1998 — Oct 4, Flash Flooding, Kansas City area (11) and south St. Joseph, MO (1) — 12

lornajarrettblanchard October 4, 1998

–12 City of Kansas City, MO. Emer. Mgmt. History (website). “Flood – October 4, 1998.

–12 NWS WFO Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, MO. Kansas City Flash Flood of October 4, 1998.

–12 Ray. “Over their Heads. Flood Response in Kansas City.” 9-1-1 Magazine, Jan/Feb 1999.

–11 Kansas City area. Kansas City Star. “KC officials missed vital flooding alert…” 10-15-1998.

–10 NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Flash Flood, Missouri, Oct 4-5-1998 search.

–1 Buchanan Co., St. Joseph, Pigeon Creek ~41^st Road. Male, 56; car swept away.

–9 Jackson Co., Kansas City metropolitan area, Oct 4-5. NCDC. Storm Events Data.

— Male, 8, in water.

— Male, 17, vehicle/towed trailer.

— Male, 19, vehicle/towed trailer.

— Male, 27, vehicle/towed trailer.

— Male, 39, vehicle/towed trailer.

— Female, 25, vehicle/towed trailer.

— Female, 43, vehicle/towed trailer.

— Female, 44, vehicle/towed trailer.

— Female, 57, found decease at a tennis court in the Brush Creek basin.

Narrative Information

NCDC: “Thunderstorms containing very heavy rainfall over West Central Missouri on October 4th resulted in several episodes of major flash flooding. The most deadly and costly flooding occurred in Jackson County where nine people lost their lives on the evening of October 4th. The Kansas City metropolitan area experienced the worst of the flooding which was similar in historical context as the devastating flash flood in September 1977.

“Several episodes of heavy rain producing thunderstorms commenced on the morning of October 4th and continued into early afternoon. In Lee’s Summit, up to 10 people had to be rescued from a flooded apartment complex and the depth of the water on 3rd St reached 3 feet. This heavy rain fell on top of already saturated soil from rain that occurred 6 out of 7 days prior to October 4th. Shortly after 7 PM, a line of slow moving thunderstorms moved into the Kansas City metropolitan area. These thunderstorms produced 3 to 5 inches of rain in less than 2 hours in many locations. The combination of very intense downpours and dangerous lightning forced a 52 minute delay in the nationally televised Kansas City Chiefs-Seattle Seahawks football game at Arrowhead Stadium just outside the city limits of Kansas City in Jackson County. An 8 year old boy from Lake Jacomo was swept into a creek while playing near his home.

“The torrential rainfall resulted in severe flash flooding along Brush Creek in Kansas City. Seven people lost their lives as a result of their vehicles being swept into the rapidly moving stream while attempting to cross the water covered bridge over Brush Creek at Prospect Avenue. A 57 year old women was found dead at a tennis court near 53rd Street and State Line Road which is in the Brush Creek basin. An entire apartment complex along Woodland Avenue near Brush Creek was completely flooded and all tenants lost their home. At least 200 families in Kansas City reported damage to their home. Along Southwest Blvd., many business were severely damaged by flood waters and forced to close until relief arrived. There were numerous road closures in Kansas City as a result of the flash flood.

“North of the Missouri River in the Kansas City Metro area, numerous roads were closed in Platte County including portions of Highways 371 and 45. In Clay County, bridges were washed out at 188th Street and Nations and at 199th Street and Outer Road. Water 3 to 6 feet in depth covered roadways in Smithville and Mosby. Kansas City Fire Department reported over 200 water rescues throughout the Metro Area during the flood.

“Flash flooding also was reported in Buchanan County. A 56 year old St. Joseph man was killed when his car washed off the road into Pigeon Creek near 41st Road on the south side of St. Joseph. The heaviest 24 hour rainfall amounts of 7 inches were reported in Ray and Carroll Counties. Numerous roads were closed in Carrollton including sections of Highway 65. In Ray County, Highway 210 was closed and P Highway was blocked off near Camden due to a mudslide.” (NCDC. Storm Events Database. Flash Flood, MO, Jackson Co., Oct 4-5, 1998.)

NWS WFO Kansas City/Pleasant Hill: “During the afternoon and evening of Sunday, October 4th, 1998, two separate rounds of thunderstorms produced unusually high rainfall rates in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The intense rainfall, on top of already saturated soils and in a largely urban environment, quickly resulted in excessive runoff and flash flooding. Flash flooding along Brush Creek, Turkey Creek and Indian Creek resulted in eleven people losing their lives – eight lives alone were claimed as Brush Creek inundated the Prospect Road bridge. Ten of the eleven deaths occurred after sunset and in automobiles, traditionally high risk factors associated with flash floods. In addition to the fatalities in Kansas City, another death attributed to flash flooding was reported in St. Joseph, Missouri. The flash flood received national attention, as millions watched as the deluge swamped a nationally televised football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. In addition to the flash flooding in Kansas City, reports of hail up to quarter-sized, wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and high impact river flooding was reported. All toll, damages were estimated at over $50 million.”

“Historically, the flash flood of October 4th, 1998, is the second deadliest flash flood in Kansas City’s history, eclipsed only by the September 11-12, 1977 flash flood that killed 29 people and resulted in over $100 million in property damages that affected the Country Club Plaza.” (NWS WFO Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, MO. Kansas City Flash Flood of October 4, 1998.)

Kansas City Star, Oct 15: “A city monitoring system predicted flash flooding along Brush Creek at least 30 minutes before seven Kansas Citians were swept to their deaths from the Prospect Avenue bridge on Oct. 4, officials said Wednesday.

“The Kansas City Fire Department, however, never received that information because someone had unplugged part of the warning system from an electrical outlet.

“Kansas City Fire Chief Rick Brisbin said Wednesday that even if the department had received the early warning, he doubted firefighters could have responded any faster to the disaster that killed 11 persons in the area. ‘If the information you get is timely and you have the resources to deploy, it works,’ Brisbin said. ‘We ran out of people to answer calls and barricade intersections.’

“The Kansas City Star examined data compiled by the National Weather Service from the city’s monitoring system the night of the storm. The data were identical to the information the Fire Department should have received. The records show that between 7 and 8 p.m. up to 2.95 inches of rain had fallen in the Brush Creek watershed – almost three times as much as was needed to trigger flash flooding.

“By 7:12 p.m., the weather service had reissued a flash-flood warning with the admonition that ‘residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate precautions to protect life and property.’

“Friends and relatives of the seven who perished on the Prospect bridge said the victims were swept from the tops of their cars into the creek about 8:30 p., The first fire units on the scene of the Prospect bridge arrived about 9 p.m., Brisbin said, but y then not even the cars were visible.

“Even if the warning system hadn’t been unplugged, Brisbin acknowledged Wednesday that the city has no contingency plans to deal with flash flooding on Brush Creek – despite a 1977 flood that devastated the Country Club Plaza and killed 25 persons….

“Brisbin said the receiving equipment for the $275,000 warning system[1] was unplugged at the Fire Department by an employee who was working on the equipment and later forgot to reconnect it.[2] No data were reported on city terminals at the fire communications center….”

(Kansas City Star (Mark Morris), MO. “KC officials missed vital flooding alert. Unplugged equipment, lack of disaster plan hindered Fire Department.” 10-15-1998.)

Kansas City Star, Oct 21: “Two minutes before 3 p.m., the National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning for Jackson County. In Kansas City, police, fire and public works crews go on alert. Shortly after 7 p.m. sensors in the Fire Department’s communications building signal dangerously high water levels in Brush Creek. Following a carefully prepared and rehearsed plan, workers proceed to intersections and barricade them. This is what should have happened on Oct. 4. It’s not asking for much. But it didn’t happen. Kansas City had no plan to block its flood-prone streets. The Fire Department’s sensors had been unplugged for two months.

“Sometime after 8 p.m., seven persons were stranded in their vehicles on the Prospect Avenue bridge. Their final moments were ones of terror, and they died in the black waters of Brush Creek. Now Kansas City faces the awful question: Did municipal negligence doom those persons?….

“…it’s not too early to say that when it counted, city government was shamefully unprepared. In a city with a history of flash flooding, no flash flood emergency plan existed….

“Offers of help from an underwater rescue and recovery team went ignored until it was time to search for bodies.[3]

“Kansas City’s sole plan was to wait until 911 calls lit up the switchboard….” (Kansas City Star (Barbara Shelly), MO. “Once again, city was unprepared. Weather Service issues a flash flood warning for Jackson County.” 10-21-1998.)

Kansas City Star, Oct 21: “Kansas City government’s handling of the Oct. 4 flash flooding looks increasingly inept as new developments come to light. First came the news that the city’s Brush Creek flood warning system was unplugged. This was inexcusable. Next, it turned out a similar system had worked wonders in Johnson County. Given just 30 minutes to respond to the hazards of rising waters, emergency crews there blocked roads and help people out of harm’s way.

“This week, it was revealed that the Fire Department took too long to call for help from the Underwater Rescue and Recovery team out of Lee’s Summit during the flash flooding.

“Rather than concede that mistakes were made, Fire Department officials are continuing to insist than none of the agency’s missteps made much difference. Such arguments defy logic and common sense. The Johnson County experience, for example, clearly illustrated what everyone knows: Every minute counts in mounting a well-organized effort to stop people from entering raging waters on streets and bridges….” (Kansas City Star, MO. “KC’s flood plan didn’t exist. Oct. 4 flash flooding looks increasingly inept as new developments come to light.” 10-21-1998.)

Kansas City Star, Oct 21: “Fairly or not, many Kansas City residents have low standards for City Hall…Sadly, officials in the Water Services and Fire Departments lived down to these low expectations with their incompetent actions before the deadly Oct. 4 flash flooding.

“The city ignored admonitions that many components of the flash flood warning system along Brush Creek were not working….”[4] (Kansas City Star. “City Hall flood mess gets worse…Sadly, officials in the Water Services and Fire Departments lived down to…low expectations with their incompetent…” 10-23-1998.)

Kansas City Star, Nov 19: “ Kansas City… In response to the Oct. 4 flash flood that killed 11 persons in the Kansas City area, a City Council committee approved an ordinance Wednesday that would create a new office for hazard emergency management. The new office would be controlled by the city manager’s office, instead of the Kansas City Fire Department. The director of the office, appointed by the city manager, would be empowered to move and deploy emergency personnel. The ordinance also calls for the new office to develop an emergency operations plan for the city. The ordinance now will go before the full City Council.” (Kansas City Star, MO. “Metropolitan Digest.” 11-19-1998.)

City of Kansas City, MO: “Emergency Management History….The next stage of emergency management for Kansas City came in November 1998 when the present day Office of Emergency Management was created. The office was made a separate division under the City Manager’s Office and provided the city with a full time staff dedicated to implementing the principles of preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation for major emergencies and disasters for the City of Kansas City.” (City of Kansas City, MO. Emergency Management History (website). “Flood – October 4, 1998.”)

Sources

City of Kansas City, MO. Emergency Management History (website). “Flood – October 4, 1998.” Accessed 1-3-2016 at: http://kcmo.gov/oem/emergency-management-history/

Kansas City Star (Yael T. Abouhalkay), MO. “City Hall flood mess gets worse…Sadly, officials in the Water Services and Fire Departments lived down to…low expectations with their incompetent actions before the deadly Oct. 4 flash flooding.” 10-23-1998.

Kansas City Star (Mark Morris), MO. “KC officials missed vital flooding alert. Unplugged equipment, lack of disaster plan hindered Fire Department.” 10-15-1998.

Kansas City Star (Yael T. Abouhalkay), MO. “KC’s flood plan didn’t exist. Oct. 4 flash flooding looks increasingly inept as new developments come to light.” 10-21-1998.

Kansas City Star, MO. “Metropolitan Digest. The Oct. 4 flash flood that killed 11 persons in the Kansas City; a City Council committee approved an ordinance Wednesday that would create a new office for hazard emergency management.” 11-19-1998.

Kansas City Star (Barbara Shelly), MO. “Once again, city was unprepared. Weather Service issues a flash flood warning for Jackson County.” 10-21-1998.

Kansas City Star (Yael T. Abouhalkay), MO. “Use flood warning system! Useless Piece of junk during a recent flash flood because it was incompetently and irresponsibly handled by Kansas City’s Fire Department.” 10-15-1998.

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Flash Flood, Missouri, Buchanan County, Oct 4-5-1998. Accessed 1-13-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5673325

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Flash Flood, Missouri, Jackson County, Oct 4-5, 1998. Accessed 1-13-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5673318

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, MO. Kansas City Flash Flood of October 4, 1998. Accessed 1-13-2016 at: http://www.weather.gov/eax/event-oct041998

Ray, Slim. “Over their Heads. Flood Response in Kansas City.” 9-1-1 Magazine, Jan/Feb 1999, pp. 50-51 and 69. Accessed 5-25-2016 at: http://www.cfspress.com/overtheirheads.pdf

Additional Reading

Kansas City Star (Mark Morris), MO. “When disaster strikes. City officials had been told of gauge flaws two years ago.” 10-22-1998.

[1] Given to the city by the federal government in 1995. (Ray, Slim. “Over their Heads. Flood Response in Kansas City.” 9-1-1 Magazine, Jan/Feb 1999, p. 50.)

[2] Slim Ray writes that the warning system had been “unplugged three months earlier in favor of an AM/FM radio.” (Ray. “Over their Heads.” 9-1-1 Magazine, Jan/Feb 1999, p. 50.)

[3] “By 7:00, the nearby Lee’s Summit Underwater Rescue and Recovery Team had put itself on standby and informed Kansas City dispatch. They were the only emergency unit in the area with any swiftwater rescue training….The Lee’s summit team called again, but got no reply.” (Ray. 9-1-1 Magazine, Jan/Feb 1999, pp. 50-51.)

[4] “…the gauges hadn’t been maintained. Fewer than half of them were still working. Only two of six were operational on Brush Creek, and those were not working properly. The responsibility for monitoring and fixing them was dispersed among a number of agencies and departments.” (Ray. 9-1-1 Magazine, Jan/Feb 1999, p. 50.)