Storm brings flooding, road hazards

Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail The heavy rain Thursday morning sent water and sewage spewing from this manhole on Ashland Street in front of the Nevada Regional Technical Center, providing voters a reminder of why they voted to renew a capital improvements sales tax last year to upgrade the city's sewer system.

Spring is on its way -- but it looks like April showers got a head start on the season when heavy rainfall inundated Vernon County, when a widespread storm crossed western Missouri and eastern Kansas yesterday.

After a tornado watch that was to be in effect until 8 o'clock last night was an-nounced by the National Weather Service, a handful of community events were called off. A meeting about issues relating to enhanced 911 service in Vernon County was canceled, since the weather demanded that public safety officials -- several of whom might have attended the meeting under other conditions -- to be on the lookout for hazardous weather.

No tornadoes were reported, but flood warnings were common in the path of the storm.

For the first time in months, area lakes and streams were filled with water, and high water was reported over the road in some areas, including Spring Street near the Nevada Country Club, Subway Street and other areas throughout Nevada. Debris swept into the road by the storm had to be cleared away many times.

Reports from the Associated Press stated that Heavy rains caused widespread local flooding across parts of Kansas and Missouri on Thursday, pushing streams out of their banks, leaving many roads impassable and flooding hundreds of basements.

In the greater Kansas City area, rainfall totals of up to 4 inches or even more were reported, with similar totals at Coffeyville in southeast Kansas.

Traffic accidents blamed on the rainfall claimed two lives -- one in Kansas, the other in Missouri.

Authorities blamed driving rain for an accident in Miami County, Kan., that killed 40-year-old Denise Ivison, who died at the scene of the crash on U.S. 69 south of Louisburg. The Kansas Highway Patrol said a northbound truck carrying two Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents crossed the center line and struck the van she was driving.

Shawn M. Campiti, 31, of Pittsburg suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalized. Stephen R. Rosebrough, 37, of Girard, was treated and released.

In Missouri, David Douglas, 51, of Granite City, Ill., was killed when his vehicle hit and overturned a tractor-trailer on Interstate 70 near St. Louis, at about 7 a.m., according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.