Flooding, potholes leave drivers stranded despite warnings from first responders

Drivers who chose to ignore warnings to stay off the roads on Saturday night kept both first responders and tow companies busy.

"A lot of times, you don't know that road is flooded until you're right on it, and then it's already too late," said Ryan Mooney with Santa Fe Tow Service.

Mooney worked late into Saturday night and all day Sunday to clear some of the cars swept away by rushing waters. He said the fast-moving currents can not only pick up your car; they can also ruin the road.

"It just continually speeds up the process of breaking down that concrete, and then the potholes get bigger and bigger," he explained.

Santa Fe Tow Service picked up a car that blew two tires after hitting a pothole on I-435 near Quivera. Several other cars met the same fate, but a KDOT spokesperson told 41 Action News the potholes were patched over by Sunday evening.

Other drivers were simply stranded because of the rising waters. That's despite warnings on social media from first responders across the city.

"Unfortunately, some people don't heed the warnings," said KCFD Rescue Division Battalion Chief Larry Young.

According to Young, the city responded to 21 water-related calls Saturday night.

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