Lyon, Osage, Wabaunsee counties
Heavy rain so far this week and a prospect of additional rainfall has led to several flood alerts for area counties.
Active alerts
*Flash flood warning: North Lyon, Osage, southeast Wabaunsee counties until 9:45 pm. Warning follows 1-3 inches of rain already with another 1-3 inches of rainfall possible through the warning. Includes Admire, Allen, Americus, Burlingame, Bushong, Carbondale, Harveyville, Lyndon, Quenemo, Reading and Scranton
*Flood warning: Chase County until 9:30 am Friday. Warning reflects up to 3 inches of rain with another 2 inches possible. Includes Bazaar, Cedar Point, Cottonwood Falls, Elmdale, Hymer, Matfield Green, Saffordville, Strong City and Wonsevu
*Flood watch: Lyon, Coffey, Osage counties until 4 am Friday
*Flood watch: Chase, Greenwood, Morris and Wabaunsee counties until 12 am Friday
As of 6 pm, all area river gauges were rising but none were approaching flood stage.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and Weatherology for updates through the night. If you have rain totals, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5853.
3:30 pm Thursday: Chase County placed in flood warning through Friday morning
Flood watches continue for much of the KVOE listening area through the remainder of the work week, with one area county also now under a flood warning.
The warning affects Chase County from now until 9:30 am Friday. The warning was issued due to the potential for an additional three inches of rainfall between now and then, on top of the two-plus inches which have already fallen in the area.
Flood watches also remain in place for Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties until 4 am Friday and Morris and Wabaunsee counties until 6 pm Thursday.
The potential for heavy rain and storm activity is leading to schedule adjustments for area athletics.
*Emporia High boys varsity soccer, JV girls golf at Junction City, cross country meet at Council Grove (also including Burlington, Lebo, Lyndon, Madison-Virgil, Northern Heights and Waverly) and JV girls tennis at Salina have all been canceled
*Lyndon’s JV football game against Northern Heights on Monday has been canceled due to injuries and anticipated field conditions
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
9:45 am Thursday New flood watch includes Lyon, most surrounding counties until 4 am Friday; area athletics adjusting Thursday schedules
Most area counties are now under one of 2 flood watches as announced by the National Weather Service.
Morris and Wabaunsee counties remain in a flood watch until 6 pm Thursday. Meanwhile, Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties are part of a watch announced Thursday morning and extending to 4 am Friday. The Weather Service says rain totals have been between 1-4 inches since Tuesday, with another 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain possible before rain ends Thursday night.
The potential for heavy rain and storm activity is leading to schedule adjustments for area athletics.
*Emporia High boys varsity soccer, JV girls golf at Junction City, cross country meet at Council Grove (also including Burlington, Lebo, Lyndon, Madison-Virgil, Northern Heights and Waverly) and JV girls tennis at Salina have all been canceled
*Lyndon’s JV football game against Northern Heights on Monday has been canceled due to injuries and anticipated field conditions
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
9:05 am Thursday: Light to moderate rainfall areawide
No severe weather developed areawide Wednesday afternoon or evening — and not much rainfall happened in Emporia, although other locations got substantially more rain.
Showers and storms moved across the area starting by mid-afternoon, but they were unable to take advantage of abundant moisture and increasing low-level shear — unlike north-central Kansas, where there were reports of tornadic activity across parts of Barton, Lincoln, Mitchell, Pawnee and Russell counties. Areas near Susank had reported damage to outbuildings. No injuries have been reported.
As far as rainfall goes, the KVOE studios had 0.30 inches between Tuesday afternoon and 4 pm Wednesday, followed by another 0.20 inches up to 3 am Thursday. Other totals from Tuesday to Thursday:
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.27 inches
*1100 block Constitution: 0.15 inches
*South and Sylvan: 0.20 inches Thursday
*10th and Weaver: 0.15 inches Wednesday into Thursday
*1 mile north of Allen: 0.90 inches Wednesday into Thursday
*Cottonwood Falls: 1.10 inches
*Eureka Milliken Airport: 1.08 inches
*Kansas Highway 99 at Lyon-Greenwood county line: 0.75 inches
*Lamont: 1.40 inches
*Lebo Heidi Inn: 1.25 inches
*500 block Lyon County Road 290: 1.50 inches
*Neosho Rapids: 1 inch
*Olpe Blacksmith Shop: 0.40 inches Wednesday evening into Thursday
*2.5 miles northeast of Reading: 0.28 inches
More rainfall is likely through Thursday as a storm system pumps moisture north through Texas and Oklahoma. A flood watch is still in effect for Morris and Wabaunsee counties until 6 pm. The National Weather Service Forecast Points information page indicates an inch or more of rainfall is possible into early Friday. After that, the forecast calls for dry and mild conditions, starting with sunshine and highs in the mid-60s Friday and continuing with highs in the 70s for the weekend through at least Tuesday. Showers are set to re-enter the picture Tuesday night.
If you have rain totals, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5863.
