Flash Flood in Shawnee County, Kansas

Water flowing across Auburn Road from the town of Auburn to 61st Street. Debris is floating across the road. Many county roads flooded south of 61st street between Urish and Hoch roads. Water flowing over Northeast 64th and Meriden streets. Cars stalled on Topeka Blvd between 42nd and 45th streets. Shunganunga Creek out of its banks at Duncan Ct. and Gage near 25th Street. Six inches of water flowing over Kansas Ave. between 29th and 21st streets.

Heavy rains from thunderstorms in the area produced flashflooding in Topeka for a time during the morning hours of the 4th. A number of intersections were flooded. Cars were abandoned at 39th and Atwood as water flowed by 2 to 3 feet deep. Cars were seen floating on the water at 16th and Tyler. Some basements were flooded in the southwest part of Topeka.

Heavy rains of late October continued into the first day or two of November and sent rivers and streams in east central Kansas out of their banks. Numerous roads and highways in the area were flooded and many were closed for a time. Many homes were severly damaged. The Neosho river at Emporia crested at 24.88 feet at 5am on the 2nd. This is the 8th highest crest on record of which the top 4 all occurred during the famous severe floods of Spring and Summer 1951. Flood stage is 19 feet. At Ottawa the Marias Des Cygnes River crested at 38.93 feet at 9pm of the 2nd. This crest was the third highest on record. The river remained in flood until late on the 4th. Flood stage is 31 feet. Runoff from the heavy rains sent John Redmond resevoir to the top of its dam. Water released from the resevoir kept the Neosho river downstream in flood for several days after most other rivers and streams had returned to their banks. Total property and crop damage was estimated near 10 million dollars.