Nearly a dozen water rescues have occurred since early morning on Monday after an entire month’s worth of rain pummeled Kansas City within the past 24 hours.
Kansas City’s deluge capped a volatile weekend of severe weather across the central Plains, as repeated rounds of heavy rain and powerful thunderstorms unleashed flooding and tornadoes across parts of Missouri, Kansas and neighboring states. Forecasters warned slow-moving storms dumped extraordinary rainfall in a short period of time, overwhelming drainage systems and leaving already saturated ground unable to absorb more water. The rain fell amid a broader outbreak of severe weather that produced damaging winds and tornadoes across the region, prompting emergency warnings as officials cautioned residents to remain alert for rising water, hazardous travel conditions and additional storms even as the system begins to move east.
Urgent flash flood warnings remain in place for approximately 1.4 million people on Monday morning, with the Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) having conducted 11 water rescues for people whose vehicles became stranded in flooded roads beginning at around 5:54 a.m. local time.
How Much Rain Has Fallen?
Depending on the location, upwards of 4.5 inches of rain has fallen within the last 24 hours, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Spencer Mell told Newsweek. In Kansas City, the average monthly rainfall for all of April is between 3.5 and 4.5 inches, depending on the location.
“With this event, we have seen the normal totals for April matched, particularly as you go through the northern part of Kansas City,” Mell said.
After a brief lull in the middle of the day, more rain is expected, with flash flood warnings claiming up to 3 inches of additional rainfall is possible.
Where Have Water Rescues Occurred?
The KCFD has completed 11 water rescues since around 5:54 a.m. local time this morning, Battalion Chief Riley Nolan told Newsweek. Despite this, no boats were required and no injuries were reported.
All of the rescues were necessary after motorists drove through flooded roadways and became stuck. The flooded roads occurred in low-lying areas that typically flood during heavy rain events, such as along Truman Road and Independence Avenue.
Several posts shared on X from people in the area included photos and videos of flooded roads.
Some of those roads have since been closed because of standing water, Nolan said.
Nolan urged people not to drive in areas known to flood, especially during heavy rain and when it’s dark out. If someone encounters a roadway with standing water, he urged for them to “turn around, don’t drown.”
It doesn’t take much water to overtake a vehicle and move it downstream or cause damage, he said.
Flash Flood Warning Update as Rain Continues to Fall
Flash flood warnings will remain in effect at least until noon Central time, although it’s possible they will be extended if heavy rainfall continues. Mell told Newsweek he doubts the warnings will be upgraded to the more severe flash flood emergency, but meteorologists will continue to monitor the rain and flooding impacts in case the situation worsens.
A less severe flood watch has been issued for a much more widespread area, encompassing all of northwestern Missouri and some of northeastern Kansas. The flood watch will remain in place until Monday evening.
In addition to the flood-related alerts, much of Missouri remains under a severe thunderstorm watch, with the tornado threat steadily tracking to the east. As of around 11 a.m. Eastern time, a tornado warning had recently expired for western Illinois.
What Happens Next With Rainfall Predictions
Looking further ahead, there is a small chance most of Missouri will see below-average precipitation over the next six to 14 days, according to the NWS Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlooks.
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