Dramatic rescues unfolded in Wichita, Kansas, as severe storms and flash flooding swept through the Midwest and parts of the South on Tuesday. Eyewitnesses captured the moment firefighters pulled an elderly woman from her car, which was surrounded by several feet of floodwater.

Colin Fee and Danielle Hart, who filmed the rescue in Wichita, reported that they also witnessed two people being rescued from another vehicle. The Wichita Fire Department responded to 77 “submersion calls” from stranded drivers during the deluge.

The fire department reiterated its standard advice for flood conditions: “Turn around, don’t drown.”

Hart recounted the urgency of the situation: “The waters were rising, they were getting very close to her car being fully submerged, so she just looked like she was relieved and just happy to be alive.”

The couple noted that the water levels rose rapidly, several feet in just 45 minutes, and they received a flood warning only “about an hour into the flood.”

Tornado Warnings and Record Rainfall

A tornado warning was issued in Kansas City, Missouri, where social media users documented an enormous funnel cloud. elsewhere, a semi-trailer was overturned on Interstate 35. Videos also showed heavy rain and winds battering Kauffman Stadium as tornado sirens sounded.

One TikTok user shared that she and other shoppers sought shelter in the walk-in freezer of a Whole Foods Market.

Kansas City experienced a record-breaking 2.46 inches of rain on tuesday, surpassing the previous daily record of 2.25 inches set in 2015.

The city activated its Emergency Operation Team to manage the crisis. City officials stated that crews were assessing damage and clearing debris. No injuries have been reported.

“The waters were rising, they were getting very close to her car being fully submerged, so she just looked like she was relieved and just happy to be alive.”

Flash flood alerts were in effect for approximately 18 million people from Kansas to Texas on Tuesday. While isolated thunderstorms are expected on Wednesday, a new wave of severe weather is anticipated.

More Storms on the Horizon

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts another round of moderate to heavy rain begining Thursday night, placing 33 million people across a large area from the Great Lakes to eastern Texas at risk of severe thunderstorms.

“By Thursday night into Friday morning, a low pressure wave is forecast to form over the southern high Plains and then track eastward, setting the stage for a round of moderate to heavy rain and strong to severe thunderstorms to impact the south-central U.S. beginning Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said.