Severe Storms Bring Flooding and Tornado Risks to Kansas and Missouri
More than two million people in Kansas and Missouri were under a flash flood warning on Tuesday as storms threatened the Kansas City metropolitan area with tornadoes and dropped several inches of rain, trapping people in their cars in Wichita.
A large area across the Great Plains and the Midwest was at risk of severe storms on Tuesday. The National Weather Service expected the most severe weather through the evening in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri, with the risk for tornadoes increasing later in the day.
A tornado watch was in place for eastern Kansas and western Missouri until 8 p.m. local time, and forecasters warned of the risk for large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour. (Warnings are issued after a radar or a trained spotter finds a tornado, while watches mean the conditions to form a tornado are in place.)
While floodwaters around Wichita, Kan., 200 miles away, kept rescuers busy, a tornado warning went into effect for nearly 350,000 people in Kansas City, Mo., and surrounding cities. The warning will remain in effect through the evening.
Early reports from local media said that strong winds had begun to cause damage. The National Weather Service in Kansas City said that a tornado was likely at the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, which houses Arrowhead Stadium, home to the Kansas City Chiefs, and Kauffman Stadium, where the Kansas City Royals play.
Initial reports from local media said strong winds were causing minor damage at the stadium and on surrounding interstate highways, where a semi truck had been blown over.
The Wichita Fire Department said in a post on social media that it had received 77 reports of submerged vehicles since 10:30 a.m. local time and urged drivers to avoid routes with standing water.
Local news media there reported that rescuers had been dispatched to extract several people stranded in their cars after driving into floodwaters, including a woman in her 80s.
Officials in the suburbs and rural areas around Wichita reported that high standing water had contributed to accidents and road closures.
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