DALLAS — Severe weather wreaked havoc across central parts of the United States, resulting in the death of one individual and triggering widespread disruption. The chaos included intense rainfall in Dallas, a tornado in the vicinity of Kansas City, and flash floods in Kansas, which necessitated the rescue of numerous individuals by firefighters, including several stranded motorists.
In Dallas, a tragic incident occurred on Wednesday when a man lost his life after his vehicle got trapped in rising floodwaters. The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department reported that his was one of the two cars submerged beneath a bridge on Interstate 635. While Dallas police successfully rescued one driver, the other could not be saved and was later recovered by rescue teams.
Wichita, located in south-central Kansas, witnessed around 70 water rescues amid flash flooding triggered by torrential rains, according to Robb Lawson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. At a briefing on Tuesday night, Sedgwick County’s emergency management director, Julie Stimson, shared that rainfall in the area had ranged from 1.5 inches to 7 inches (4 to 18 centimeters) since Monday. She advised motorists to avoid driving through flooded areas and heed barricades and emergency vehicles.
With water levels reaching the windshield height of vehicles, the Wichita Fire Department deployed boats to evacuate stranded drivers. Fire Capt. Lance Diffenbaugh emphasized the risk involved by stating, “We have to put ourselves in danger with our life jackets and our boats to get them into a boat and out of the water. It doesn’t make sense if they could just turn around and wait for the water to recede.” Several roads remained closed as reported on the county’s interactive map.
In nearby El Dorado, heavy rains resulted in the Walnut River overflowing, flooding multiple streets and forcing residents to seek safety. Michelle Yerge, a local resident, recounted to KAKE-TV how they had to leave their belongings and swim to safety due to waist-deep water.
In response to the severe conditions, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly declared a disaster emergency, enabling state agencies to assist those affected.
The Kansas City area faced severe storms on Tuesday, with powerful winds overturning a tractor-trailer on Interstate 435. Damage included flipped over portable toilets and barriers at the shared sports complex of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, as well as uprooted trees. Although a tornado warning was issued, and citizens were advised to seek shelter, no significant damage was recorded.
Weather service meteorologist Brad Temeyer confirmed that a tornado indeed touched down in Independence, Missouri, near the sports complex. A weather service survey team is working to ascertain whether the tornado initially struck the sports complex or made contact at another location.
The turbulent weather also impacted travel plans as the Indiana Pacers’ journey to the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City was delayed due to inclement weather. The team’s aircraft was rerouted to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and had to navigate around adverse weather before safely landing in Oklahoma City roughly 3.5 hours late.
The forecast for Kansas indicated dry weather conditions for Wednesday; however, more storms were predicted for Thursday. Authorities cautioned that the saturated soil could lead to further localized flooding with expected rainfall.
Robb Lawson stated in an interview that the region is expected to remain in a wet and cooler weather pattern over the coming days.