1 dead after severe weather tears through central US, including flooding
in Texas and Kansas
[June 05, 2025]
By JAMIE STENGLE and STEVE KARNOWSKI
DALLAS (AP) — One person has died after severe weather tore through
parts of the central U.S., including heavy rain in Dallas, a tornado
that touched down in the Kansas City area and flash flooding in Kansas
that forced firefighters to rescue dozens of people, including stranded
motorists.
A Dallas man died Wednesday after his vehicle became stuck in high
water, authorities said. He was in one of two cars submerged under a
bridge on Interstate 635, the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department said. Dallas
police said officers were able to rescue one driver, and the body of the
other driver was recovered by Dallas-Fire Rescue.
In and around Wichita in south-central Kansas, firefighters made about
70 water rescues after heavy rains caused flash flooding, Robb Lawson, a
local National Weather Service meteorologist said.
Sedgwick County's emergency management director, Julie Stimson, said at
a briefing Tuesday night that the county had received anywhere from 1
1/2 inches to 7 inches (4 centimeters to 18 centimeters) of rain since
Monday. She warned motorists who run into flooded areas not to drive
around barricades or emergency vehicles, and to turn around instead.
The Wichita Fire Department used boats to rescue several motorists
trapped in their cars. While the water sometimes reached windshield
height, some people still attempted to drive through it.
“We have to put ourselves in danger with our life jackets and our boats
to get them into a life jacket and into a boat to get them out of the
water,” Fire Capt. Lance Diffenbaugh told KSN-TV. “So there’s no sense
in it if they can just turn around and wait 10 minutes for the water to
go down.”
A few roads remained closed Wednesday morning, according to the county's
interactive map.
About 30 miles (48 kilometers) east, the torrential rainfall caused the
Walnut River to overflow, flooding several streets in El Dorado and
sending people scrambling for safety.
“By the time we got most of the stuff out of there and were going to get
the last few things, it was already up to our waist, and we were pretty
much swimming to get out,” resident Michelle Yerge told KAKE-TV.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a disaster emergency declaration to
enable state agencies to provide assistance.
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This photo provided by Colin Fee, a vehicle is surrounded by flood
waters as heavy rains caused flash flooding in the Wichita area of
south-central Kansas forcing firefighters to rescue dozens of
people, including stranded motorists on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
(Colin Fee via AP)
Severe storms slammed the Kansas City area on Tuesday, with high
winds toppling a tractor-trailer on Interstate 435, overturning
portable toilets and barriers at the complex where the Kansas City
Chiefs and Royals have side-by-side stadiums, and downing trees. The
weather service warned of a tornado and urged people to take cover
as rain battered the area. No major damage was reported.
Brad Temeyer, a weather service meteorologist, said a tornado
touched down in Independence, Missouri, which is northeast of the
Chiefs' and Royals' complex. He said a weather service survey team
was working in the area Wednesday to determine whether that twister
hit the sports complex first, or whether a tornado touched down
there.
Severe weather on Tuesday also disrupted the Indiana Pacers' travel
plans to the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City, where heavy rain and wind
interrupted airport arrivals and departures. The team’s charter was
first diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The plane then took a scenic
route around another band of weather before finally landing in
Oklahoma City about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule.
Wednesday's forecast for Kansas called for dry conditions, but more
storms were forecast for Thursday. Officials warned that the soil in
the area is saturated and even an inch or two of rainfall could lead
to localized flooding.
“We're kind of staying in somewhat of a wet, kind of cool, pattern
for the next several days,” Lawson said in an interview with AP
Radio.
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