photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Water rushes over the Bowersock Dam on the Kansas River on April 27, 2026.

UPDATED 12:45 P.M. APRIL 27

After strong thunderstorms over the weekend and early morning Monday, Lawrence and surrounding areas received somewhere between four to five inches of rain within the last week — well above the average monthly totals.

Matt Flanagan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Topeka, said Lawrence saw .72 inches of rain on Thursday and .57 inches Sunday night. Then from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. Monday, Lawrence saw 2.97 inches of rain — with one observer saying he saw “1 to 1.5 inches of rain in 15 minutes.”

“The rain came down so fast,” Flanagan said.

That heavy rainfall led to the weather center issuing a flash flood warning which was focused on areas southeast of Lawrence — including Miami County. Flanagan said portions of Douglas County and Shawnee County were still under flood warnings until noon, adding “there could still be some floodwaters over roadways.” However, Flanagan said since additional rain is unlikely, there is less concern of more flooding.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office shared on social media early Monday that several roads were closed after the heavy rains. Those closures included E 1000 Road and N 1750 Road (Farmers Turnpike) north of Lawrence, Noria Road and Greenway Circle east of Lawrence and U.S. Highway 24/59 from from Midland Junction to the Jefferson County line.

It has been a rainy month in Lawrence. Flanagan said that from April 1 to the 26, Lawrence had 4.66 inches of rainfall. With Monday morning’s rain, the area has now received more than 7 inches of rain for the month. The average totals for the month is 3.37 inches.

“It’s definitely been a wetter pattern,” Flanagan said.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A tree fell into the Homeless Resource Center at 10th and Kentucky streets on April 27, 2026.

The heavy rain combined with strong winds also brought down trees near downtown Lawrence, including a tree that fell on top of the Homeless Resource Center, 944 Kentucky St., and another oak that blocked traffic on the 1300 block of Kentucky Street.

Chad Omitt, a meteorologist with the NWS Topeka station, said the strongest line of the storm came at around 5 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. Monday morning, with reports of sporadic 60 to 65 mph winds. The heavy rainfall in the short span is “going to weaken the roots,” Omitt said. Adding the strong winds makes it much more likely that trees could be uprooted.

The intense rainfall came at a time when portions of Kansas, especially in parts farther west, were in a drought, Flanagan said. According to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor from April 21, the majority of states were experiencing drought conditions, with surrounding states like Colorado, Nebraska and Oklahoma experiencing “extreme drought conditions.”

photo by: U.S. Drought Monitor

A map shared by the U.S. Drought Monitor on April 23, 2026 indicates many parts of the country currently face drought conditions.

The rainy April doesn’t necessarily mean Kansans can expect a wetter summer. Flanagan said the rain alleviates some drought concerns and helps farmers, but two or three weeks without rain can bring back drought conditions.

The recent storms also have left Lawrence facing cooler temperatures than normal. Flanagan said the average high for this time of year is “right around 70 degrees,” but the average highs this week will be in the 60’s. Flanagan said that’s due to a cold front moving into the region. The colder air “clashed” with the warm air ahead of it which helped spark the thunderstorms of the weekend.

Flanagan said while there is a slight chance of showers on Tuesday and Thursday, the weather is expected to be clearer and cooler during the week. The temperatures are expected to climb back into the 70s for the weekend.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A tree is down near Pearson Hall on the University of Kansas campus on April 27, 2026.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The 1300 block of Kentucky Street was closed to traffic Monday morning, April 27, 2026, as crews worked to remove a fallen tree.