ATC DECLARES EMER FOR FLC TO EXTRICATE THEM FROM THE LEVEL 4 AND 5 TSTMS.

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ON DEP CLBING TO 15000 FT; DEP #1 HANDED US OFF TO DEP FREQ #2. WE WERE IN A R TURN AVOIDING LEVEL 4/5 TSTMS AND AFTER 5 OR 6 CALLS TO ATC; WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT DEP #2. WE COULD HEAR HIM WORKING OTHER FREQS AND HAD REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB; BUT HE NEVER CONFIRMED OUR CALLS. WE RETURNED TO THE FIRST DEP FREQ #1 AND REQUESTED A CLB FOR WX AGAIN; EXPLAINING THAT WE WERE IN MODERATE TURB MEDIUM/HVY RAIN TRYING TO AVOID WX. THE FIRST CTLR (DEP #1) RETURNED US TO THE SECOND FREQ. AFTER ANOTHER CALL I TOOK OVER COMS AND TOLD THE CTLR THE CONDITIONS AGAIN AND THAT I WANTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB. THE SECOND CTLR (DEP #2) DECLARED AN EMER AND CLBED US TO FL230 WITH A L TURN. WE CLRED ALL CELLS AND WX AT THAT FLT LEVEL AND PROCEEDED TO ORD. AFTER ARRIVING AT ORD; I CONTACTED THE DUTY SUPVR AT MCI. HE SAID THE CTLR WAS WORKING 6 FREQS THAT MORNING (NIGHT); AND PANICKED. I CONCURRED AND SUGGESTED TO THE SUPVR THAT THEY NOT LOAD UP THE CTLRS OR AT LEAST DURING WX THEY BETTER STAFF THE SYS SO NOT TO SATURATE ONE PERSON OR PERSONS. WE AGREED AND THE CTLR ACTED ACCORDING TO WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS APPROPRIATE AT THE TIME TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF THE ENVIRONMENT.