August 05, 2017 Flash Flooding in Kansas City

August 5, 2017 Flash Flooding in Kansas City

On the evening of August 5, 2017 a round of thunderstorms formed just north of Kansas City. The orientation of these storms ensured that repeated heavy rain would run over the same areas. This training of thunderstorms produced prolonged heavy rain over the Kansas City Metro area resulting in 3 to 6 inches of rain over a 4-6 hour period and causing quite a bit of flooding in and around Kansas City. Most notable was the flooding in and around Westport, where 3 to 4 feet of water came up to the businesses. Several water rescues were conducted around Kansas City through the evening and overnight hours, but remarkably no one was injured or killed in this event. To the east and south of Kansas City, numerous rural roads and streams encountered flooding, which caused numerous road closures in areas predominantly south of Interstate 70.

Storm totals across eastern Kansas and western Missouri mostly in the 3 to 6 inch range, with some locations approaching 7 inches.

Rainfall totals in the Kansas City Metro area generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

Image from stormwatch.com

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