Alert archive / Missouri / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS St. Louis, MO

May 15, 2009Cole County, Moniteau County, Osage County, Missouri

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this flash flood warning at May 15, 2009, 8:34 PM CDT for Cole County, Moniteau County, Osage County, Missouri. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2009, 8:34 PM CDT (01:34 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2009, 11:22 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Cole County, MO, Moniteau County, MO, Osage County, MO

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 145 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:34 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 227 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2009-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3870 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2009-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 64 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
3870 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
888 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
236 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
13.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KLSX 160134
FFWLSX
MOC051-135-151-160730-
/O.NEW.KLSX.FF.W.0020.090516T0134Z-090516T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
834 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  COLE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI
  MONITEAU COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI
  OSAGE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI

* UNTIL 230 AM CDT

* AT 830 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE      
  WARNED AREA. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED BY 10 PM...AND  
  THIS COMBINED WITH EARLIER HEAVY RAIN WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...     
  CALIFORNIA...JEFFERSON CITY...TIPTON...JAMESTOWN...AND WESTPHALIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...
DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...
EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT OR IN A VEHICLE.

&&

LAT...LON 3868 9284 3869 9262 3891 9250 3881 9239
      3875 9241 3872 9235 3867 9236 3864 9223
      3857 9213 3856 9203 3868 9185 3870 9166
      3829 9165 3829 9219 3833 9220 3833 9241
      3842 9241 3842 9261 3848 9271 3860 9284

$$

BROWNING
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS73 KLSX 160422
FFSLSX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1122 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

MOC051-135-151-160437-
/O.CAN.KLSX.FF.W.0020.000000T0000Z-090516T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
OSAGE MO-COLE MO-MONITEAU MO-
1122 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR MONITEAU...COLE AND
OSAGE COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES...BUT FLASH FLOODING IS NOT 
ANTICIPATED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED 
AREA WILL REMAIN SWOLLEN AND THEREFORE THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL 
BE REPLACED WITH AN AREAL FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 8 AM. 

LAT...LON 3868 9284 3869 9262 3891 9250 3881 9239
      3875 9241 3872 9235 3867 9236 3864 9223
      3857 9213 3856 9203 3868 9185 3870 9166
      3829 9165 3829 9219 3833 9220 3833 9241
      3842 9241 3842 9261 3848 9271 3860 9284

$$

CVKING

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.

NWS St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 15, 6:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 6:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED AVIATION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
643 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

.DISCUSSION...
/323 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009/
VERY ACTIVE NIGHT ON TAP WITH BOTH SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY
RAIN/FLOODING.  THE WARM FRONT IS CURRENTLY DRAPPED NEAR A LINE FROM
KTAZ TO KMBY TO NEAR KSTJ INTO SE NEBRAKSA.  DEW POINTS IN THE MID
60S TO NEAR 70 SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY AND SFC TEMPS IN THE 80S
HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WITH SBCAPES OF
3000+ J/KG. THIS BOUNDARY REINFORCED BY OUTFLOW FROM THE CURRENT
ELEVATED CONVECTION ACROSS IA...NE MO INTO NRN IL IS EXPECTED TO
BE THE MAIN FOCUS THROUGH AT LEAST MID EVENING AND THEN THE
ENCROACHING CDFNT WILL COME INTO PLAY. ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS NORTHERN MO HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND
EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. MAIN ATTENTION HOWEVER
TURNS TO THE EVOLVING ELONGATED BOWING THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IN NW
MO. THIS COMPLEX IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING ESEWD ALONG THE
BOUNDARY/INSTABILITY GRADIENT...FEEDING ON THE VERY UNSTABLE AIR
AND FORCING ENHANCED VIA A BROAD 30-40 KT SWLY LLJ. DEEP LAYER
SHEAR OF 35+ KTS FROM ROUGHLY I-70 NWD CONTINUES TO FAVOR
ORGANIZED LINEAR/BOW ECHO STRUCTURES ALONG WITH HP THEMES. THE
ENVIRONMENT ALONG AND NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY IS ALSO CHARACTERIZED
BY STRONG LOW LEVEL SHEAR/0-1 KM SRH AOA 300 M2/S2 SUPPORTIVE OF
ISOLATED TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO DAMAGING WINDS/HAIL...SPCLY IN CLOSE
PROXIMITY TO THE BOUNDARY AND MORE UNSTABLE AIR. LASTLY THE EAST-
WEST ORIENTATION OF THE CURRENT COMPLEX...CURRENT UPWIND
GROWTH IN ERN KS...AND FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR CONTINUED UPWIND
PROPAGATION ON THE WRN FLANK IS SUPPORTIVE OF ECHO TRAINING AND
ATTENDANT HVY RAIN WITH THE HIGH RAFL RATES. I EXPECT A LARGE
ELONGATED WEST-EAST BOWY COMPLEX TO EVOLVE THROUGH THE
EVENING...GRADUALLY SINKING SEWD AHEAD OF THE ENCROACHING COLD
FRONT. WITH THE ABOVE IN MIND I WILL BE EXPANDING THE FLASH FLOOD
WATCH SOUTH THROUGH THE I-70 CORIDOOR.

THE COLD FRONT WILL BE LOCATED ACROSS SE MO AND SRN IL AT 12Z SAT
WITH ANY REMAINING PCPN THREAT CONFINED TO THE AREA AHEAD OF IT
DURING THE MORNING HOURS.  OTHERWISE GUSTY NORTHERLY WIND WILL USHER
COOLER AND DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION AS A RATHER POTENT SFC HIGH
SETTLES INTO THE MIDDLE MS VLY.  THIS 1030+ MB SFC HIGH WILL
DOMINATE THROUGH EARLY MONDAY RESULTING IN DRY AND SOMEWHAT COOL
WEATHER FOR LATE MAY WITH TEMPS ON THE ORDER OF 10-15 DEGS BELOW
NORMAL.

A MODERATION WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY AS THE ELONGATED HIGH CONTINUES TO
SETTLE SOUTHEAST AND LOW LEVEL WINDS BECOME SLY ON THE BACK SIDE.
THE LARGE ELONGATED HIGH WILL ALSO IMPEDE THE RETURN OF QUALITY LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE WELL INTO NEXT WEEK.

GLASS

&&

.AVIATION...
/641 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009/
FOR THE 00Z TAFS...E-W BAND OF INTENSE CONVECTION LINED UP ALONG
I-70 MOVING EAST. THIS TRAINING WILL MAKE FOR SEVERAL HOURS OF
NEARLY CONTINUOUS THUNDER AT COU AND STL AREA TAFS WITH OCNL IFR
CIGS/VSBYS IN VRY HVY RAIN. THINK THAT AXIS OF MOST ACTIVE
CONVECTION SHOULD DROP S OF COU...STL...AND SUS IN THE 04-05Z TIME
FRAME...AND BEGAN TO TAPER OFF PCPN AFTER THAT TIME.

TRUETT

&&

.LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 3 AM CDT SATURDAY FOR BOONE-CALLAWAY-
     COLE-FRANKLIN-GASCONADE-JEFFERSON-LINCOLN-MONITEAU-
     MONTGOMERY-OSAGE-ST. CHARLES-ST. LOUIS-ST. LOUIS CITY-
     WARREN.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR AUDRAIN-KNOX-
     LEWIS-MARION-MONROE-PIKE-RALLS-SHELBY.

IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 3 AM CDT SATURDAY FOR BOND IL-CALHOUN IL-
     CLINTON IL-FAYETTE IL-GREENE IL-JERSEY IL-MACOUPIN IL-
     MADISON IL-MARION IL-MONROE IL-MONTGOMERY IL-ST. CLAIR IL-
     WASHINGTON IL.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ADAMS IL-
     BROWN IL-PIKE IL.

&&

WFO LSX
Hazardous weather outlook, May 15, 3:48 PM CDT, 4 hours 46 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
348 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027-
034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-161215-
GREENE IL-MACOUPIN IL-MONTGOMERY IL-BOND IL-FAYETTE IL-CLINTON IL-
MARION IL-WASHINGTON IL-RANDOLPH IL-ADAMS IL-BROWN IL-PIKE IL-
CALHOUN IL-JERSEY IL-MADISON IL-ST. CLAIR IL-MONROE IL-KNOX-LEWIS-
SHELBY-MARION-MONROE-RALLS-PIKE-BOONE-AUDRAIN-MONITEAU-COLE-OSAGE-
CALLAWAY-MONTGOMERY-LINCOLN-GASCONADE-WARREN-ST. CHARLES-FRANKLIN-
ST. LOUIS-ST. LOUIS CITY-JEFFERSON-CRAWFORD-WASHINGTON-
ST. FRANCOIS-STE. GENEVIEVE-IRON-MADISON-REYNOLDS-
348 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN AND
CENTRAL MISSOURI AS WELL AS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA TONIGHT. SOME OF
THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT...HEAVY RAINFALL ACCOMPANYING THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL RESULT IN
A FLOODING THREAT...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...PLEASE
REFER TO THE WATCH PRODUCT.

MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING CONTINUES AT SEVERAL POINTS ALONG THE
ILLINOIS RIVER AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT CHESTER. PLEASE SEE
THE APPROPRIATE FLOOD PRODUCTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON SATURDAY MORNING ACROSS
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS. THESE
STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG PARTS OF THE
ILLINOIS RIVER AND AT CHESTER ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. PLEASE
SEE THE APPROPRIATE FLOOD PRODUCTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION SEE OUR
WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE)... HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LSX/?N=HWO1

GLASS

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 15, 8:02 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
802 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0750 PM     TSTM WND GST     BETHALTO                38.90N  90.05W
05/15/2009  M58 MPH          MADISON            IL   ASOS

            MEASURED ON THE KALN ASOS GUST TO 50 KNOTS

&&

EVENT NUMBER LSX0902045

GKS
Local storm report, May 15, 8:04 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
804 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0747 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 W PORTAGE DES SIOUX   38.93N  90.36W
05/15/2009                   ST. CHARLES        MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            POWER POLE AND LINE DOWN

&&

EVENT NUMBER LSX0902046

GKS
Local storm report, May 15, 8:07 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
807 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0705 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PORTAGE DES SIOUX       38.93N  90.34W
05/15/2009                   JERSEY             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES AND LIMBS DOWN ACROS GRAFTON FERRY ROAD

&&

EVENT NUMBER LSX0902047

GKS
Local storm report, May 15, 8:11 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
811 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0807 PM     HEAVY RAIN       QUINCY                  39.93N  91.39W
05/15/2009  M2.42 INCH       ADAMS              IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STORM TOTAL RAIN OF 2.42 INCHES SINCE 2 PM

&&

EVENT NUMBER LSX0902048

GKS
Local storm report, May 15, 8:23 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
823 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0817 PM     LIGHTNING        TOWN AND COUNTRY        38.62N  90.48W
05/15/2009                   ST. LOUIS          MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HOUSE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

&&

EVENT NUMBER LSX0902049

GKS
Local storm report, May 15, 8:24 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
824 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0810 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 E NOVELTY             40.01N  92.19W
05/15/2009                   KNOX               MO   NWS EMPLOYEE

            OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTS 30 40 YARDS OF THE NORTH
            APPROACH TO THE HWY 151 BRIDGE OVER THE NORTH RIVER IS
            UNDER WATER. ROAD IS IMPASSABLE

&&

EVENT NUMBER LSX0902050

CARNEY

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 7:41 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXCole14 hr
May 15, 7:47 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLSXSaint Charles, Saint Louis, City of Saint Louis3 hr
May 15, 9:12 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXLincoln19 hr
May 15, 9:12 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXLincoln6 days
May 15, 10:27 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXSaint Louis, City of Saint Louis9 days
May 15, 10:31 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXKnox, Lewis, Marion, Shelby10 hr
May 15, 11:00 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXAudrain, Boone, Moniteau, Monroe, Pike, Ralls9 hr
May 15, 11:21 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXCallaway9 hr
May 15, 11:24 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXCole, Moniteau, Osage3 hr
May 16, 8:14 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXAudrain, Monroe, Pike, Ralls7 hr
May 16, 8:35 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXKnox, Lewis, Marion, Shelby6 hr
May 16, 8:51 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXBoone12 hr
May 16, 12:19 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXCallaway, Cole3 days
May 16, 12:19 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXCallaway, Osage7 days
May 16, 12:19 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXGasconade, Montgomery8 days
May 16, 12:19 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLSXGasconade, Montgomery7 days
May 16, 2:36 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningLSXKnox, Lewis, Marion, Shelby20 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Missouri, 2009Every flash flood warning in 2009

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.