Alert archive / Missouri / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Kansas City, MO

September 8, 1989Clay County, Platte County, Missouri; Leavenworth County, Kansas

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this flash flood warning at Sep 8, 1989, 8:15 PM CDT for Clay County, Platte County, Missouri; Leavenworth County, Kansas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 8, 1989, 8:15 PM CDT (01:15 UTC)
Expired
Sep 8, 1989, 11:15 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Kansas City, MO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Leavenworth County, KS, Clay County, MO, Platte 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 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 84 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 00:00Z on 1989-09-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 794 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 00:00Z on 1989-09-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 457 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
794 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-111 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
964 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
457 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
592 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
19.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMCI 090115 RRA
FFWMCI
KSC103-MOC047-165-090415-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INT'L AIRPORT MO
815 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF KANSAS
      LEAVENWORTH...

   IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF MISSOURI
      CLAY...PLATTE...

AT 815 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST ACROSS LEAVENWORTH COUNTY KANSAS AND PLATTE COUNTY
MISSOURI.  THESE HAVE PRODUCED RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF
TWO INCHES OVER AREAS THAT RECIEVED EXCESSIVE RAINFALL EARLIER
THIS AFTERNOON.  THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF STREET CLOSINGS
WITH WATER UP TO TWO FEET DEEP RUSHING ACROSS ROADWAYS.  THESE
STORMS ARE PROJECTED TO MOVE ACROSS CLAY COUNTY MISSOURI AS WELL.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE 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 IMMEDIATELY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS IMMINENT.  IT IS IMPORTANT TO
KONOW WHERE YOU ARE IN RELATION TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS THAT
CAN BECOME DEADLY WHEN SWOLLEN BY HEAVY RAIN.  CAMPERS SHOULD AVOID
CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS WHEN HEAVY RAIN THREATENS.

 P/CJS/LH

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, Sep 8, 2:58 PM CDT, 5 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
255 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI THE REMAINDER OF THIS
AFTERNOON...

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI
...NORTHEAST KANSAS...AND SOUTHWEST IOWA AT 255 PM. THE HEAVIEST STORMS
WERE LOCATED FROM TOPEKA KANSAS EASTWARD THROUGH THE KANSAS CITY
METROPOLITAN AREA...TO NEAR MOBERLY MISSOURI...LOCATED APPROXIMATELY
100 MILES EAST OF KANSAS CITY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EAST
AT 25 MPH. THIS EASTWARD MOVING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN AT TOPEKA AND AT THE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
AT 230 PM. VISIBILITIES ARE LOWERING TO LESS THAN 1/2 MILE IN THE
HEAVY RAIN AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOWLYING AREAS AND ROADWAYS IS
LIKELY. MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION IN TRAVEL AND REMEMBER
TO NOT DRIVE THROUGH RUSHING WATER.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER EXTREME NORTHWEST MISSOURI
IN THE MARYVILLE AREA. THIS AREA IS BEING WATCHED VERY CLOSELY FOR
THE POTENTIAL OF FLASH FLOODING. PERSONS ALONG THE 102 RIVER SHOULD
BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AS REPORTS OF WATER OVER ROADWAYS
HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NODAWAY AND NORTHERN ANDREWS COUNTIES. AT
245 PM THE RIVER GAGE AT MARYVILLE READ 12.43 WITH FLOOD STAGE AT
14 FEET.

THE 102 RIVER HAS BEEN RUNNING AT BANK FULL AT ARKOE MISSOURI...
ABOUT 60 MILES NORTH OF KANSAS CITY SINCE 110PM. THERE HAVE BEEN
REPORTS OF SCHOOL CLOSINGS IN NORTHERN ANDREWS COUNTY DUE TO
HIGH WATER HAMPERING BUS TRAVEL.

RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE AREA OF NORTHWEST
MISSOURI...NORTHEAST KANSAS...AND SOUTHWEST IOWA FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST WEATHER UPDATES.

POOLE
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 3:38 PM CDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
340 PM CDT SEP 8 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI TONIGHT
INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY AND ST. JOSEPH AREAS...

AT 325 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED FROM
EASTERN KANSAS INTO NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI.  THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE FROM JUST EAST OF TOPEKA KANSAS TO
20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LEAVENWORTH KANSAS TO 35 MILES EAST OF KANSAS
CITY MISSOURI.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHWEST IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES
AN HOUR.

AMIS
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 4:38 PM CDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
435 PM CDT SEP 8 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN PLATTE...CLAY AND
WYANDOTTE COUNTIES IN THE KANSAS CITY AREA UNTIL 645 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI TONIGHT
INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY AND ST. JOSEPH AREAS...

AT 425 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED FROM
EASTCENTRAL KANSAS THRU WESTCENTRAL MISSOURI.  THE STRONGEST STORM
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS 20 MILES SOUTH OF KANSAS CITY.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AN
THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTCENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS...SOUTHEAST
NEBRASKA...S"OUTHERN IOWA AND THE NORTH HALF OF MISSOURI.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 25 MILES
AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 5:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
535 PM CDT SEP 8 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN PLATTE...CLAY AND
WYANDOTTE COUNTIES IN THE KANSAS CITY AREA UNTIL 645 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI TONIGHT
INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY AND ST. JOSEPH AREAS...

AT 525 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED
FROM EASTCENTRAL KANSAS THRU WESTCENTRAL...TO CENTRAL MISSOURI.
THE STORNGEST STORM...PRODUCING BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN AND 1/4 INCH
HAIL...WAS 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOPEKA KANSAS.  THESE STORMS WERE
PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AN THUNDERSTORMS OVER
EASJTCENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS...SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA...SOUTHERN
IOWA AND THE NORTH HALF OF MISSOURI.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST...NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 6:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
635 PM CDT SEP 8 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN PLATTE...CLAY AND
WYANDOTTE COUNTIES IN THE KANSAS CITY AREA UNTIL 645 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI TONIGHT
INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY AND ST. JOSEPH AREAS...

AT 630 PM CDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN...WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS...SOUTHEAST
NEBRASKA...SOUTHWEST IOWA AND THE NORTHERN HALF OF MISSOURI.
THE STRONGEST AND MOST NUMEROUS STORMS WERE OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS...
BETWEEN TOPEKA AND KANSAS CITY.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS 10 MILES
EAST NORTHEAST OF TOPEKA KANSAS.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 7:40 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
735 PM CDT SEP 8 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR EASTERN
LEAVENWORTH COUNTY KANSAS AND ALL OF PLATTE COUNTY MISSOURI...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI TONIGHT
INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY AND ST. JOSEPH AREAS...

AT 730 PM CDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL...WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS...
SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA...SOUTHWEST IOWA AND THE NORTHERN HALF OF MISSOURI.
AT 715 PM ONE AND ONE-HALF INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED ABOUT 10 MILES
SOUTH OF LEAVENWORTH KANSAS AND STREET FLOODING WAS OCCURRING IN
LANSING KANSAS.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND PASSING OVER GROUND
NEARLY SATURATED FROM HEAVY RAINFALL EARLIER IN THE DAY.  SOME
FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS CAN BE EXPECTED AS THESE STORMS PASS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Kansas City, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 8, 7:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXPlatte51 min
Sep 8, 9:11 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXAndrew, Nodaway5 hr
Sep 8, 11:15 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXClay, Platte3 hr
Sep 9, 4:13 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXPlatte57 min
Sep 9, 4:13 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXClay, Clinton57 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Missouri, 1989Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 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.