K-55 flooding Saturday afternoon, west of Belle Plaine.

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Sumner County Emergency Management Director James Fair estimates there are over 100 Sumner homes damaged from flooding from last week storms. Most of those homes are west and south of Belle Plaine.

The Ninnescah River, which starts at Cheney Lake and eventually cuts a swath through the northeast section of Sumner County, crested Saturday afternoon at an estimated 30.6 feet.

“I can’t tell you on a historical perspective of whether this was the highest the Ninnescah has been,” Fair said. “But people keep comparing this to the Halloween flood of 1998. Some think it is worse.”

 

(Video produced by 254 Productions, which worked in conjunction with the Sumner County Sheriff.) 

South-Central Kansas received anywhere from 6 to 14 inches of rainfall that started Thursday and lasted until Saturday morning. Most of the water flowing into Sumner County came from rainfall from Kingman and Sedgwick County.

As a result, water flooded the northeastern part of Sumner County, and made travel to Belle Plaine from the west and south impossible. Residents living in the town, originally built on the Arkansas River bed, were forced to go north if they wanted to leave the community up until Sunday.

K-55, the east-west highway going into Belle Plaine from the west, has periodically been flooded. But few people remember the Belle Plaine Y being as far under water. But by Sunday, the water rescinded and travel was normal again.

Belle Plaine Y has been re-opened but on Saturday it was far from being drivable.

Sumner County Emergency workers worked around the clock for 72 hours rescuing people who were stranded by the high water.

“I think in the last 72 hours, some fire/EMS workers had a total of 4 to 6 hours of sleep,” Fair said. “The second they would get home, then there was another call for a rescue. They couldn’t catch a break.”

Most of the homes that were damaged were built before Sumner County was zoned and declared a flood plain. Many of those who were rescued did not adhere to warnings that they needed to evacuate.

There were no injuries or deaths caused by the flood. A firefighter from the city of Belle Plaine got caught in the current and was being carried downstream. He was able to grab on a rock or tree limb and drag himself out of the current.

In Wellington, water accumulated to levels unseen in years. The municipal golf course which serves as a barometer for flood levels during had water covering the No. 3 fairway Saturday. Woods Park to the south was closed as of Sunday.

People who see a damaged road should call 211, give the location and describe the problem.

Anyone who has a water well that they think has been affected by the flooding is asked to visit http://www.kdheks.gov/waterwell/index.html or call the City of Wichita Environmental Health Department at 316-268-8351. Officials also gave this caution: “Drink only treated water and wash your hands after contact with flood waters or items that have been in flood waters.”

Another storm system is projected to come through stating late Tuesday evening. Meteorologists are predicting it will be more fast moving than the one that came through last week which stood still. 

For full photo gallery of the flooding click here.

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UPDATE: Wellington Fire/EMS sent a press release stating staff assisted multiple agencies with boat rescue operations in northern part of Sumner County over the weekend.

“The department sent two staff with a boat to perform rescues of people who were either trapped in their home, vehicle and trees. Staff responded on three separate occasions over the weekend with most rescues occurring in the Ponderosa Estate area off U.S. 81 near the Ninnescah River.”

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