LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — After northern Midwest states experienced major flooding earlier this week, that water is now moving down the Missouri River toward the Kansas City metro.
Leavenworth, Kansas, is one of the riverside cities that will experience minor flooding. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association predicts the water level to rise to minor flooding starting early Sunday morning. The river is expected to crest at 22 feet on Wednesday, July 3, with levels receding by Friday, July 5.
"Anything that happens up north of here, more rain or dams being released, impacts that data, and so we're checking every eight hours to see where we end up with that," said Patrick Kitchens, Leavenworth's interim city manager. "But right now, it looks like minor flooding. We're going to have to close our campground here. We're going to have to close our brush site that we use several miles down the river here. Just to be cautious to make sure nobody gets hurt."
The city's riverfront campground will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, vacating campers ahead of the flooding.
"So fortunately, or unfortunately, we have a lot of very accurate data now in over these last 20 years that really tells us what the river is going to do to our community when it gets to very specific levels. And so we've been able to enact an emergency action plan and we know exactly what we're going to do in most circumstances," Kitchens said.
Kitchens reminds people to turn around and don't drown. Do not go around barricades or drive through water-covered streets. Kitchens said residents can stay up-to-date on road closures and conditions through the city's website and social media.
