Flash flood warnings were issued for multiple areas of the metro, including Independence, Raytown, and Blue Springs.

Storm drains along Interstate 435, a beltway that encircles most of the Kansas City metropolitan area, were unable to keep up during the deluge, he said, causing the highway to flood. Most of the rescues from vehicles took place at the highway’s 23rd St. exit, he said.

The Kansas City Fire Department says its 18 water rescues involved cars stuck in high water. Flooding was reported in Merriam, Kansas, along Brush Creek near The Plaza and in Kansas City's West Bottoms.