The Wichita Fire Department (WFD) on Tuesday cautioned residents to avoid low-lying, flood-prone areas along with the Arkansas River and area creeks for the next several days. Saturated soil, due to recent and forecasted rains, may make these areas more prone to flooding.
Emergency Services, including the Wichita Fire Department, have responded to dozens of submersions calls as a result of recent rains. Many calls were preventable, if residents had avoided water covered roadways or heeded warning signs.
The National Weather Service has announced severe weather is expected to develop this afternoon and persist into evening hours. Large hail up to the size of a baseball and damaging winds in excess of 70-miles-per hour are likely. Tornadoes are possible.
“Please, do not drive into flooded roadways,” WFD Chief Ronald D. Blackwell said. “You are putting yourself, your family and emergency workers in peril when you drive into flooded streets.”
Please stay tuned to local media outlets for additional information concerning storm activity.
