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Severe Weather Alerts Include Evacuations for Eureka

 

ALERT: Greenwood County, Eureka Evacuation

 

Severe weather alert. The Montgomery County Emergency Director, Rick Whitson, spoke with the hydrologist in Wichita that makes the river crest projections, the Corp of engineers and the hydrologist in Tulsa that responsible for the entire Verdigris River basin. Fall River and Toronto are releasing over 50,000 cubic feet of water per second from their dams. It is estimated another 4-5,000 cubic feet of water will be going over the uncontrolled spillway at Elk City. By this afternoon we will see a massive rise in the river levels. Greenwood and Wilson county are already evacuating residents. 

 

From the National Weather Service as of midnight last night:

 

GREENWOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS REQUESTING ALL RESIDENTS BELOW FALL RIVER DAM TO EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. A SHELTER HAS BEEN  SET UP IN EUREKA AT JEFFERSON STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, LOCATED AT  300 S. JEFFERSON STREET.  RECORD LEVELS OF WATER ARE BEING RELEASED OUT OF FALL RIVER RESERVOIR THAT WILL CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING. 

 

There's a Flash Flood Watch issued by National Weather Service about 3:30 this morning. 

Additional thunderstorms expected late this afternoon through tonight for:

Greenwood-Woodson-Allen-Elk-Wilson-Chautauqua-
Including the cities of Eureka, Madison, Yates Center, Iola, Humboldt, 
Howard, Moline, Longton, Grenola, Neodesha, Fredonia, Sedan, and Cedar Vale.


FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING

The Flash Flood Watch continues for a portion of Southeast Kansas, including the following areas:
Allen, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Wilson, and Woodson through tonight. 
Additional thunderstorms are expected late this afternoon through tonight across the region. 
High rainfall rates and associated flash flooding will be possible with any of this activity.


MORE COUNTIES:

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch this morning that remains in effect through tomorrow/Sunday morning for the following counties: 
Barton-Ellsworth-Neosho-Montgomery-Labette- This includes the cities of Great Bend, Ellsworth, Wilson, Chanute,Coffeyville, Independence, and Parsons. 

Additional thunderstorms expected late this afternoon through tonight, and the Flash Flood Watch continues for portions of Central Kansas 
and Southeast Kansas, including the following areas, in Central Kansas, Barton and Ellsworth. In Southeast Kansas: Labette, Montgomery, and Neosho counties.

 

 

A CITY OF COFFEYVILLE Weather update - 8:30pm Friday 5/24:

 

• Verdigris River level at 8:00 p.m. – 21.3 feet

• All city streets are now open.

• Montgomery County has closed East 8th Street from the levee east to CR 5300 due to the condition of the road. Access to Walter Johnson Park and the campground remains open.

• This will be last update on this weather event unless conditions change requiring reactivating notifications.

 

COFFEYVILLE UPDATE - Just in for 8:30am, May 25:
          We heard from the Montgomery County Emergency Director, Rick Whitson, at 8:30am. He said it's not quite as bad for Coffeyville. 
Army Corps of Engineers say this information is not based on any potential rainfall coming, but what we have now. Rick Whitson said we can expect 
the Verdigris River in Coffeyville to be at 25' by Monday and 26' by Wednesday. Unless more rain falls, water should not go over the levee. He said 
they are now drafting press releases for Montgomery County including Coffeyville and Independence. 
          Rick points out that water going over the top of levee is very different from a levee breaching. When a levee breaches, the levee fails and lets tons
 of water out. In contrast, if water just goes over the top, it's a much slower process. 
          Keep in mind there is no prediction yet that this is going to happen, he said. To quote Rick about the weather, 
“It's a changing animal and things can change very rapidly.” He assures us this is much better information for Coffeyville. Rick is waiting on an update 
for the Verdigris at Independence, so we will hear from him again soon, along with press releases on the way so stay tuned to KGGF, the Mighty 690 AM, 
and you may find updates on kggfradio.com and our Facebook page.

 

PERRY, Kan.-  To ensure dam safety, the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may begin flood water evacuation from Perry Lake 
in Kansas beginning Saturday, May 25, 2019 if forecasted heavy rains this weekend fill the reservoirs remaining storage capacity.  If conditions force 
releases, Perry Lake will slowly begin ramping up water releases through the outlet works. Based on forecasted rains, it is expected releases could be 
in up to 20,000 cubic feet per second. If additional rain beyond forecast occurs, it could result in water passing through the spillway. The volume of any
releases would be dependent on the inflows into the reservoir. 

As conditions change, the Corps of Engineers will continue to monitor and assess the need for releases from additional reservoirs. There is a potential for
 releases from Tuttle Creek Dam in Manhattan, Kan. starting Monday, May 27, through the outlet works known as "the tubes". "Protecting lives is our 
number one priority," said Col. Doug Guttormsen, Kansas City District Commander. "We've been holding a lot of water behind our dams. However, 
as localized rainfall continues and the flood storage capacity fills up, our team individually assesses each reservoir situation in our region to determine if, 
when and the amount of water to release. We understand the impact throughout the region that high is having on people and communities. We are 
committed to providing timely and accurate information throughout this flooding event."

The public should monitor National Weather Service forecasts and follow the direction of local authorities and emergency managers. As pools at 
Corps lakes rise, additional personnel including park rangers, maintenance personnel, and engineers from the Kansas City District Office routinely 
inspect the dam, the spillway, the outlet, and other important structures. These inspections are part of our procedure as lake levels rise to ensure public 
safety and continued performance of the dam. All dams are structurally sound and are preforming as designed. The Kansas City District would like to 
remind the public to wear a lifejacket while on or near the water. Be vigilant of the safety risks associated with high water such as floating debris or 
obstructions covered by high water which can create dangerous boating conditions. Expect the unexpected and be prepared. Do not drive or walk into
 flood waters on the road. Any time you come to a flooded road please turn around, don't drown! Never enter standing or moving water to cross a 
road. For more information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at (816) 389-3486. 

 

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