The Very Rev. Jerry Adinolfi, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Coffeyville, and dean of the Southwest Convocation, said the Verdigris River had topped the city's levees, flooding the east side of town. One parish family was among those forced to evacuate, and Adinolfi said they are staying in the church undercroft until the situation improves.

He said the flooding is several blocks away from the church, although he noted the river has not yet peaked. It had reached a depth of more than 30 feet on the afternoon of July 1; the levee stands at 26.5 feet.

The Rev. Darrel Proffitt, rector of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Lawrence, reported that his mother and his sister had been forced to flee their homes in Neodesha because of high water. He headed to Neodesha on July 1 to offer assistance.

Adinolfi said he had heard that the towns of Neodesha and Fredonia had been effectively cut off from surrounding areas because of flooding, although he has not heard from any area clergy of any major direct impact on churches in the area.

The National Weather service reported that the Verdigris River had reached a flood stage of 51.7 feet at Independence, Kansas, just over a foot shy of breaching the levee there. The water was reported to be falling there.

Ascension Episcopal Church is in Neodesha, and Epiphany Episcopal Church is in Independence.

According to information posted on the web site of the Coffeyville Journal, 1,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into flood waters as a local refinery and fertilizer plant was affected by flood waters. City officials are worried about dangers of the polluted water. Health officials have asked anyone with contact with the water to make certain their tetanus shot is up-to-date.

Adinolfi said the fear is that, with rain still in the forecast, flooding could continue or worsen in coming days. Water is being released upstream to prevent flooding there, he said, raising concerns of those downstream in saturated areas.

"It's a dynamic situation," he said July 1. "We're just praying the power doesn't go out," noting the power plant is in an area that could be threatened by additional flooding.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has declared 12 counties in the southeast part of the state as disaster areas and is seeking a federal disaster declaration from the president.

Anyone wishing to assist those affected by flooding may make a contribution to the Tornado and Flood Relief Fund created by Bishop Dean E. Wolfe after the Greensburg tornado in May.

Checks should be made payable to "Episcopal Diocese of Kansas" marked "tornado and flood relief" and sent to: Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, 835 SW Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612.