Uncle Phil -

The peak is probably due to very heavy rain in Wichita and eastward, today - Tuesday (or yesterday if you're in another time zone).

Several unofficial reports indicated 6 inches or more in north Wichita, and there may have been heavier stuff north and eastward from there. Wichita was reporting lots of street closings due to water over the road, and the toll road (I35) was closed due to a "low hanging power line" near Augusta/El Dorado. Maybe the soggy ground let some poles tip over?

The reservoirs north of Winfield may have had to do some release, or it may just be runoff.

The predicted 20 ft level isn't too seriously into the fairground, although parts of the Walnut Grove and and a chunk of the Pecan grove may be flooded temporarily. The peak should drop off fairly quickly (according to the current guesses) and a day or two may dry things out pretty well if there's no further heavy rain. The NOA forecast put the peak at about 01:00 the morning of Land Rush, so it could make finding a spot and getting into it a bit touch-and-go.

We've had a couple of hours of partly sunny Tuesday, but it rained at Winfield most of the previous night, and it's been light/moderate fall for the past few hours. (The lightning is spectacular, but not really frequent.) I measured about an inch Tuesday morning in my precision laundry soap jug cut off to hold spare bungee cords, but the local officials said we only got 0.7 inches.

Walking is difficult in lots of localized spots where we're sitting due to standing water and mud, but there's nothing yet that you can't drive a golf cart through. Our scooters aren't that water resistant, so we're confined to driving out or staying home in the camper.

Hoping for a sunny day tomorrow.

John