By JULIE DeNESHA, LISA RODRIGUEZ
KCUR Radio
The Kansas City Fire Department says its 18 water rescues involved cars stuck in high water. Flooding was reported in Merriam, Kansas, along Brush Creek near The Plaza and in Kansas City's West Bottoms.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
The Kansas City metro got between five and eight inches of rain overnight, according to the Kansas City Fire Department.
KCFD says it responded to 23 water rescues through 8 a.m. after many low-lying roadways became overrun and flooded with standing water.
More than 52,000 customers of energy company Evergy lost power in the Kansas City, Topeka and Lawrence metropolitan areas.
The heavy rains caused flooding in Merriam, Kansas, along Brush Creek near the Country Club Plaza and in Kansas City's Historic West Bottoms neighborhood in the early hours of Thursday morning.
KCFD said it began rescues shortly after rain started falling, all involving vehicles stuck in high water. The department says it safely removed every vehicle occupant, and there were no injuries reported.
"There are many roadway locations throughout the city that flood when we receive excessive amounts of rain in a short period of time," Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins said in a press release Thursday morning. "KCFD would like to remind citizens to never drive into high water. It only takes a few inches of moving water to sweep a vehicle downstream."
Hopkins also warned pedestrians never to walk in high water, as sewer covers can become easily dislodged in flood conditions.
As of 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Evergy was reporting nearly 16,000 customers without power.
"Crews from surrounding areas are coming into the Kansas City Metro area to assist with restoration. Continued storms and flooded roads are slowing down their work," Evergy's website said.
The National Weather Service warned that more flooding was expected, especially in urban areas.
