Alert archive / Missouri / River Flood Warnings in 2026
River Flood Warning 27, NWS St. Louis, MO
NWS St. Louis, MO issued this river flood warning at Apr 18, 2026, 12:52 AM CDT for Lewis County, Missouri. It took effect at Apr 18, 2026, 4:05 AM CDT. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 18, 2026, 12:52 AM CDT (05:52 UTC)
- In effect from
- Apr 18, 2026, 4:05 AM CDT
- Expired
- Apr 18, 2026, 11:26 AM CDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- NWS St. Louis, MO
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- Minor
County Lewis County, MO
The radar
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 180 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:51 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.
The river
Written for the forecast point Middle Fabius River near Ewing (EWMM7).
- Action stage
- 9.5 ft
- Minor stage
- 12 ft
- Moderate stage
- 17 ft
- Major stage
- 20 ft
This gauge today: stage, forecast and historic crests
Stage from the USGS instantaneous record for site 05498150, one reading an hour, from a day before the product to a day after it ended. Flood stages are today's.
The text
As transmitted.
130
WGUS43 KLSX 180552
FLWLSX
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Flood Warning
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1252 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...The National Weather Service in St Louis has issued a Flood
Warning for the following rivers in Missouri...
Middle Fabius River near Ewing.
River forecasts are based on observed precipitation and forecast
precipitation for the next 24 hours.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
This product, along with additional weather and stream information,
is available at https://water.noaa.gov/wfo/lsx
&&
MOC111-191800-
/O.NEW.KLSX.FL.W.0027.260418T0905Z-260421T0200Z/
/EWMM7.1.ER.260418T0905Z.260419T0600Z.260419T1948Z.NO/
1252 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM EARLY THIS MORNING TO MONDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast.
* WHERE...Middle Fabius River near Ewing.
* WHEN...From early this morning to Monday evening.
* IMPACTS...At 15.7 feet, Right bank overflows upstream of bridge
near the gage.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 12:30 AM CDT Saturday the stage was 11.6 feet.
- Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage early
this morning to a crest of 13.8 feet just after midnight tonight.
It will then fall below flood stage early tomorrow afternoon.
- Flood stage is 12.0 feet.
&&
All Times CDT Fld Observed Forecasts (7:00 am)
Location Stg Stage Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
Middle Fabius River
Ewing 12.0 11.6 13.3 9.0 5.7 4.7 4.4
&&
LAT...LON 4018 9195 4021 9194 4019 9186 4012 9176
4002 9167 4001 9164 3996 9158 3995 9162
4005 9176 4008 9177
$$
191 follow-up statement
386
WGUS83 KLSX 181626
FLSLSX
Flood Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1126 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...The Flood Warning is cancelled for the following rivers in
Missouri...
Middle Fabius River near Ewing.
River forecasts are based on observed precipitation and forecast
precipitation for the next 24 hours.
MOC111-181730-
/O.CAN.KLSX.FL.W.0027.000000T0000Z-260418T1626Z/
/EWMM7.1.ER.260418T0655Z.260418T0745Z.260418T0805Z.NO/
1126 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED...
The Flood Warning is cancelled for
the Middle Fabius River near Ewing.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 10:30 AM CDT Saturday the stage was 8.8 feet.
- Forecast...The river is expected to fall to 3.9 feet Saturday,
April 25.
&&
All Times CDT Fld Observed Forecasts (7:00 am)
Location Stg Stage Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
Middle Fabius River
Ewing 12.0 8.8 5.5 4.6 4.4 4.2 4.1
&&
LAT...LON 4018 9195 4021 9194 4019 9186 4012 9176
4002 9167 4001 9164 3996 9158 3995 9162
4005 9176 4008 9177
$$
JajaWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this river 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 river flood warning went out at Apr 18, 12:30 AM CDT, 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Strong/severe thunderstorms are expected from late afternoon into the evening, mainly in central/northeast Missouri and west- central Illinois. Damaging wind gusts are the most likely hazard, followed by brief tornadoes. Occasional large hail and localized flash flooding are secondary threats.
- Weather hazards are minimal Saturday through mid week, but a modest potential (30-50%) for patchy frost exists Sunday morning.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 12:30 AM CDT, 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation
National Weather Service Saint Louis MO
1230 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Strong/severe thunderstorms are expected from late afternoon
into the evening, mainly in central/northeast Missouri and west-
central Illinois. Damaging wind gusts are the most likely
hazard, followed by brief tornadoes. Occasional large hail and
localized flash flooding are secondary threats.
- Weather hazards are minimal Saturday through mid week, but a
modest potential (30-50%) for patchy frost exists Sunday
morning.
&&
.SHORT TERM... (Through Late Saturday Afternoon)
Issued at 247 AM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
With yesterday's showers and thunderstorms concluded, attention
turns squarely onto the potential for severe thunderstorms late this
afternoon through the early overnight hours, which remains on track
for a substantial portion of the area. Strong to severe
thunderstorms continue to be expected in portions of
northeast/central Missouri and west-central Illinois at a minimum,
with damaging straight line-winds the primary threat, followed by a
more limited potential for large hail and tornadoes.
As we approach sunrise, dry but relatively humid conditions have
developed throughout the area after a round of scattered
thunderstorms across the Ozarks yesterday. As the day progresses
though, strengthening southerly low level flow will transport
increasingly rich moisture (surface dewpoints in the mid-upper
60s) northward into much of Missouri ahead of an advancing cold
front, and underneath a plume of steepening mid-level lapse rates
(7-8C). By mid afternoon, the combination of these factors along
with afternoon heating is expected to generate a broad corridor of
substantial instability, with high confidence in 3000-4000 J/kg
of mixed-layer CAPE just ahead of the advancing front by mid-
afternoon. The strongest instability is expected to initially be
located just to our east across northwest and north-central
Missouri, but still- impressive values of 2000-3000 J/kg are also
projected to extend farther east into much of northeast/central MO
and west-central IL. Meanwhile, guidance continues to project
around 30-40kt of 0-6km bulk shear, with long straight-line
hodographs and perhaps some slight curvature in the low levels.
To put it more succinctly, this environment will have more than
enough of the baseline parameters to set the stage for severe
thunderstorms across a broad area.
Exactly what materializes in our portion of this event will depend
on a few more subtle factors. High resolution guidance continues to
suggest that rapid overturning and widespread convective
initiation will occur along and just ahead of the cold front
during the mid- late afternoon period, thanks to both the front
and cooling aloft/increasing divergence from an approaching
shortwave trough. However, exactly where this occurs will depend
largely on the timing, as earlier initiation would likely keep
the vast majority of initial storms to our west. Meanwhile, CAMS
continue to depict a few open warm-sector storms developing in our
area earlier in the day in our area, mainly central/NE MO, but
without an obvious forcing mechanism, along with recent failures
of such activity to materialize during other recent events,
confidence is low that this will occur. However, confidence
remains high that strong/severe storms will reach our area at some
point in the late afternoon/early evening given the ample
instability present, along with a steadily increasing low level
jet during this period.
As for storm mode, initial storms are likely to feature a mix of
modes, with supercells and multicells favored initially. However,
given the strong forcing along the front, numerous updrafts/cold
pools interacting with each other, and bulk shear vectors largely
parallel to the front, we expect that storms will develop upscale
into one or more QLCS' before they arrive or shortly afterward.
As such, damaging straight line wind continues to be the primary
hazard with this event, with perhaps some more significant
straight line winds approaching 70 mph (or more). The potential
for QLCS tornadoes will also exist, particularly along bowing
segments during the early evening that can become more favorably
oriented with 0-3km shear vectors. This will be most favored
during a window in the early evening when strong instability is
still present ahead of a strengthening low level jet and low level
shear/SRH, and LCLS can lower slightly, and while the advancing
line is still strong. Shear parameters are not particularly strong
(0-3km of 30-40kt), but with the right orientation there is
enough there to support a couple of brief tornadoes.
As the evening progresses into the overnight hours, model guidance
continued to suggest that instability will quickly wane, which
should limit the overall severe threat with southeastward extent.
Exactly when and where this occurs, though, is somewhat uncertain.
While we do expect at least some strong/severe storms in our area
during this event, the full geographic coverage is less certain this
far east than it is for our western and northern neighbors. Still,
there is a reasonable potential for severe storms as far southeast
as the I-44 corridor until roughly midnight or so, with quickly
decreasing confidence later and farther southeast. For the remainder
of the event, a weakening convective line with widespread stratiform
rain will be more likely, albeit with lingering lightning and a
limited potential for rogue strong/severe gusts throughout the
night.
Finally, while the advancing line of storms should have enough
forward motion to limit the potential for training and flooding in
most areas, the large parallel component of the wind shear with the
evolving line will maintain at least a limited potential for this,
particularly along the southwestern flank of the line in central
Missouri where forward motion may be a bit slower. LPMM output does
paint around 1.5-2.5 inches of rain in this area, and there are a
few locations around here and closer to I-44 that have already seen
1-3 inches of rain over the past couple of days. While there isn't a
high probability for widespread flash flooding, we can't rule out
some localized issues if storms can orient themselves favorably in
these areas late in the evening and overnight.
As lingering showers and thunderstorms move southeast late tonight
through early tomorrow morning, the cold front will filter in behind
with breezy northwest winds and quickly dropping temperatures, to
the tune of 30 to 45 degrees colder from this afternoon to tomorrow
morning. Persistent northwest winds will maintain these chilly
temperatures through the day, with highs in the mid 50s to mid 60s
Saturday afternoon (about 10 degrees below average). Most areas are
also likely to remain dry throughout the day, but a few showers may
linger across our far southeastern border into the afternoon.
BRC
&&
.LONG TERM... (Saturday Night through Thursday)
Issued at 247 AM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
After today's thunderstorms and tonight's cold front, a relatively
quiet period of weather is expected through mid-week as northwest
flow aloft slowly transitions into a building ridge. This will lead
to a gradual warming trend through mid-week and mostly dry weather,
with perhaps a return to more active weather late in the period.
Before we get to our warming trend, though, we will need to monitor
the potential for patchy frost Sunday morning, as surface high
pressure finally allows winds to weaken. Current temperature
forecasts suggest morning lows may dip into the mid 30s in some
areas, and thus may not be fully capturing protected valleys where
cool air drainage could lead to some low 30s in a few spots. This
may also be true Monday morning as well, but more likely in our
eastern areas.
Otherwise, the main story through Wednesday will be steadily
increasing temperatures as southerly and southwesterly low level
flow resumes, and an upper ridge reasserts itself. Ensemble guidance
suggests that temperatures will likely climb back to near seasonal
averages by Monday afternoon and slightly above Tuesday and
Wednesday, with relatively narrow ensemble spreads. Meanwhile,
precipitation chances remain low throughout this period, with only a
few hints of isolated showers by mid-week. Until southerly flow can
become more firmly established, moisture return will be quite
limited, thus keeping precipitation chances relatively low through
this period.
However, this may change over the latter half of the week, as
southerly flow continues to bring increasing moisture northward, and
some variation of an upper trough approaches from the west. While
the upper flow pattern becomes more amplified in the extended as
this trough approaches, the timing and strength of this trough
remain highly variable among ensemble members and clusters. Still,
precipitation probabilities do increase substantially Thursday
onward, signaling perhaps a return to a more active period.
BRC
&&
.AVIATION... (For the 06z TAFs through 06z Saturday Night)
Issued at 1230 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
Thunderstorms continue to weaken with the southeast progression of
a cold front that will eventually bring all rain to an end at all
terminals through sunrise. TSRA has become less frequent over the
last couple of hours with the back edge of the stratiform
precipitation lining up from KCOU through KUIN. PROB30 groups were
leveraged to carry lingering -SHRA through with brief dips to
high-end MVFR following the front. KJEF holds onto TSRA potential
for a couple of hours longer than KCOU.
SHRA extends southwest through KSGF, which will track east-
northeast through the next several hours. Most of this will pass
south of the metro terminals, coinciding with its weakening
phase. Therefore, -TSRA is not favored at metro terminals through
the remainder of the morning, though a brief dip to MVFR is
possible through early morning. Conditions then improve to VFR and
persists through Saturday. Gust winds are expected to return
through the daylight period before subsiding around 00z.
Maples
&&
.LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...Flood Watch until 4 AM CDT early this morning for Audrain MO-
Boone MO-Callaway MO-Cole MO-Knox MO-Lewis MO-Lincoln MO-
Marion MO-Moniteau MO-Monroe MO-Montgomery MO-Osage MO-Pike
MO-Ralls MO-Shelby MO.
IL...Flood Watch until 4 AM CDT early this morning for Adams IL-Brown
IL-Calhoun IL-Greene IL-Jersey IL-Macoupin IL-Montgomery IL-
Pike IL.
&&
WFO LSXHazardous weather outlook, Apr 17, 2:33 PM CDT, 10 hours 19 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service St Louis MO 233 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026 ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027- 034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-181945- 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-Saint Clair IL-Monroe IL-Knox MO- Lewis MO-Shelby MO-Marion MO-Monroe MO-Ralls MO-Pike MO-Boone MO- Audrain MO-Moniteau MO-Cole MO-Osage MO-Callaway MO-Montgomery MO- Lincoln MO-Gasconade MO-Warren MO-Saint Charles MO-Franklin MO- Saint Louis MO-Saint Louis City MO-Jefferson MO-Crawford MO- Washington MO-Saint Francois MO-Sainte Genevieve MO-Iron MO- Madison MO-Reynolds MO- 233 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of eastern and central Missouri as well as west central and southwest Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Widespread thunderstorms are forecast through this evening. Several of these thunderstorms may become severe. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. Jaja
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 17, 9:48 PM CDT, 3 hours 4 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service St Louis MO
948 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0926 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 ESE New Haven 38.59N 91.17W
04/17/2026 Franklin MO Emergency Mngr
6-10 inch diameter tree blocking road.
&&
DeliaLocal storm report, Apr 17, 9:50 PM CDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service St Louis MO
950 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0922 PM Tstm Wnd Gst New Florence 38.91N 91.45W
04/17/2026 E60 MPH Montgomery MO Broadcast Media
&&
DeliaLocal storm report, Apr 17, 10:23 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1023 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0827 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg Wardsville 38.49N 92.17W
04/17/2026 Cole MO Emergency Mngr
Several large tree limbs down near Falcon
Lane and Route M. Time estimated from radar.
&&
JPGLocal storm report, Apr 17, 10:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1026 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0820 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 SSE Marion 38.66N 92.35W
04/17/2026 Cole MO Emergency Mngr
Tree limb down near 179 and Sunflower Road.
Time estimated from radar.
&&
JPGLocal storm report, Apr 17, 10:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1029 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0950 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 W Moscow Mills 38.94N 90.97W
04/17/2026 Lincoln MO Emergency Mngr
Power poles down. Time estimated from radar.
&&
JPGLocal storm report, Apr 17, 10:31 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1031 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0935 PM Tornado 2 E Holstein 38.65N 91.14W
04/17/2026 Warren MO Emergency Mngr
Power lines down. Time estimated from radar.
&&
JPGThe office that day
Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 7:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Marion, Monroe, Pike, Ralls | 54 min |
| Apr 17, 7:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Boone, Callaway, Cole, Moniteau | 48 min |
| Apr 17, 7:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Boone, Callaway, Cole, Moniteau, Osage | 63 min |
| Apr 17, 8:17 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Boone, Callaway, Cole, Moniteau | 43 min |
| Apr 17, 8:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Callaway, Cole, Osage | 45 min |
| Apr 17, 8:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Audrain, Callaway, Montgomery | 45 min |
| Apr 17, 8:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Callaway, Franklin, Gasconade, Montgomery, Osage, Warren | 48 min |
| Apr 17, 9:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Lincoln, Montgomery, Pike | 52 min |
| Apr 17, 9:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Lincoln, Montgomery, Warren | 31 min |
| Apr 17, 9:36 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Warren | 20 min |
| Apr 17, 9:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Lincoln, Saint Charles, Warren | 48 min |
| Apr 17, 9:50 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Lincoln | 25 min |
| Apr 17, 10:02 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | LSX | Lewis | 12 days |
| Apr 17, 10:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Saint Charles | 31 min |
| Apr 18, 6:04 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | LSX | Osage | 15 hr |
| Apr 18, 9:59 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | LSX | Marion | 10 hr |
| Apr 18, 10:49 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | LSX | Cole | 63 hr |
| Apr 18, 12:05 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | LSX | Marion | 21 days |
| Apr 18, 12:05 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | LSX | Marion | 9 hr |
| Apr 18, 5:05 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | LSX | Reynolds | 16 hr |
Nearby
River Flood Warnings in Missouri, 2026Every river flood warning in 2026
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive; the gauge from the NWS water service and the USGS.