Flash Flood — Harper, Kansas

2009-04-26 to 2009-04-27 · near Corwin, Harper, Kansas

Event narrative

Heavy rainfall from numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon, evening and overnight hours on the 26th produced widespread flooding across much of Harper county. Rainfall amounts across the county ranged from 3 to 6 inches. Numerous roads were closed countywide. It is estimated that around 100 homes were flooded or received some form of water damage in the Anthony area, along with several other homes and businesses across the county. Portions of the elementary school and hospital in Harper were flooded. Three water rescues took place, one of which produced an injury near Third Lake Road when a vehicle attempted to cross a flooded roadway. Crop damage estimates are unknown, and property damage values are rough estimates. The Wichita Eagle, Harper Advocate, Anthony Republican and the Hutchinson News contributed to this report.

Wider weather episode

A slow moving frontal boundary in conjunction with rich low-level moisture and various upper level disturbances resulted in numerous rounds of heavy showers and thunderstorms from the afternoon of the 25th into the evening hours of the 27th across portions of central, south-central and southeast Kansas. These storms at times produced the full gamut of severe weather, including large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes and flooding. Portions of Marion, Harvey, Butler, Sedgwick and McPherson counties were especially affected by straight-line damaging winds, as a pair or bow echoes surged east to northeast across the area, inflicting damage to numerous barns, outbuildings and some other structures, uprooting trees and downing power poles. Additionally, a handful of relatively weak, short-lived tornadoes skipped across portions of Sumner, Cowley, Butler, Marion and Sedgwick counties during the afternoon and evening hours on the 25th and 26th. A tornado near Lake Afton in southwest Sedgwick county inflicted moderate damage to a residence, and also injured two people. Furthermore, heavy thunderstorms training over the same areas produced widespread areal flooding, river flooding and flash flooding across mainly south-central, east-central and southeast Kansas. Numerous rural and city roads were flooded and subsequently closed due to high water. Various water rescues were needed for stranded motorists, as well as homeowners threatened by flood waters. Numerous homes and businesses were flooded, along with the Cowley County Fairgrounds. Sadly, three flooding deaths occurred, one in Greenwood county and two in Labette county. Some injuries occurred as well.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.0181, -98.2782)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 166330. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.