© Emily CurielHeavy rains from storms that swept across the southern part of the Kansas City metro area on Monday flooded Tomahawk Park in Leawood.
Many streams and creeks have burst from their banks today. Heavy rain came during the morning hours totaling about an inch per hour for almost six hours. Once the rain finished, flash flooding continued, causing those smaller bodies of water to spill over their banks.
At 103rd Street and Wornall Road, the waters of Indian Creek are usually still. However, NOAA says that the creek has risen 12 feet in a short amount of time. The rough water flowed over the nearby walking trails and attracted crowds of people who wanted to check out Mother Nature's mayhem.
"It looks like the ocean," Hannah Biggerstaff, who works at a nearby veterinary clinic, said.
Biggerstaff said she and a co-worker went out for lunch and couldn't get back to their jobs.
"We left work at 12, and by 1:30 p.m. when we tried to get back, it was all flooded through," Biggerstaff said. "This was the only place we knew to come so we just parked right here and decided to sit."
Many spots along the metro's south side got pounded with pouring rain. In nearby Leawood, Tomahawk Creek rose more than 14 feet in three hours thanks to a quick bout of heavy showers.
Along Ward Parkway, Kansas City Police officers steered traffic away from the intersection at 80th Street to save cars from getting stuck.
At least one driver in Overland Park was stuck by the weather. OP Police officers worked to assist a driver at 103rd and Nall, braving the pouring rain as they did. The man at the wheel told FOX4 News his car flooded and the engine wouldn't run.
"If you get a car that's stuck in a puddle or something like that, it impedes traffic," Overland Park Police Ofc. John Lacy said.
"In other words, we're trying to help that person at that particular point."
As of 5 p.m., part of 103rd Street was still closed to traffic. Police remind everyone flood waters can be dangerous since it's unclear what could be under the water. Flood water can also carry microbes that have shown a propensity to make people sick.
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