Soggy Kansas about to get drenched, maybe dangerously so

Overflowing rivers and reservoirs across Kansas are already producing significant flooding, particularly in the southeast corner of the state.

But, forecasters say, things could get much worse over the next several days as slow-moving thunderstorms develop over central and northeast Kansas.

“We’re going to see repeated bouts of thunderstorms over the next several days and those storms are going to move repeatedly over the same areas,” said Chad Omitt, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

The storms, he said, could produce flooding in northeast Kansas similar to that generated by up to 20 inches of rain that fell over portions of southeast Kansas in recent days, sending the Neosho, Verdigris and Marmaton rivers over their banks.

That’s well above the region’s average rainfall for the entire month of May of about five inches.

“Many of these areas are seeing an entire month’s worth of rain in one night,” Omitt said.

Omitt joined Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and the heads of several state agencies Thursday to brief reporters on disaster relief efforts already underway and warn that more creeks, rivers and reservoirs could soon be spilling over their banks.

“We’ve got to be vigilant, we’ve got to make safety a priority,” Kelly said, noting that she has issued disaster declarations for 42 of the state’s 105 counties since the end of April.

Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the commander of the Kansas National Guard and the state’s emergency management director, said Kansans should prepare for what he calls “a multi-hazard event” – meaning more heavy rain and the increased possibility of tornadoes and other types of severe weather.

 “It really creates a very dangerous situation,” Tafanelli said.

At a minimum, Tafanelli said, Kansans should factor the warnings into their plans for the Memorial Day weekend. That starts, he said, with checking to see whether rains have forced the closure of roads or state parks.

Thes Kansas Department of Transportation website has latest information on road closures.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism has the latest on flood alerts in state parks.

The recent death of a motorist who drove into water rushing over a roadway near Emporia should serve as a warning to all travelers, said Larry Thompson of the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“We’re urging drivers to pay attention when they’re out there,” Thompson said. “Don’t drive into flowing water, don’t drive around the barricades.”