Towns across Central Kansas Evacuating due to Flooding

Reno County declares local disaster

Reno County has declared a local disaster due to flooding in Hutchinson and deluged roads around the county, said a report.

Meantime,  towns across central Kansas have been evacuating residents as torrential rains triggered widespread flooding across the region, the report quoted officials as saying.

“Reno County officials were urging people not to play in the floodwaters because septic and sewer systems have backed up and deposited waste materials into the water. There has also been “considerable” amount of run-off from fields that have had chemicals applied to crops. Those chemicals are now in the rivers, creeks and floodwaters,” the report said.

Flooding was also reported elsewhere in central Kansas, especially in Barton and Rice counties.

Large swathes of central, eastern and southeastern Kansas were under Flood Warnings, Flood Watches, or Flash Flood Watches, as of posting.

Weather Hazards Map for August 5, 2013 @ 15:39 UTC. Source: NWS

Other Evacuation News

Train Derails in Lawtell, La., 100 Homes Evacuated: More than 100 homes remained evacuated Monday as emergency teams worked to clean up the site of a Union Pacific train derailment near Lawtell, about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge, said a report.

An evacuation order was in effect for homes and businesses within a 1-mile radius of the derailment, as of posting.

The train was carrying both the lethal sodium hydroxide, and the extremely flammable vinyl chloride.  At least one of the railcars was leaking sodium hydroxide, said a company spokesperson.