Flash Flood — Chase, Kansas

2003-08-30 to 2003-08-31 · near Gladstone, Chase, Kansas

Event narrative

Torrential rains of 6-8 inches, occurring in about 3 hours, caused flash flooding of Jacob Creek along I-35, the Kansas Turnpike, near milepost 116, 12 miles southwest of Emporia. The exceptionally heavy rains turned what had been a nearly dry creek into a raging river that surged almost due north at a rate of about 4,100 cubic feet per second. The creek overflowed across the northeast bound lanes and against a concrete median separating the northeast bound from the southwest bound lanes. The median consisted of 10 cement barriers, each 20 feet long and weighing 10,000-20,000 pounds. The water pressure built to the point that the median suddenly broke, allowing 6 to 7 feet of water to surge in a mini tsunami-like manner across the rest of the interstate.Seven vehicles were swept off the turnpike. Of these, one was a minivan carrying a family of six. Of the six occupants, five perished. The fatalities comprised of one woman and four children, all four under 10 years of age. The woman's body was found about two miles from the interstate. Of the four children, three were found inside the minivan, while the fourth was found 3/4 mile from the vehicle. The husband had broken out a window and was sucked out of the vehicle in the process. The sixth fatality, a man, resulted when his vehicle had stalled. The concrete barriers were also washed into the creek.The seven vehicles were strewn about in a low-lying area of the Flint Hills. Just east of the minivan, two vehicles were partially submerged and a third was flipped upside down and leaning against a tree. There were no statements as to the whereabouts of the other three vehicles. It was the first time in 50 years that the Kansas Turnpike had flooded at this location.The Arkansas City Traveler, the Chanute Tribune, the Wichita Eagle and the U.S. Geological Survey all contributed greatly to this narrative.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5376882. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.