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Spring arrives with soggy splash

Marion County begins severe storm season under flood warning

Staff writer

Marion County entered the spring season with a soggy splash Monday when it was placed under a flood warning.

The National Weather Service in Wichita issued the flood warning at 11:32 a.m. after Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rainfall.

"Radar estimates showed sections of central Marion County were receiving anywhere between 1 3/4 and 2 1/2 inches of rain," said forecaster Bruce Wightman with the Wichita weather service office.

Slow moving storms were producing torrential rainfall and forecasters were concerned the runoff could potentially cause flooding.

"We get flash flooding guidance for every county in the United States," Wightman said. "The actual rate of precipitation was above those flood guidelines."

Creeks and other waterways in Marion County were running high and there were reports of water standing in the fields. However, there were no reports of water running over roadways, Wightman said.

Likewise, Marion County Emergency Management had not received any weather-related calls as of Tuesday morning.

Officially, Marion Reservoir reported .49 inch Sunday and 1.68 inches Monday.

Unofficially, Stan Reed, located on North Elm Street in Marion, received 7/8 inch. Other unofficial amounts for Monday were in the 1 1/2 inch range.

Norma Patterson, the official weather observer for Peabody, reported receiving 2.24 inches as of 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The KSN Weather Lab located at Hillsboro Middle School reported approximately 2 inches as of 10 p.m. Monday.

Alex Stucklik in northern Marion County reported receiving 2.20 to 2.25 inches as of Tuesday morning.

Moderate rain was expected to move out of the area after midnight Tuesday. Wednesday was expected to be partly cloudy with highs around 55.

The next chance for precipitation is Thursday with the possibility some storms may be severe.

In the far range forecast, the Wichita weather office indicates there's a chance for mixed snow and rain Saturday night across central Kansas. However, accumulation is unlikely.

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