KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A ferocious summer storm dumped flooding rains on the area early Thursday morning, leaving behind vehicles trapped in high water, power outages, and damage to homes.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City reported that between seven and 10 inches of rain fell across Kansas City, Kansas, in 12 hours.
The widespread storms caused thousands of power outages, flooding, downed trees, and damage to streets and infrastructure, according to a Thursday press release from the Unified Government.
"The water has gone down, but cars are still in the ditch," Keep on Truckin' Towing Owner William Hankins told KSHB 41. "We been getting calls all night to go rescue people."
Hankins stepped up to help a neighbor in need.
Tyler Buckley works at a Kansas City, Kansas, gas station. He is homeless, trying to get back on his feet and trying to find stable housing. His car is his home.
"I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys," Buckley said.
The storm woke up Buckley and his brother at 4 a.m.
When the storm moved through, the brothers grabbed breakfast at a nearby McDonald's.
Their SUV stalled in a pool of standing water.
Hankins, while making his early morning rounds, came across the Buckleys and offered them a free tow to a mechanic.
"I'm in a position to help somebody for free. It doesn't cost me nothing to pass it on to someone else," Hankins said. "It could be any of us. Anybody can be homeless at any time... If that was me, I'd want someone to help me out."
In Shawnee, Sandra Juarez and her family woke up to ankle-deep water in her home.
"The storm was too strong," she said. "Our basement flooded, our bedrooms and refrigerators were ruined."
The Juarezes called Roto-Rooter in Kansas City, Kansas, for help to begin the clean-up.
KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa met the Roto-Rooter company's staff at a gas station as Hankins hooked Buckley's SUV to a tow truck.
The Juarez family welcomed Gamboa into their home as they worked to assess the damage left by the flooding.
"It's very stressful," Sandara Juarea said.
Roto-Rooter technicians told KSHB 41 the ground surrounding the home became so saturated that the water penetrated the house's foundation.
Gamboa met with the Juarez family at about 6:00 p.m. Thursday, and water was still oozing through the foundation.
The technicians replaced the broken foundation sump pump, but damage to the house was already done.
"It’s sad because it was built with a lot of sacrifice, with a lot of hard work," Juarez explained. "We have to be strong for the family. Now that we're in this situation, try to push through and move forward."
The KSHB 41 Weather team forecast is for a chance of showers or thunderstorms tonight and a chance of thunderstorms over the weekend.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
