Flash Flood in Kansas, July 26, 1998

Name: Flash Flood in Kansas, July 26, 1998
Start: 1998-07-26T03:16
End: 1998-07-26T07:00
Location: Kansas

July 26, 1998 · NWS GID · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Early morning thunderstorms dropped 3 to 6 inches of rain over the northern portions of Smith county. At a residence northwest of Smith Center, the five and a half inch rain gauge overflowed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: $250,000
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.

Early morning thunderstorms dropped 3 to 6 inches of rain over the northern portions of Smith county. At a residence northwest of Smith Center, the five and a half inch rain gauge overflowed. Other reports include 4.75 at Athol and 3.68 in Smith Center. These heavy rains caused the Cedar and Beaver creeks to run out of their banks. The runoff caused damage to area roads and bridges. The rains appeared to weaken a section of rail track bed which lead to a train derailment. Twelve of the 61 car train were derailed which spilled an estimated 35,000 bushels of wheat.

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Smith

When: July 26, 3:16 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Smith County, North Portion
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: $250,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.785, -98.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, July 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5650188.