A harsh gang of thunderstorms rolled through the area Sunday evening and early this morning, leaving a number of county roads and parts of Highways 99 and 50 under water and impassable.
Sunday’s heavy overnight rains fell on ground already wet from a briefer thunderstorm Saturday night.
Spotty, pea- and dime-sized hail was reported briefly with a storm Saturday evening and again on Sunday. Hail up to about half-dollar size was reported in parts of Osage County.
A total of approximately 3.5 inches of rain fell around Emporia over the weekend, according to a report from the National Weather Service.
Area towns had similar rainfall patterns, with Olpe and Lebo both seeing only spotty rains on Saturday and downpours Sunday and early this morning.
Olpe received about 4.25 inches of rain, according to estimates from Olpe City Clerk Joyce Wilson.
At Lebo, weather service record-keeper Carol Linden reported a total of 2.98 inches over the weekend, with .05 falling in Saturday’s storm and 2.93 inches from the storm that set in Sunday evening.
Connie Pretzer, city clerk at Strong City, said that 2 inches of precipitation was recorded there over the weekend, while an unofficial 3.1 inches was reported at Americus.
The weather service showed the Cottonwood River at more than 19 feet at 7 a.m. today. It is expected to reach the 20-foot flood stage later this morning and to crest at 25 feet at about 7 a.m. Tuesday.
The Cottonwood should ease back to 24 feet sometime Wednesday afternoon, and be back in its banks early Friday morning.
The Neosho River already has passed flood stage of 22 feet, according to weather service charts.
The river was slightly over 24 feet about 10 o’clock this morning and was projected to go to 26 feet by midday Tuesday.
Additional rainfall, however, could affect the flooding prospects on both rivers.
The forecast for today included an 80 percent chance of precipitation, with temperatures dipping to around 40 degrees and skies clearing tonight.
Tuesday will be mostly sunny during the day, with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday night and through Sunday ranging from 20 to 40 percent probabilities.
The rain since early this morning has kept Lyon County Sheriff’s deputies and Kansas Department of Transportation crews busy with localized flooding throughout the area.
Flood warnings already have been issued for the following roads:
• Kansas Highway 99 north of Emporia at the S curve is closed.
• Road 210 west of K-99 is impassable.
• Road 240 between Roads E and F has two to three feet of water.
• 500 block of Road 180 for about a block.
• 1700 block of Road G is impassable.
• Old U.S. Highway 50 at Road G and west looks completely flooded.
• 1400 block of Road J is completely covered.
• 1400 block of Road 180 just north of Thorndale is flooded.
• Road R between Roads 140 and 150 has water on it.
• 700 block of Orange, Sycamore, Hickory, and Elm are flooded in Americus.
• Road 240 between E and D are flooded.
• Road 140 west of South Highway 99 is flooded.
• 600 block of Lockerman Road.
• 1400 block of Road M.
• 1400 block of Road 180, just north of Green Acres Mobile Home Park.
• Road 150 at Road S and all the way into Emporia.
• Road 160 and Lockerman Road.
At press time today, Burlingame Road, Americus Road and K-99 south of Emporia are open.
Drivers are urged to be cautious, especially with visibility restricted before sunrise and after sunset. Drivers should never enter high water because vehicles can lose traction and be swept away in even what looks like little water.