Flooding in Kansas, November 1 to 5, 1998

Name: Flooding in Kansas, November 1 to 5, 1998
Start: 1998-11-01T00:01
End: 1998-11-05T23:59
Location: Kansas

November 1 to 5, 1998 · NWS ICT · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Widespread heavy rains of 6-10 inches inundated South-Central and Southeast Kansas from the evening of October 30th thru November 1st while 4-8 inches drenched Central Kansas. 53 feet on 11/01/98.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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: 1
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $32 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 14

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 ICT wrote it up.

Widespread heavy rains of 6-10 inches inundated South-Central and Southeast Kansas from the evening of October 30th thru November 1st while 4-8 inches drenched Central Kansas. As a result, record flooding occurred along the following rivers:Whitewater River: At Towanda: crest: 30.53 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 29.73 feet on 06/08/79). At Augusta: crest: 34.95 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 32.70 feet on 06/08/79).Arkansas River: At Derby: crest: 16.60 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 16.19 feet on 07/15/93). At Arkansas City, 28.89 feet on 11/03/98. (Old record: 27.62 feet on 05/11/93).Walnut River: At Arkansas City: crest: 32.45 feet on 11/03/98. (Old record: 29.22 feet on 06/11/95).Cottonwood River: At Florence: crest: 28.67 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 28.03 feet on 06/17/95). At Plymouth: crest: 36.77 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 35.70 feet on 06/05/65).The record flooding resulted in 1 confirmed death, 2 injuries, just over 5,300 evacuations, and $32 million in damage to crops, highways, property (both business and private), and soil erosion. Of the evacuations, 3,000 occurred in and around Arkansas City in southwest Cowley County and 1,800 occurred in and around Augusta in southwest Butler County. In West Wichita, 100 people were evacuated when Cowskin Creek flooded. The most significant damage occurred in and around Augusta where 565 homes, 230 mobile homes (many were a total loss), and 100 businesses sustained damage. All told, $10 million in damage were assessed in Butler County. Cowley County was the 2nd hardest hit area with $8 million damage assessed including 479 structures, both residential and business. The majority of the damage occurred in and around Arkansas City. In Sedgwick County, the Cowskin Creek flooded causing $4 million damage to homes, businesses , roads and crops.In Sumner County, 2 people were treated for hypothermia at a local hospital. Though record crests were not achieved on the Chikaskia and Ninnescah Rivers, significant flooding occurred none-the-less as 70 people were evacuated in Argonia along the Chikaskia and in Belle Plaine along the Ninnescah. There were also evacuations in Mulvane along the Arkansas River.In Chase County, approximately 200 people were evacuated in Cedar Point, Saffordville, Strong City and Elmdale. In Elmdale only 1 residence escaped flooding. The $2 million damage was inflicted upon crops, roads, residences and soil erosion.In Greenwood County, most of the $500,000 damage was due to roads being washed out.In Neosho County, $500,000 damage occurred mainly due to partial failure of a levy in Chanute.In Wilson County, 50 people were evacuated in and around Coyville when Toronto Lake began releasing. However, no significant damage resulted.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Allen

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Allen forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.886, -95.301 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Saline

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.784, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, McPherson

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McPherson forecast zone
Property damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.392, -97.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Harper

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Harper forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.192, -98.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Harvey

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Harvey forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.043, -97.427 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At approximately 100 AM on 11/01/98, one woman, aged 50, was driving north on old U.S. Highway 81 from Wichita toward Newton when she encountered a barricade postioned across the highway due to water from jesper Creek. She ignored the barricade and drove into the water where her car stalled. At this point she left her car and began wading. Her car was subsequently swept off the highway and found between 1/4 and 1/2 mile downstream with the victim's body found an unspecified distance further.

Flood, Marion

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Property damage: $2.3 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.359, -97.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Sedgwick

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sedgwick forecast zone
Property damage: $4.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.685, -97.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Sumner

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sumner forecast zone
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.237, -97.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two people were treated for hypothermia.

Flood, Butler

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Property damage: $10 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.781, -96.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cowley

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cowley forecast zone
Property damage: $8.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.238, -96.837 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Chase

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Chase forecast zone
Property damage: $2.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.302, -96.594 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Greenwood

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Greenwood forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.878, -96.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Neosho

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Neosho forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.559, -95.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wilson

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 5, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wilson forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.559, -95.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Flood, Harvey	1998-11-01	50	Female	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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: 5675561, 5675562, 5675563, 5675564, 5675565, 5675566, 5675567, 5675568, 5675569, 5675570, 5675571, 5675572, 5675573, 5675574.