Richard Bean walks through a flooded roadway leading to the Baker Wetlands after spending a soggy afternoon birdwatching. Continuous rains Sunday soaked the area, causing flood and storm warnings throughout the state and forcing some road closings around Lawrence.

Richard Bean walks through a flooded roadway leading to the Baker Wetlands after spending a soggy afternoon birdwatching. Continuous rains Sunday soaked the area, causing flood and storm warnings throughout the state and forcing some road closings around Lawrence.

Sampson, an Old English Sheepdog, watches passers-by with his owner Thom Allen, Lawrence. They stayed dry Sunday afternoon while sitting beneath a canopy outside Henry's coffee shop, 11 E. 8th St. About 2 inches of rain fell Sunday, and today's forecast calls for more rain.

Flood waters cover U.S. Highway 56 west of Lyons, making travel between Lyons and Chase impossible. Heavy rains Sunday throughout the state spurred flash flood warnings.

Heavy rains in the area Sunday washed out the Art in the Park event while also inconveniencing local motorists with road closings and wrecks.

6News meteorologist Sarah Jones said Lawrence had received more than 1.75 inches of rain as of Sunday evening, and she expected the total to approach 2 inches for the 24-hour period ending at midnight.

“This is definitely a big storm,” Jones said. “Typically, if we start to see an inch, we think that’s a pretty significant amount.”

Jones said she had seen neighborhood streams flow over their banks and start to threaten homes. Flooding remains a concern today, when she said another inch of rain is possible.

Emergency dispatchers in Jefferson and Leavenworth counties said several roads in the area were closed because of standing water, but no one had been injured and that no emergency response had been required.

In Franklin and Douglas counties, roads remained open throughout the day.

On the Kansas Turnpike, weather contributed to an injury accident Sunday afternoon east of Lawrence that shut down Interstate 70 in both directions for a time.

An official with the Kansas Turnpike Authority said a semitrailer went through a road barrier wall, blocking both lanes of traffic. The truck was leaking diesel fuel and caught fire, but Leavenworth County fire crews were able to extinguish the fire.

One lane in each direction opened soon after the fire was extinguished.

KTA maintenance crews were attempting to repair the pieces of barrier.

The KTA official said that the truck driver was taken to a hospital, but she didn’t know where or if others were injured.