Several inches of rain overnight caused dangerous, metro-wide flash flooding Thursday morning, shutting down several roads and highways.
Areas like Riverside and Olathe have seen rain rates of two to four inches per hour. Some sources are reporting isolated rainfall totals topping 7" in just a few hours.
Indian Creek near 103rd and Wornall and Turkey Creek running along I-35 at Lamar were well over their banks and threatening nearby businesses and commuters.
Indian Creek was cresting over the road bridges at every intersection, topping 27 feet at its highest. This breaks Indian Creek's record level by nearly two feet. Tomahawk Creek also saw record water levels at just over 20 feet, breaking its previous record by a foot.
Fire and rescue crews and other agencies responded to numerous water rescue calls. Some cars stalled out in high water, but others were completely washed away.
Rescue crews took boats around the area of 103rd and Wornall to rescue people stranded in buildings and at their vehicles.
Crews took ladders from the boats up to the roof of Coach's Bar & Grill to rescue two people stranded inside. The firefighters had to cut through the roof to get the co-owners of Coach's to safety.
2 happy campers! Brian Darby & Chris Carle, safe, after rescue by @KCMOFireDept water rescue team. Trapped by flood in Coach's @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/Fj7BfMGmJR
— Belinda Post (@Belinda_Post) July 27, 2017
Twenty people were rescued by boat in Cass County, Missouri.
20 people had to be rescued by boat in Cass County, Mo. There is still a lot of rushing water in the area. @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/thXxxSW8GM
— Steven Dial (@StevenDialTV) July 27, 2017
There have been no reports yet of injuries.
@KCMOFireDept is responding to numerous high water calls and flooding pic.twitter.com/YqhyRrkTyk
— Paul Berardi (@KCMOFireChief) July 27, 2017
Closings/Delays:
- The Waldo branch of the KC public library is temporarily closed this morning due to flooding.
Businesses recover from flash flooding
The Volkswagen dealership at 103rd and State Line is putting up caution tape after flash flooding took over their lot.
Owners are trying to keep people out of this area since flood waters are still high.
Several cars are totaled from the flooding. They are waiting for the water to go down to see how bad the damage is.
Multiple businesses along Indian Creek were hit hard by raging flood waters.
“It’s my first time. I’ve actually never seen a flood,” said Carson Johnson, the grandson of LeSalon Images's owner.
After stepping foot inside his grandma's business Thursday morning, Carson said he was blown away.
“I knew water had power, but I didn’t think it would do this,” said Carson.
LeSalon Images is just one of the businesses along Indian Creek that was hit hard.
“Had I known, you know, that it was going to be this bad, I may have come here last night and tried to put things up,” said Charles Johnson, the son-in-law of LeSalon Images's owner.
In an area that tends to be ‘at risk’ more often than not, Charles Johnson said this kind of flooding isn’t something new.
“You know, Indian Creek always floods and every few years it floods worse than others, and it’s just something that we deal with,” said Charles Johnson.
After waters receded, business owners were able to get an up close look at what they’re dealing with.
Charles Johnson said for LeSalon Images, it will take some time and hard work before they’re back in business.
“Once we get the water and the mud out and we start actually cleaning the chairs and the stations, things like that, we’ll actually most likely have to cut out the bottom 24 inches of the sheet-rock,” said Charles Johnson.
All things that have to be done out of pocket.
“It’s really hard to get flood insurance here and if you get it, it’s just astronomical to where you can’t afford to run your business,” said Charles Johnson.
Despite Thursday's troubles, Charles Johnson said it could have been much worse, and he’s grateful that it wasn’t.
“We weren’t trapped inside of a roof like the people over at Coach’s, and nobody got killed, and you know property can be replaced, lives can’t,” said Charles Johnson.
