July 1, 2007
Photographer states :: Going East out of town, towards Cherryvale on the highway.
Odd picture, isn't it? Those are water rapids on the right side of the photo. If anyone was in the road when it was overtaken by water they are now washed downstream. That from a Rescue perspective. But the velocity of the water is clear. The water is running from left to right.
The roadway where the water actually appears calm, mirror-like is a bit deeper than the side of the road to the right which is more than likely cropland. So when the high velocity water 'piles up' when it hits the higher elevated crop land there is a rapid of water that develops.
There are rows of signs. There the ones on the right and the ones on the left and then a row of telephone poles. I find the first sign in the row of signs on the left the most interesting. It shows me the direction of the water and the velocity. The size of the pole is probably 2 inches by 4 inches at the very most where the water hits. As the water hits that pole it creates a wake behind it. That 'wake' is quite lengthy and it looks as though it continues to the line of rapids.
I would estimate those signs are above eye level. So the water is about five feet deep. For this much trubulence to occur the water has to be traveling at a high rate of speed. I'll make an estimate of about 30 mph with enough turlulence in that stretch of road a human being would be dragged under if they attempted to cross it. Kansas is mostly flat and that adds to the velocity of the water. No resistance. No friction for the upper two thirds of the 'stream.' It is a stream now by the way. Temporary, hopefully, but a stream just the same. The percise measurement is difficult because the exact volume of water is not known.
But.
For a wake to not resolve immediately after such a small 'interruption' as that 'sign pole' there is a lot of force behind it's movement. Possibly more than 30 mph.
Thank you, George Walker Bush. The color of the water tells me where all the topsoil is going.
Flooding forces hundreds from homes in Kansas and Missouri (click on title. thank you.)
OSAWATOMIE, Kan. — Even after sunshine returned to southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri, rivers swollen by days of heavy rain continued to rise as flood surges moved downstream.
While the rain had mostly stopped Monday morning, the National Weather Service extended a flash flood watch for six southeast Kansas counties — Allen, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson — because major flooding continued in area rivers.
The state was providing water to several communities where flooding had overwhelmed water treatment plants, said Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Emergency Management Agency. Fourteen shelters had been opened and were housing about 340 people early Monday.
In addition, more than 42,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the Verdigris River from the Coffeyville Resources refinery Sunday, Watson said. The river flows south into Oklahoma.
VIDEO: Flooding leads to State of Emergency
..."The water's moving too fast for us to do anything with it right now," Bunting said Monday morning.
...The Verdigris River at Independence set a record of 52.4 feet Sunday morning, shattering the old mark of 47.6 feet and more than 20 feet above flood stage. In Coffeyville, the old record of 26.6 feet fell Saturday night as the river surged past 29 feet, more than 10 feet above flood stage.
"Releasing the water may not cause the river to crest higher, but it may cause the crest to remain for a longer period of time," said Robb Lawson, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wichita.
The Neosho River crested at 40.5 feet at Erie in Neosho County, where some evacuations occurred during the weekend.
...In Nevada, the Marmaton was at 29.5 feet, almost 10 feet above flood stage, while the Marais des Cygnes was expected to crest at 12 feet above flood stage on Tuesday, said John Campbell, an operations manager for the State Emergency Management.
While the rain had mostly stopped Monday morning, the National Weather Service extended a flash flood watch for six southeast Kansas counties — Allen, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson — because major flooding continued in area rivers.
The state was providing water to several communities where flooding had overwhelmed water treatment plants, said Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Emergency Management Agency. Fourteen shelters had been opened and were housing about 340 people early Monday.
In addition, more than 42,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the Verdigris River from the Coffeyville Resources refinery Sunday, Watson said. The river flows south into Oklahoma.
VIDEO: Flooding leads to State of Emergency
..."The water's moving too fast for us to do anything with it right now," Bunting said Monday morning.
...The Verdigris River at Independence set a record of 52.4 feet Sunday morning, shattering the old mark of 47.6 feet and more than 20 feet above flood stage. In Coffeyville, the old record of 26.6 feet fell Saturday night as the river surged past 29 feet, more than 10 feet above flood stage.
"Releasing the water may not cause the river to crest higher, but it may cause the crest to remain for a longer period of time," said Robb Lawson, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wichita.
The Neosho River crested at 40.5 feet at Erie in Neosho County, where some evacuations occurred during the weekend.
...In Nevada, the Marmaton was at 29.5 feet, almost 10 feet above flood stage, while the Marais des Cygnes was expected to crest at 12 feet above flood stage on Tuesday, said John Campbell, an operations manager for the State Emergency Management.
