Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Kansas City, MO

May 15, 1990Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Kansas; Clay County, Jackson County, Missouri

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this flash flood warning at May 15, 1990, 11:07 AM CDT for Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Kansas; Clay County, Jackson County, Missouri. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 1990, 11:07 AM CDT (16:07 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 1990, 2:15 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Kansas City, MO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Johnson County, KS, Wyandotte County, KS, Clay County, MO, 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, 4.1 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 1990-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 263 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1990-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 249 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
263 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-127 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
389 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
8.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMCI 151612
FFWMCI
KSC091-209-MOC095-165-047-151915-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MISSOURI
1107 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY MISSOURI HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
          ...JOHNSON...WYANDOTTE
IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI
          ...JACKSON...PLATTE
IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI
          ...CLAY
 
AT 1105 AM HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS THE KANSAS CITY METRO
AREA.  FLOODING HAS ALREADY OCCURRED IN SOME AREAS OF SOUTHERN SECTIONSOF KANSAS CITY.
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, May 15, 6:41 AM CDT, 4 hours 26 minutes before
MOZ004-008-151245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
630 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 10 AM CDT...
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN JACKSON
COUNTY MISSOURI UNTIL 7AM...

HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WERE MOVING ACROSS THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AREA.
MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN LEAVENWORTH COUNTY KANSAS AND IN
DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY KANSAS WHILE GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED
AT THE BLUE RIDGE MALL IN KANSAS CITY MISSOURI. HEAVY RAINS CAN BE
EXPECTED ALONG WITH SOME FLOODING IN THOSE FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

THESE STORMS ARE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE
MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST KANSAS AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 15, 6:59 AM CDT, 4 hours 8 minutes before
MOZ004-008-151245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
630 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 10 AM CDT...

HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WERE MOVING ACROSS THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AREA.
MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN LEAVENWORTH COUNTY KANSAS AND IN
DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY KANSAS WHILE GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED
AT THE BLUE RIDGE MALL IN KANSAS CITY MISSOURI. HEAVY RAINS CAN BE
EXPECTED ALONG WITH SOME FLOODING IN THOSE FLOOD PRONE AREAS.
KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED 1.01 INCHES OF RAIN
WHILE SHAWNEE KANSAS REPORTED 2.4 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE MIDNIGHT.

THESE STORMS ARE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE
MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST KANSAS AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 15, 7:47 AM CDT, 3 hours 20 minutes before
MOZ004-008-151345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
730 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 10 AM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST MISSOURI THAT
INCLUDES BOTH THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AND ST JOSEPH AREAS UNTIL 6PM...

SCATTERED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND VERY HEAVY
RAINS...CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AREA. FLOODING
IN THOSE AREAS THAT ARE PRONE TO FLOOD CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH OUT
THE DAY. THE KANSAS CITY MISSOURI FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS NUMEROUS
AREAS OF FLOODING AND AT ONE TIME HIGH WATER WAS REPORTED ON INTERSTAE
70 AT THE BROADWAY BRIDGE.

OTHER AREAS OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND
HEAVY RAIN WAS JUST TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF TOPEKA KANSAS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF STORMS THAT EXTENDED ACROSS
NORTHEAST K#ANSAS AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 15, 8:48 AM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
MOZ004-008-151445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
835 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 10 AM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST MISSOURI. THIS
INCLUDES BOTH THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AND ST JOSEPH AREAS UNTIL 6PM...

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY HAIL...WERE 30 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF KANSAS CITY.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AND WILL MOVE ACROSS JOHNSON AND MIAMI COUNTY KANSAS AND JACKSON AND
CASS COUNTY MISSOURI IN THE NEXT HOUR.  FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS
HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA.  MOTORISTS ARE URGED
NOT TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A WIDESPREAD AREA OF PRECIPITATION
WHICH COVERED MOST OF NORTHERN MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST KANSAS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 15, 9:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
MOZ004-008-151445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
935 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST MISSOURI
INCLUDING BOTH THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AND ST JOSEPH AREAS UNTIL 6PM...

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE 50 MILES SOUTH...AND 25 MILES
WEST OF KANSAS CITY.  OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN WERE IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...40 MILES TO THE WEST OF ST JOSEPH.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE KANSAS
CITY METRO AREA BY 1030AM.  HOWEVER...FLOODING WILL BE A PROBLEM
IN LOW LYING AREAS DUE TO HEAVY RUNOFF.

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHEAST KANSAS WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN
PART OF THE KANSAS CITY AREA AND THE ST JOSEPH AREA BY 1030 AM.
HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING ARE LIKEY TO OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS.
Special weather statement, May 15, 10:13 AM CDT, 54 minutes before
MOZ004-008-151545-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
1000 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST MISSOURI
INCLUDING BOTH THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AND ST JOSEPH AREAS UNTIL 6PM...

NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN THE KANSAS CITY
AREA.  ALTHOUGH THE HEAVIEST RAIN SHOULD END WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE
OF HOURS...FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM IN LOW LYING AREAS
DUE TO HEAVY RUNOFF.  AT 10 AM THE STAGE ON THE BLUE RIVER AT
BANNISTER ROAD WAS AT 24 FEET AND RISING.  AT 1006 AM...THE LEED`S
DISTRICT ON THE BLUE RIVER IS BEING EVACUATED DUE TO HIGH WATER.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 11:18 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXLeavenworth3 hr
May 14, 10:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXSt. Clair31 min
May 15, 6:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJackson30 min
May 15, 10:18 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXCole, Moniteau, Morgan2 hr
May 15, 11:07 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXPlatte3 hr
May 15, 12:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCooper69 min
May 15, 12:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXHickory69 min
May 15, 12:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCooper, Howard62 min
May 15, 1:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXCooper, Howard, Saline3 hr
May 15, 1:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXPettis3 hr
May 15, 1:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBoone, Moniteau33 min
May 15, 1:58 PM CDTTornado WarningEAXCallaway32 min
May 15, 2:46 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXBoone, Moniteau3 hr
May 15, 2:46 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXAudrain, Callaway3 hr
May 15, 4:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXGasconade, Montgomery28 min
May 15, 5:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXGasconade39 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 1990Flash Flood Warnings in Missouri, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

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.