Flash Flooding and Flooding in Kansas, March 23 to 27, 2000

Widespread thunderstorms producing heavy rains caused flooding of Highway 14 at 100th St. near Kingman. By 245 PM, the flooding had spread to 5 miles northeast of Kingman where a bridge was also flooded. By 335 PM, numerous roads were underwater in downtown Kingman including Highway 14 as were most county roads. At 537 PM, Smoots Creek in Northeast Kingman County overflowed in Midway where Northeast 10th St. was barricaded.

Widespread thunderstorms produced rainfalls of 3 to 4 inches across much of the county. Highway 111 was closed due to flooding. Flash flooding also occurred on Highway 14 at milepost 162. In addition, many sideroads were also completely flooded and barricaded including two roads in Holyrood where Plum Creek overflowed. By 507 PM, the flooding had spread into downtown Ellsworth where three roads were closed. Reports were also received from area newspapers.

Widespread thunderstorms producing heavy rains caused flooding of the Cowskin Creek with flood waters spreading across most of West and Northwest Sedgwick County. By 700 PM, the flooding had spread into West and Northwest Wichita. At 1237 AM on the 24th, with the Calfskin Creek now flooded as well, some of the properties in West and Northwest Wichita were affected where yards were flooded for most of the following day. The widespread flooding forced the closures of numerous roads. Reports were also received from area newspapers.

Flooding occurred along Old Highway 160, 5 miles west of Attica, as well as 1mile north of Harper where a bridge was flooded when Sand Creek overflowed. By 700 PM, the flooding had overspread most of the county. The most serious flooding occurred 1 to 3 miles north of Bluff City as Bluff and Baehr Creeks overflowed their banks. Roads were closed in and north of Bluff City. Residents of Bluff City were without water when a water line was broken. By 105 AM, nearly all creeks had overflowed their respective banks forcing the closures of many county roads. Reports were also received from area newspapers.

Widespread heavy rains on the 23rd caused flooding across much of two counties. The flooding forced the closures of 25 roads in Reno County including one 11 miles west of Pretty Prairie in extreme southern Reno County where a bridge was washed out. Even though the rains had ended by the very early morning of the 24th, flood waters from Cow Creek prolonged the flooding as most of the flooded roads in Reno County remained closed thru midday on the 27th. In Sumner County, widespread heavy rains caused flooding of the Ninnescah River and it's tributaries that forced the closures of many roads, most notably Highway 81 in Belle Plaine in northeast Sumner County. Some of the flooded roads remained closed thru the 25th. One neighborhood in Wellington in Central Sumner County was greatly impacted with widespread flooding of yards reported.

Highway 96 was flooded 1 to 3 miles south of Sterling where Bull Creek had overflowed as were several county roads. By 1053 PM, the flooding had overspread parts of southeast Rice County with most of the flooding occurring along or near Cow Creek.