Flooding, unfortunately, is happening again across the KVOE listening area.
Heavy rain over the weekend — anywhere from 3.5 to 6 inches — pushed rivers out of their banks for the fourth time since early May. Flooding has returned to Soden’s Grove yet, and with the Cottonwood getting close to 25 feet before falling, more water will likely cross the Sertoma Club’s miniature train track — which means even more delays in getting the track back to normal after three prior rounds of flooding last month. On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Monday, club member Wes Matson said there is some intensive work ahead.
Fellow club member Russ Beck said there was some damage to the west side of the track, but there was more notable damage to the ballast on the east side.
Matson says the club will be lucky to have the train running for a month this year, given the current situation. He apologized to the community for having to cancel private parties and other events.
Repair cost estimates are pending. People wanting to donate to track repairs can call the Emporia Community Foundation at 342-9304 or mail the office at 527 Commercial. If you’re sending checks, make sure to put “miniature train” in the memo line. Volunteers are also needed once repairs get underway. KVOE.com has more information online about how you can help the club.
Rivers keep rising areawide, with flood warnings in effect for five area gauges:
*Cottonwood River at Emporia: Warning until Thursday night. The river is at 22.58 feet, above flood stage of 20 feet. Expected crest now is 24.7 feet Tuesday morning, high enough to cover the southbound lane of Kansas Highway 99 south of Emporia but not the northbound lane.
*Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls: Warning until Tuesday night. River is at 8.7 feet, below flood stage of 9. It should go above flood stage shortly and climb to 10.5 feet later Monday. It should go below flood stage Tuesday morning.
*Cottonwood at Plymouth: Warning until Wednesday afternoon. River is now at 31.58 feet, below flood stage of 32 feet and down from 32.38 feet Sunday night.
*Neosho River at Emporia: Warning until Tuesday morning. River is at 21.2 feet, above flood stage of 19 feet. Forecast shows the river cresting at 21.9 feet Monday afternoon and going below flood stage Monday evening.
*Neosho River at Neosho Rapids: Warning until Thursday. River is at 24.6 feet, above flood stage of 22. River should go rise to 26.4 feet Tuesday morning and go below flood stage Wednesday evening.
The list of road closures got long in a hurry Sunday:
Lyon County
*Road A from US Highway 50 to Road 180
*Road G from 160 to 170
*Road H between 140 and 145; between 160 and 165
*1300 and 1400 blocks Road J; J from 30th Avenue (Road 190) to 215
*1300 and 1400 blocks Road K; K from 190 to 210
*Road M between 140 and 150
*Road 140 between Road H and Kansas Highway 99
*700 block Road 145
*Road 150 between Road J and Kansas Highway 99
*Road 155 between F and G
*700 and 800 blocks Road 160
*Road 190 from K to K-5
*Road 210 from Road K to Kansas Highway 99
*Road 215 from F-5 to H-5; H-5 to J-7
Chase County
*A north of US Highway 50
*C to Cedar Point
*DE between 40 and 50
*XX from US Highway 50 to 240
*88 between A and B
*130 to Cedar Point
*140 to US Highway 50
*Camp Wood Road from Address 883 to Address 1080
*Sharps Creek south of Bazaar
Access to Cedar Point is available from 130 Road. Access to Elmdale is available by using US Highway 50.
Coffey County
*16th at Angus; at Kafir
Last week, President Donald Trump signed a major disaster bill for Kansas after severe weather and flooding dating back to late April. All counties in the KVOE listening area were included. The federal government will pay up to 75 percent of eligible costs for debris removal, facility repairs or replacements and hazard mitigation projects Martin says the resulting federal dollars could well be useful for the county as the assessment and repair process continues.
Stay with KVOE and KVOE.com for more developments. Click here for prior coverage.
Photos by Chuck Samples/KVOE News
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