The Nation: Rain of Fear In Kansas City

Cry from the rooftops: "Here we are—help us!"

"There were two Cadillacs parked here, and all of a sudden they just floated down the street," recounted Mike Collard, a cook at the Plaza III restaurant. Barber Gene Katzman heard "people hollering from rooftops, 'Here we are —help us!' Kids were scared and crying. The people were panicked."

Kansas City was inundated by more than 12 in. of rain in 24 hours. When the storm—actually two downpours interrupted by an afternoon of sunshine —struck early last week, the area's normally placid creeks and drainage...