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A father and son are dead after flooding near Elk City, Kansas. According to Montgomery County Emergency Management Direcdtor, Rick Whitson.  Whitson said the father and son were found in their car with the windows still up. They have been identified as 72 year-old Dennis Clark Catron Sr. and 39 year-old Dennis Clark Catron Jr. of rural Elk City.

 

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office reports their car was swept off the road in heavy rainfall on CR 2950 south of CR 5400.

 

Crews were looking for a third person in Independence, Kansas. They found a truck on its side in a ditch at CR 4500 and CR 5000 with the windows rolled down, but the person wasn't inside.

 

The man is alive.  The sheriff's office spokesman said he walked away from the truck and lost his cell phone. He has been located Wednesday morning.

 

Heavy rains late Tuesday and early Wednesday north of the Oklahoma-Kansas state line closed roads, stranded cars, led to evacuations - and led to the flooding deaths.

 

Whitson said Elk City received 11.5 inches of rain. Emergency Management repots indicate that firefighters responded to 40 to 50 water rescues in Independence.  They also responded to a structure fire that may have been caused by lightning.

 

The National Weather Service reports the Verdigris River in Independence, Kansas has crested at 31.6 feet which is considered minor flooding, but they expect it to go down significantly in the next 24 hours.

 

The radar shows that Independence had 7 to 8 inches of rain overnight and up to 12 inches just northwest of town. Montgomery County is still under flood warnings.

 

There are also reports of a tornado in the Elk City area.