KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A man stranded on the roof of his truck in flood waters used flashlight signals to alert rescue crews before dawn Tuesday morning after overnight storms flooded much of the southern Kansas City metro.
Rick Wilson said he's thankful he followed his grandfather's advice and kept a flashlight in his truck. He told 41 Action News he shined a flashlight toward firefighters so they could pinpoint his location along the Blue River near Minor Park.
After his rescue, Wilson said he was driving into the park Tuesday morning when flood waters rose quicker than he anticipated. He found himself trapped between rising tides, so to speak. Eventually, he had to sit on top of the roof of his truck to stay dry.
He called 911 from a cell phone, then used his flashlight to get the attention of rescuers.
Wilson was stuck on top of his truck for around two hours. He didn't need any medical attention after the rescue.
Kansas City Fire Department leaders stressed for drivers to be careful near flooded streets and obey all "road closed" signs.
There were several rescue operations in flooded parts of southern Jackson and Johnson counties Tuesday morning. One woman taken by the flood water clung to a tree for nearly four hours for rescue. Several others became stuck on the roofs of their cars or homes waiting for the water to go down and rescue boats to come bring them to safety.
Indian Creek shattered its record high flood level in late July, just under a month ago, in a flash flood that destroyed businesses and carried cars off the road. Tuesday morning, the creek broke that record yet again, hitting many of the same businesses that had just reopened from the damage a month ago.
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