After receiving nearly 10 inches of rainfall Monday evening, parts of northwest Kansas experienced heavy flooding that damaged roads and caused a highway closure.
Flooding occurred along the Saline river, which rose four-and-a-half feet above its previous record height. The floods washed out smaller roads and temporarily closed Highway 283 north of Wakeeney.
Southwest Kansas received around one to two inches of rainfall. Larry Ruthi, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said that while these rains will help alleviate the drought, most parts of Kansas are still facing a rainfall deficit.
So far this year, Dodge City has received just over four inches, compared to its normal for this time of year of about seven inches.
“I don't really see the drought going away completely, but we've certainly made some dent in it, and it's helped the vegetation green up,” Ruthi said.
The good news, he said, is that the latest rain greatly decreases the likelihood of Kansas having another wildfire this year.
Other parts of the High Plains, like Amarillo, missed out on the rainfall altogether.
Year to date, Amarillo has received just over one inch of rain, compared to its normal six inches.
Ben Kuebrich reports for High Plains Public Radio in Garden City and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KMUW, Kansas Public Radio, KCUR and HPPR covering health, education and politics. Follow him on @Ben_Kuebrich. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post. To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.