Floods in Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, September 12-13, 1977

The storms of Sept. 12-13, 1977, delivered as much as 16 in. of rain, with average rainfall exceeding 10 in. in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Twenty-five lives were lost, many were left homeless, and damages exceeded $80 million. Data obtained by the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that two record-setting rainstorms occurred within 24 hours. The first storm, in the early morning, thoroughly soaked the local drainage basins. The second storm, centered along the Brush and Round Grove Creek basins, resulted in a devastating flash flood. Peak discharges were determined during and after this major flood at gaging stations and selected miscellaneous locations. Streamflows and flood volumes in many locations far exceeded estimated values for the 100-year flood. (USGS)