1 fatality, multiple water rescues reported amid severe flooding from Oklahoma to Missouri
Severe weather cut power to hundreds of people in Missouri and Kansas on Sunday. Southwestern Missouri was one of the hardest-hit locations where multiple water rescues had to be performed.
"A flash flood emergency was declared for southern Newton and northern McDonald counties in southwestern Missouri late Sunday morning," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
A storm rolled into Jefferson County, Missouri, on Saturday evening, bringing rains that would inundate the ground and contribute to the flooding in the southern portion of the state later in the night into Sunday morning. (Twitter/@sumpink1966)
Local law enforcement reported flash flooding in the warned area before 10 a.m. CDT Sunday. Up to 6 inches of rain had fallen and already triggered flash flooding. There were reports of multiple water rescues, roads washed out and buildings damaged or destroyed in these areas.
"Just west of these counties, more than 5 inches of rain inundated Grove, Oklahoma, on Sunday morning. More than an inch of rain fell in three consecutive hours," Pydynowski said.
One woman apparently drowned after driving into a flooded creek in eastern Oklahoma, according to the Associated Press. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol found 64-year-old Vickie Darnell Sunday morning after she had attempted to drive her vehicle through a flooded crossing across Sugar Loaf Creek. The patrol told the AP that her vehicle had been swept off the road at about 4:30 a.m. CT.
Rapid rises occurred on smaller creeks and rivers across the region, Pydynowski said. The Buffalo Creek near Tiff City, Missouri, rose 8 feet to moderate flood stage in just two hours on Sunday morning.
Camp grounds were evacuated at Roaring River State Park in Missouri due to flash flooding in the area.
According to the National Weather Service office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, some of the thunderstorms produced 2-3 inches of rain in an hour.
Heavy rain also triggered flooding farther to the north around Kansas City, Missouri.
The Indian Creek at Overland Park rose to 12.49 feet on Saturday morning, just shy of minor flood stage of 14 feet.
"Kansas City was inundated with 3.50 inches of rain from late Saturday to Sunday morning," Pydynowski said.
"Clusters of severe thunderstorms that formed late Saturday across the nation's midsection converged on the area around Missouri, eastern Kansas, northeastern Oklahoma and northern Arkansas late Saturday night and into Sunday morning," Pydynowski said.
Heavy rain diminished across Missouri on Sunday afternoon. However, residents should remain alert for ongoing river flooding.
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