Wichita, Kansas

Weather Forecast Office

May 20th - 28th significant flooding

Overview

Intense upper level low pressure system allowed unseasonably moist airmass to lift north across the southern and central Plains. Widespread heavy rainfall north of a warm front started Monday afternoon May 20th and ramped up Monday night into Tuesday morning. Extremely high rainfall rates caused widespread flash flooding and river flooding.

Bouts of heavy rain and flooding continued for the next several days causing all of the rivers across central and south central Kansas to be in flood at some point. At one point, the NWS in Wichita had a river flood warning for 43 river points! Some rivers reached levels not seen in over a decade or even longer. Major flood category was reached along the Neosho, Arkansas, Vergigris and Walnut rivers with numerous other rivers reaching moderate flood stage.

Flash flooding became a more widespread concern on the evening of May 24th. This is when flash flood emergencies were issued for the Wichita area along with Greenwood county, including Eureka. Numerous cars were overtaken by water with evacuations needed in Eureka. Sections of several highways were closed through this event due to both river flooding and flash flooding, most of these in southeast Kansas. These included, Highway 99 north of Eureka, Highway 400 west of Neodesha, Highway 54 east of Eureka and Highway 39 east of Chanute. Evacuations were done below the Fall River dam during the early morning hours on May 25th and around 50 homes were evacuated in Independence due to rises on the Verdigris River. This page is still being updated with information.

Hydrographs
Photos & Video
Rainfall
Additional

Hydrographs

Smoky Hill River, Salt Creek & Mulberry Creek

Walnut Creek reached a level that hasn't been seen since the floods of 1993

Little Arkansas

Arkansas River, Walnut Creek & Cowskin Creek

The river level at Great Bend reached a height that hasn't been seen since 1973

Cow Creek

Chikaskia River

Slate Creek

Whitewater River

Walnut River

Ninnescah

Cottonwood River

Fall River

Verdigris

Neosho River

Lakes and Reservoirs

Photos & Video

Several cars are flooded out on Maize Rd between 21st and 13th Street #KAKENews pic.twitter.com/4WUMM4tUak — Matt Crow (@MattinICT) May 24, 2019		13th and Maize - several cars stalled in water. Firefighters blocking traffic #kswx #KAKEnews pic.twitter.com/erLoV8Oa4e — Greg Miller (@GregMillerTV) May 24, 2019
7 Day rainfall ending on May 27th	Florence, KS Bridge Courtesy Randy Frank	Three hour rise on the west branch of the Walnut River (Charlene Miller)
Got these photos from Randy and Pam Walker from the Grouse Creek Recreation Club near Silverdale Kansas (SE Cowley Co). They say they picked up 10.5" of rain!!! #KSwx pic.twitter.com/Lb9k0pKWps — Frank Waugh KAKE Weather (@FWaughKAKE) May 21, 2019	It flooded on S Spring in Caney, Kansas this morning and it was Crazy!!! @NWSWichita @NOAA pic.twitter.com/hq8XFU8jIu — Brennan Myers Studios (@EllisBrennanMy2) May 21, 2019	Here is our map of road closures due to flooding in Harvey County as of this morning. Please remember conditions continually change, and this map may not be comprehensive because of that. Harvey County remains in a flood warning until 2:30 p.m.#kswx pic.twitter.com/vD6v4NuDNk — HarveyCountyKS (@HarveyCountyKS) May 21, 2019
We are attempting to make it to New Cambria and ran into a few flooded out roads. This is at North Street and Simpson Road in Saline County. Do not drive into flooded waters like this! #KWCH12 #kswx pic.twitter.com/sL2A7HVAjT — Melissa Murray (@KWCHMMurray) May 21, 2019	@NWSWichita Agricultural/Field flooding 5 S of South Hutchinson-Ditches running 1/4 full along K-17- NOW#kswx pic.twitter.com/Doj4KLUljr — Weather Watchers (@wxwatchersks) May 20, 2019	We are getting some incredible gusts right now. Strong enough to knock our sign off our building here at @KSNNews @KSNStormTrack3 #KSwx @NWSWichita pic.twitter.com/DUbzIDFySB — Lisa Teachman (@LisaTeachman) May 21, 2019
Be like this person! Washington is covered in water near Paris Park in Arkansas City. Watch this driver come up to the floodwaters and turn around! #KWCH12 #kswx pic.twitter.com/s0Qpy5Wotr — Devon Fasbinder (@KWCHDevon) May 20, 2019	In New Cambria, Saline County, they're expecting the river to reach near record levels of flooding - though not as bad as earlier predictions. Many have gathered to help bag up 36 tons of sand for those who need it. #kakenews #kswx pic.twitter.com/qVBwsYopSD — Pilar Pedraza TV (@PilarPedrazaTV) May 21, 2019	The Arkansas River in Wichita, KS is rising rapidly. Here it’s pronounced AR-Kansas River. In Sedgwick, KS, it’s expected to break an all time record of 26.3 feet when it hits 26.5 feet. 25 gauges in #Kansas, #Oklahoma and #Texas are in Major Flood Stage. @weatherchannel is live. pic.twitter.com/wThzRSSkzP — Justin Michaels (@JMichaelsNews) May 21, 2019
Swollen Arkansas River is covering sidewalks at the Keeper of the Plains pic.twitter.com/5WRfkzoTgS — Lily Wu KAKE News (@KansasLily) May 22, 2019	NEW: creek/river flooding is getting close to the level of Hwy 160 west of Coffeyville KS at a few locations @breakingweather @accuweather #kswx #flood pic.twitter.com/EhF84wlujd — Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) May 22, 2019	Once again, Walnut River sweeps fairgrounds under with more rain, possibly, on the way. #KSwx #Flooding @NWSWichita pic.twitter.com/EpME6ukUQg — Vaughn Grace (@LadyZecha) May 22, 2019
SHARE: Saline County has ordered power to be shut off to the southwest corner of New Cambria at 3 p.m. due to flooding concerns. Shelters for people and pets are available in Salina. https://t.co/ulGUZVyQEE #kwch12 pic.twitter.com/qxEDJkOJRr — KWCH Eyewitness News (@KWCH12) May 22, 2019	@NWSWichita pic.twitter.com/2PpmQxU32U — Andrew Kleinsasser (@adkleins) May 23, 2019	The Arkansas River at Derby still swollen at 11.2 ft this afternoon. The river is almost 600 ft wide. The new park facility on the downstream east bank of the Market St bridge is inundated. #kswx #ksfloods pic.twitter.com/VKJt12Sneh — Janet Salazar (@hydrometZAR) May 30, 2019

Rainfall info

Widespread 8 to 12 inches of rainfall fell in a 7 day period ending around May 27th. In addition, may areas across southern and eastern Kansas have picked-up between 15 and 25 inches for the month of May. May 2019 will go down as the 2nd wettest may on record for Wichita with a rainfall total of 12.64 inches. The wettest May on record of Wichita is 13.14 from back in 2008.

7 day rainfall ending on May 27th

May 2019 rainfall totals

Rainfall stats for Wichita

Additional Information


NWS Wichita heads up display for May 26th showing 43 river flood warning, 6 flash flood warnings, 2 areal flood warnings, flood watches and a civil emergency message	Year by year breakdown of flash flood warnings through May 29th issued by NWS Wichita	Comparing lake levels at Cheney Lake from 2018 to 2019

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