Without my being able to show scale and perspective in the above photo, things don't look as bad as they are in real life. Most of the tree greenery in the photo is the broken off part of the Sycamore. It rises in the frame like another tree!!! Nevertheless, things could have been worse. Instead of just 60 feet of a Sycamore falling on top of a west side Crab Apple tree (hidden in this photo), the entire 100+ foot Sycamore tree could have fallen onto our deck and house. That would have been disastrous. Half the Sycamore also still stands, now a shadow of its former self. But it survives.

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Hourly Rainfall: July 16–17, 2025
During a 12-hour period, our neighborhood was hit by a torrential downpour exceeding 10 inches of rain. The storm system stalled over the region, dumping rain at rates of 1–2 inches per hour at times. This overwhelmed local creeks and storm drains, triggering flash flood warnings and emergency responses. Rainfall peaked in the early morning hours of July 17. Some gauges in the area recorded totals closer to 11 inches. Our rain gage only goes up to 8", but our neighbors (with a different kind) said they got over 11 inches, which was undoubtedly what we also experienced.

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Metro Wide

The July 16–17, 2025 storm caused widespread damage across the Kansas City metro, with impacts felt on both the Missouri and Kansas sides:

🚨 Emergency Response & Rescues
23 water rescues were conducted by the Kansas City Fire Department, mostly involving vehicles trapped in floodwaters

Flooding & Infrastructure Damage
Major roads like I-435, I-35, and Highway 169 were submerged or closed due to flooding
Creeks and rivers surged: Blue River rose over 21 feet, and Tomahawk Creek flooded roads in Leawood and Overland Park

🏘️ Community Impact
Homes and businesses in low-lying areas experienced water intrusion and property damage
Emergency shelters and Red Cross assistance were activated for displaced residents

🌲 Tree Damage Overview
Over 40 trees were reported down in downtown KCK alone, with more expected as inspections and reports continue and come in from different parts of the Metro. Residents described large limbs snapped off, trees uprooted, and brush piles forming in yards. Public Works crews responded to blocked roads, hillside slides, and erosion caused by fallen trees.
This level of tree damage hasn’t been seen since major flood events like 1993.

This storm is being compared to some of the metro’s most severe flash flood events.

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Ode to the Fallen Sycamore

Forty summers crowned your brow,
A monarch rooted deep in now,
Your branches once a woodland choir,
A high-rise haven built of wooden wire.

Last night's fury split your soul,
Storm unleashed its brutal toll.
Half remains—a living scar,

The rest sprawled out like fallen stars.

Sixty feet of twisted grace,
A tangle wrought in wind’s embrace.
The squirrels scattered, nests unmade,
The silence now where songs once played.

But fate was kind—your reach held back,
Just twenty-five from timber’s track.
Our deck still stands, our shelter whole,
You spared us with a breath of soul.

We mourn your limbs, salute your shade,
Honor every nest you made.
And though you’re torn, not yet undone,
You still greet morning with the sun.


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