Flash Flooding in Kansas, November 1 to 4, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding in Kansas, November 1 to 4, 1998
Start: 1998-11-01T08:45
End: 1998-11-04T21:00
Location: Kansas

November 1 to 4, 1998 · NWS TOP · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

12 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $9.5 million
Crop damage: $105,000
Events: 12

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.

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Franklin

When: November 1, 8:45 AM CST to November 4, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, Ottawa
Property damage: $2.5 million
Crop damage: $15,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.565, -95.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Lyon

When: November 1, 9:00 AM CST to November 4, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Lyon County, Emporia
Property damage: $2.5 million
Crop damage: $18,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.456, -96.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Jefferson

When: November 1, 9:15 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Grantville
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.236, -95.383 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Douglas

When: November 1, 9:45 AM CST to November 2, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas County, Lawrence
Property damage: $2.5 million
Crop damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.885, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Dickinson

When: November 1, 10:00 AM CST to November 2, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Dickinson County, Abilene
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.867, -97.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Osage

When: November 1, 10:30 AM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Osage County, Lyndon
Property damage: $400,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.652, -95.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Coffey

When: November 1, 11:00 AM CST to November 4, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Coffey County, Burlington
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.237, -95.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Anderson

When: November 1, 11:00 AM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Anderson County, Garnett
Property damage: $400,000
Crop damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.214, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Wabaunsee

When: November 1, 11:30 AM CST to 10:38 PM CST
Where: Wabaunsee County, Alma
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.953, -96.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Geary

When: November 1, 11:35 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Geary County, Junction City
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.002, -96.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Shawnee

When: November 1, 12:00 PM CST to November 2, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Shawnee County, Topeka
Property damage: $200,000
Crop damage: $7,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.042, -95.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rains of late October continued into the first day or two of November and sent rivers and streams in east central Kansas out of their banks. Numerous roads and highways in the area were flooded and many were closed for a time. Many homes were severly damaged. The Neosho river at Emporia crested at 24.88 feet at 5am on the 2nd. This is the 8th highest crest on record of which the top 4 all occurred during the famous severe floods of Spring and Summer 1951. Flood stage is 19 feet. At Ottawa the Marias Des Cygnes River crested at 38.93 feet at 9pm of the 2nd. This crest was the third highest on record. The river remained in flood until late on the 4th. Flood stage is 31 feet. Runoff from the heavy rains sent John Redmond resevoir to the top of its dam. Water released from the resevoir kept the Neosho river downstream in flood for several days after most other rivers and streams had returned to their banks. Total property and crop damage was estimated near 10 million dollars.

Flash Flood, Morris

When: November 1, 12:00 PM CST to 10:45 PM CST
Where: Morris County, Council Grove Res
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.687, -96.650 (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, November 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: 5671624, 5671625, 5671632, 5671623, 5671630, 5671626, 5671622, 5671628, 5671629, 5671631, 5671627, 5671633.