Flash Flood in Jewell County, Kansas

A torrent of rain was unleashed on the eastern half of Jewell county on June 22. Over 9 inches of rain fell at Lovewell Reservoir. Flash flooding was reported near the campground just downstream on the White Rock Creek. Two men escaped injury despite being stranded by flood waters. The men were attempting to reach a house on fire around 3 am. The men were driving a road grader. The grader was swept off a bridge by the raging flood waters. The two men sat on a wheel of the grader until 6 am before the water receded enough to rescue them safely. No one was home in the house the men were trying to reach, but it was destroyed by the fire. The flooding caused severe county road and bridge damage in eastern Jewell county. The highway in the Formoso area was flooded for a time. Later that night, tornadoes were reported by both law enforcement and the public in Smith and Phillips counties. Given the tornadoes occurred in very rural areas, no damage was reported.