More than 30 state and local organizations coordinated efforts in the Sedgwick County Emergency Operations Center on Friday to plan and coordinate response to severe weather in the area. The collaboration allowed these groups to share resources and organize response to assist the citizens of Sedgwick County. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has now transitioned from partial activation to monitoring. Chairman Jim Howell is touring the area and assessing the damage in Sedgwick County.

Thankfully, no weather-related injuries have been reported at this time from the storm or the flooding. Sedgwick County received 2 to 3 inches of rain overnight (Friday night), in addition to the 7 to 10 inches of rain the County had received on Thursday night and Friday morning. Between 4 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Monday, 911 received more than 130 storm-related calls, including 67 submersions and 76 flood calls. This is in addition to their regular calls. Sedgwick County Fire Department assisted with evacuations in the Ponderosa housing division along the Ninnescah between Peck and Belle Plaine in Sumner County

“We are grateful that there were no injuries during this storm, but there is damage to homes and roads that is still being assessed,” said County Manager Mike Scholes. “I’m proud of how all of the needed agencies and organizations came together and worked through the night to keep people safe. Now we turn to a new focus, and that is working with these same organizations and others to make sure that damage and debris are quickly assessed and cleaned up. We want to address the results of the storm and flood quickly so that those affected can get back to their normal routines as soon as possible.”

What You Need to Know

  • Never drive onto a roadway that is covered with water.
  • The County will be working to assess roadways that may have been damaged by the storm. If you see a damaged roadway, please contact 2-1-1 and let them know the location and issue.
  • If you have a water well that you believe was compromised, please visit http://www.kdheks.gov/waterwell/index.html for lists of contractors, inspectors and other information, or contact the City of Wichita Environmental Health Department at 316 268-8351.
  • If you have debris that is causing imminent danger (large hanging limbs, for instance), please call 9-1-1.
  • Take precautions when coming into contact with flood waters or anything that has been in contact with flood waters! Visit https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/cleanupwater.html for more information about safety related to flood waters.
  • If you need non-emergency assistance for you or your pets related to the storm or the flood, please call 2-1-1 for help.
  • To volunteer with recovery and cleanup efforts, please call 2-1-1 for more information.
  • As always, in an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

Sedgwick County will continue work with partners to assess the situation and address needs of those in flooded areas. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for additional updates, or download the free Sedgwick County app from iTunes or GooglePlay.