Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Kansas City, MO

July 15, 1989Johnson County, Kansas; Jackson County, Missouri

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 1989, 3:56 PM CDT for Johnson County, Kansas; Jackson County, Missouri. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1989, 3:56 PM CDT (20:56 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1989, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Kansas City, MO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Johnson County, KS, Jackson County, MO

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 91 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1989-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 387 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1989-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 85 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
387 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
779 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
172 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KMCI 152058
FFWMCI
KSC091-MOC095-152300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MISSOURI
356 PM CDT SAT JUL 15 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY MISSOURI HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
          ...NORTHEASTERN JOHNSON
IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI
          ...WESTERN JACKSON
 
AT 350 PM CDT VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS OCCURING OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS AND WESTERN JACKSON COUNTY MISSOURI..THIS
INCLUDES THE DOWNTOWN METROPOLITAN AREA OF KANSAS CITY TO THE OVERLAND
PARK AREA. THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THIS AREA ARE PRODUCING
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WHICH WILL CAUSE STREAM FLOODING AS WELL AS STREETS
AND LOW LYING AREAS.
 
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 15, 1:22 PM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
MOZ01-MOZ02-MOZ04-MOZ05-MOZ08-MOZ09-MOZ13- 130140

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
115 PM CDT SAT JUL 15 1989

...HEAVY RAINS CAUSING SOME FLOODING ACROSS THE NORTH PART OF
KANSAS CITY INCLUDING LEAVENWORTH COUNTY...

THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE MOVING MAINLY ACROSS THE
NORTH PART OF THE GREATAER KANSAS CITY AREA AND THE CITY OF LEAVENWORTH.

THESE HEAVY RAINS WILL PRODUCE FLOODING IN ALL THOSE AREA THAT ARE
PRONE TO FLOODING. THE LEAVENWORTH CITY POLICE REPORTS STREET FLOODING
TAKING PLACE AT THIS TIME.

KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED OVER 2 INCHES OF RAIN
DURING THE PAST ONE AND ONE HALF HOURS. INDI=VIDUALS SHOULD BE ON THE
ALERT FOR RAPIDLY RISING WATER.
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 1:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
145 PM CDT SAT JUL 15 1989

...VERY HEAVY RAINS RESULT IN STREET FLOODING ACROSS NORTHERN SECTIONS
OF KANSAS CITY METRO AREA...

AT 130 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED ACROSS
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA.  THE HEAVY RAINS WERE
RESULTING IN STREET FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS.

MOTORISTS IN THE AREA ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN...AND NOT TO DRIVE INTO
WATER OF AN UNKOWN OR UNSAFE DEPTH.  PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
RISING WATER IN STREAMS AND CREEKS...AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF
NECESSARY.

BETWEEN 1045 AM THIS MORNING AND 145 PM THIS AFTERNOON...2.85 INCHES OF
RAIN HAD FALLEN AT KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  IN CONTRAST...
RADAR INDICATED LITTLE IF ANY RAIN WAS FALLING OVER JOHNSON COUNTY
KANSAS AT 130 PM.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINU^ED OVER EAST CENTRAL
KANSAS...AND OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI.

MOVEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

EDF
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 1:53 PM CDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
           ...CORRECTION TO STARTING TIME OF RAIN AT KCI AIRPORT...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
145 PM CDT SAT JUL 15 1989

...VERY HEAVY RAINS RESULT IN STREET FLOODING ACROSS NORTHERN SECTIONS
OF KANSAS CITY METRO AREA...

AT 130 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED ACROSS
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA.  THE HEAVY RAINS WERE
RESULTING IN STREET FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS.

MOTORISTS IN THE AREA ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN...AND NOT TO DRIVE INTO
WATER OF AN UNKOWN OR UNSAFE DEPTH.  PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
RISING WATER IN STREAMS AND CREEKS...AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF
NECESSARY.

BETWEEN 1145 AM THIS MORNING AND 145 PM THIS AFTERNOON...2.85 INCHES OF
RAIN HAD FALLEN AT KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  IN CONTRAST...
RADAR INDICATED LITTLE IF ANY RAIN WAS FALLING OVER JOHNSON COUNTfY
KANSAS AT 130 PM.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER EAST CENTRAL
KANSAS...AND OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI.

MOVEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

EDF
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
245 PM CDT SAT JUL 15 1989

...HEAVY RAINS SHIFT TO CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE KANSAS CITY METRO
AREA..
AT 230 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDED ACROSS
EXTREME NORTHERN SECTIONS OF JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS.  THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE ALSO SCATTERED OVER JACKSON COUNTY MISSOURI.

THE HEAVY RAINS WERE RESULTING IN STREET FLOODING...AND PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS.

MOTORISTS IN THE AREA ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN...AND NOT TO DRIVE INTO
WATER OF AN UNKOWN OR UNSAFE DEPTH.  PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY RISING WATER IN STREAMS AND CREEKS...AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
IF NECESSARY.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM AROUND OTTAWA KANSAS TO 10 MILES
SOUTH OF OLATHE....AND WERE IN THE CLINTON - APPLETON CITY MISSOURI
AREA.

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ALSO CONTINUED OVER NORTHWEST
ANwD NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI.

MOVEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

EDF
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:54 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
345 PM CDT SAT JUL 15 1989

...HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA...

AT 332 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...WERE LOCATED IN
THE OVERLAND PARK AREA...JUST TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF BLUE SPRINGS...
AND ALSO JUST NORTH OF LIBERTY MISSOURI.  OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAIN
ALSO CONTINUED OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS AND
NORTHERN JACKSON COUNTY MISSOURI.

THE HEAVY RAINS WERE RESULTING IN STREET FLOODING...AND PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS.

MOTORISTS IN THE AREA ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN...AND NOT TO DRIVE INTO
WATER OF AN UNKOWN OR UNSAFE DEPTH.  PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY RISING WATER IN STREAMS AND CREEKS...AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
IF NECESSARY.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OTTAWA
KANSAS TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF OLATHE...AND ALSO IN AN AREA 30 MILES
EAST OF DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALSO CONTINUED OVER ABOUT THE
NORTHWEST HALF OF MISSOURI.

MOVEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

EDF

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 1989Flash Flood Warnings in Missouri, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.