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May floods
Heavy rains on May 5 and 6 cause flooding in Lyon County after more than five inches was received in the county.
While north Lyon County is drying out from the weekend’s flooding, south of Emporia the Cottonwood River has risen enough to close Kansas Highway 99.
The Kansas Department of Transportation shut down the road at Soden’s Grove early this afternoon. The Kansas Turnpike Authority is opening a gate for residents to detour. The Cottonwood River at Emporia was at 24.49 feet at 11 a.m. Flood stage is 20 feet.
On K-99 north of Emporia, Bill Walker waited out the flooding stranded in his home. That’s nothing new.
The home he’s lived in for 49 years in the 2000 block of Highway 99 faces the highway on the east with a bend of Dow Creek on the north and west side of the property. When Dow Creek overflows, a half-mile section of K-99 in front of Walker’s house routinely floods. With the highway his only access off the property, Walker usually waits out the flood. That’s what he did Sunday and Monday.
“It didn’t get in the house,” Walker said of this past weekend’s flood waters.
When the waters receded, however, Walker discovered he couldn’t get off his property — his driveway had washed away, leaving two 4-foot diameter culverts exposed. This morning, Walker watched from his side of the yawning chasm while workers from the Kansas Department of Transportation assessed the damage and worked to build a temporary road for Walker.
Workers on the KDOT crew estimated it wouldn’t take long to build access for Walker. A more permanent solution would take longer.
KDOT rebuilt the area about two years ago, according to Walker. At that time, crews dug out the ditch on the west side of the highway, deepening the channel and lining it with large rock for rip-rap. They also removed the span bridge that had been on the property and replaced it with the pair of culverts.
That, Walker said this morning, was a big part of the problem.
“Two tubes don’t flow like one big one,” he said, noting that he thought the bridge would have been replaced with a box culvert.
The double culvert system, however, has worked for two years. This time flood waters were swifter. At least half the rip-rap placed at the north end of the new channel washed over the driveway and down the ditch, finally stopping at a hedgerow a half-mile away and scattering over the neighboring farm land.
Walker shares the driveway with the occupant of a second home on the small tract. While Walker stayed, he said, she chose to be evacuated. Firefighters came about 9:20 a.m. Monday and used a boat to evacuate her, according to the Emporia fire log.
For others affected by the flooding, travel was easier this morning, although it likely will worsen before all the waters have crested and begun to recede.
Officials opened K-99 north of Emporia this morning. Other northern roads — Americus and Burlingame — are open.
The Neosho River at Neosho Rapids is at 25.5 feet. Flood stage is 22 feet. The river is expected to fall below flood stage Thursday morning. The Neosho River at Emporia also is experiencing mild flooding. Flood stage is 19.0 feet and the latest readings showed the river was at 20.44 feet. It is expected to crest at 24 feet by this afternoon.
The latest reading at Neosho River near Americus is 26.08 feet, putting the river just over flood stage, which is 26 feet. This morning, the river was falling and is expected to fall below flood stage this afternoon.
Over in Chase County, the Cottonwood River was reported at 12.4 feet and Kansas Highway 177 between Cottonwood Falls and Strong City was closed. Flood stage is 9 feet. The river is expected to drop below flood stage on Wednesday.