Alert archive / Missouri / River Flood Warnings in 2026

River Flood Warning 13, NWS Springfield, MO

April 16, 2026Cedar County, Missouri

NWS Springfield, MO issued this river flood warning at Apr 16, 2026, 8:12 AM CDT for Cedar County, Missouri. It took effect at Apr 16, 2026, 6:31 PM CDT. It was in force for 26 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 16, 2026, 8:12 AM CDT (13:12 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 16, 2026, 6:31 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 17, 2026, 8:16 PM CDT
In force
26 hr
Issued by
NWS Springfield, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
Minor

County Cedar County, MO

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:13 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 Sac River near Caplinger Mills (CMZM7). The gauge peaked at 18.48 ft at Apr 18, 2026, 7:00 PM CDT.

actionminormoderate10152004/1604/1704/1804/19
Action stage
14 ft
Minor stage
16 ft
Moderate stage
19 ft
Major stage
28 ft

This gauge today: stage, forecast and historic crests

Stage from the USGS instantaneous record for site 06919900, 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.

836 
WGUS43 KSGF 161312
FLWSGF

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Flood Warning
National Weather Service Springfield MO
812 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

...The National Weather Service in Springfield MO has issued a Flood 
Warning for the following rivers in Missouri...

  Sac River near Caplinger Mills affecting Cedar County.

For the Sac River...including Caplinger Mills...Minor flooding is 
forecast.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Many flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

Additional information is available at www.weather.gov.

The next statement will be issued Friday morning at 815 AM CDT.

&&

MOC039-171315-
/O.NEW.KSGF.FL.W.0013.260417T0435Z-260418T0116Z/
/CMZM7.1.ER.260417T0435Z.260417T1200Z.260417T1915Z.NO/
812 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING TO TOMORROW EVENING...

* WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast.

* WHERE...Sac River near Caplinger Mills.

* WHEN...From this evening to tomorrow evening.

* IMPACTS...At 19.0 feet, moderate Flood Stage. Flood waters reach 
  approximately three feet in depth at the Caplinger Mills 
  Campground.


* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
  - At 7:45 AM CDT Thursday the stage was 9.0 feet.
  - Bankfull stage is 16.0 feet.
  - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage
    late this evening to a crest of 18.0 feet tomorrow morning.
    It will then fall below flood stage early tomorrow afternoon.
  - Flood stage is 16.0 feet.
  - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of
    18.0 feet on 05/08/2019.
  - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

&&

LAT...LON 3785 9382 3774 9374 3770 9374 3770 9377
      3772 9377 3773 9380 3779 9382 3781 9385
      3785 9384


$$

Lindenberg
1 follow-up statement
729 
WGUS83 KSGF 162331
FLSSGF

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Springfield MO
631 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in 
Missouri...

  Sac River near Caplinger Mills affecting Cedar County.

For the Sac River...including Caplinger Mills...Minor flooding is 
forecast.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Many flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

Additional information is available at www.weather.gov.

The next statement will be issued Friday morning at 1015 AM CDT.

&&

MOC039-171515-
/O.EXT.KSGF.FL.W.0013.260416T2331Z-260417T1800Z/
/CMZM7.1.ER.260416T2222Z.260417T0600Z.260417T1446Z.NO/
631 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING TO EARLY TOMORROW 
AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.

* WHERE...Sac River near Caplinger Mills.

* WHEN...From this evening to early tomorrow afternoon.

* IMPACTS...At 19.0 feet, moderate Flood Stage. Flood waters reach 
  approximately three feet in depth at the Caplinger Mills 
  Campground.


* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
  - At 5:45 PM CDT Thursday the stage was 16.2 feet.
  - Bankfull stage is 16.0 feet.
  - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours
    ending at 5:45 PM CDT Thursday was 16.2 feet.
  - Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 18.0
    feet just after midnight tonight. It will then fall below
    flood stage late tomorrow morning.
  - Flood stage is 16.0 feet.
  - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

&&

LAT...LON 3785 9382 3774 9374 3770 9374 3770 9377
      3772 9377 3773 9380 3779 9382 3781 9385
      3785 9384


$$

TG

What 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 Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this river flood warning went out at Apr 16, 6:37 AM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • After 2-4 inches of rain on Wednesday, residual flooding is expected to linger in portions of the Ozarks through the day, with an Areal Flood Warning in effect for the affected corridor until 1 PM. Minor flooding is also ongoing in small tributaries and in the Little Osage and Spring River basins.
  • Scattered shower and thunderstorm development possible late this morning into early afternoon, especially in south-central Missouri. If storms can develop, there would be a chance of severe hail and damaging winds, but any risk would be conditional on the development of thunderstorms.
  • Severe thunderstorms expected on Friday, with an Enhanced (level 3 of 5) Risk of severe weather beginning in the afternoon and continuing through the overnight hours into early Saturday morning. All modes of severe weather possible, but widespread damaging winds in excess of 70-80+ mph will be the primary severe hazard as a squall line with several bowing segments develops along the cold front.
  • Excessive rainfall concerns through the week in areas that see repeated strong storms and/or training precipitation.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 6:37 AM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Springfield MO
637 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- After 2-4 inches of rain on Wednesday, residual flooding is
  expected to linger in portions of the Ozarks through the day,
  with an Areal Flood Warning in effect for the affected
  corridor until 1 PM. Minor flooding is also ongoing in small
  tributaries and in the Little Osage and Spring River basins.

- Scattered shower and thunderstorm development possible late
  this morning into early afternoon, especially in south-central
  Missouri. If storms can develop, there would be a chance of
  severe hail and damaging winds, but any risk would be
  conditional on the development of thunderstorms.

- Severe thunderstorms expected on Friday, with an Enhanced
  (level 3 of 5) Risk of severe weather beginning in the
  afternoon and continuing through the overnight hours into
  early Saturday morning. All modes of severe weather possible,
  but widespread damaging winds in excess of 70-80+ mph will be
  the primary severe hazard as a squall line with several bowing
  segments develops along the cold front.

- Excessive rainfall concerns through the week in areas that
  see repeated strong storms and/or training precipitation.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
Issued at 300 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

Current Conditions and Synoptic Overview:
The remnants of Wednesday evening's showers and thunderstorms
are pushing to the east, carried by the low-level jet streak. An
upper-level shortwave trough and associated surface low are
lifting across the Great Lakes region; another shortwave trough
across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles early this morning will
bring modest height falls to the region into the mid-afternoon
before assimilating into the flow across the Great Lakes.
Upstream, a deepening trough with a closed low aloft is
approaching from the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday's convection
brought 2-4" of rainfall to a corridor of the forecast area,
where flash flooding occurred and/or is still occurring, and an
Areal Flood Warning remains in effect for much of that area
until 1 PM this afternoon.

Showers & Thunderstorms Today:
It's far from a slam dunk, but many CAMs indicate that
additional shower and thunderstorm development may occur again
this afternoon in south-central Missouri. 2500-3000 J/kg of
SBCAPE builds by 18-19Z, when the cap becomes eroded. The
ingredients for a similar setup to yesterday will all largely
come together slightly further east in the eastern Ozarks, with
the exception of an obvious forcing mechanism.

Low-level ridging slowly builds through the day, which would
imply subsidence, but the 500mb/250mb waves in the Panhandles
will lift northeast across the area through the morning and
early afternoon, with the associated vort maxes creating
divergence aloft. The last bits of convection are likely so
weak that there won't be any residual cold pool/outflow strong
enough to trigger anything, but widespread cloud cover will exit
the area with the showers, allowing 0-3km lapse rates to
approach 8C/km as the surface warms. High temperatures this
afternoon are in the 77-83F range, and convective temperatures
around 76-78F suggest simple differential heating may be enough
to get something going. 30-40kts of bulk shear and straight
hodographs suggest that if storms do develop, conditions will be
sufficient for severe hail with splitting storms and/or
multicell clusters.

The window for these storms to develop would be relatively
short, between 18-22Z by most model consensus. By 23-00Z this
evening, the upper-level support has moved east of the area,
ending the window for severe storm development. HREF
neighborhood probabilities of severe hail have a bullseye of
5-14% in areas east of Highway 65 and south of I-44. A broader
area of 5-14% chances of severe wind remain confined to areas
east of Highway 65 but extend north of I-44 into central
Missouri, though a small bullseye of 15-29% probs of severe wind
develop in our far southeast corner (Oregon County) and extend
into northeast Arkansas. The REFS probabilities also show 5-14%
chances of severe hail and wind in south-central Missouri during
the same window (1PM - 5PM), further substantiating that the
risk exists if a storm can develop.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 400 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

Friday remains on track to be an active severe weather day. The
synoptic trough approaching from the Pacific Northwest ejects
into the Central Plains and overspreads a plume of warm, dry
air (700-500mb lapse rates 8-9C/km). HREF mean SBCAPE exceeds
3000 J/kg, so ample instability will be in place by the early
afternoon for supercell development. The cold front plunges
south through the Northern Plains during the day on Friday,
which appears to keep the most volatile severe environment to
our north, but our environment will still be quite juicy for the
storms to tap into when they arrive with the cold front. An
additional, lower-confidence scenario includes discrete
supercells popping up within the warm sector ahead of the cold
frontal passage.

Expected evolution at this time appears to be a low chance for
discrete supercells across the area in the afternoon hours,
before the cold front reaches our northern edge counties in the
late afternoon/early evening hours. While supercells could
support large to very large hail, tornadoes, and damaging winds,
our primary severe risk will be with the cold frontal passage.
CAMs are in good agreement that with 50-90kts of bulk shear, the
storms that develop along the cold front will nearly immediately
turn into a line, with numerous embedded bowing segments.
Supercells ahead of the line could locally enhance sfc vorticity
as they get overtaken by the accelerating squall line, leading
to areas of increased embedded tornado potential. Several CAMs
also suggest that our northwesternmost counties will have a
short window of locally higher tornado chances around nightfall
as the low-level jet kicks in and more curved hodographs overlap
in time and space with 100+ J/kg of 0-3km CAPE ahead of the
front along the low-level theta-e gradient.

Now that we've gotten the tornado talk out of the way, I would
like to be clear that damaging winds are by FAR the most likely
severe hazard on Friday evening. Winds in excess of 80 mph will
be possible along the apex of any accelerating bowing segments
that develop along the front. Not everywhere should expect to
see winds that high, but wide swaths of 60+ mph winds is a
realistic expectation to set.

&&

.AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 619 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

Mostly clear skies with some patches of MVFR stratus near the
Arkansas border to start the period. A few light showers have
popped up near the OK/MO border, which could briefly bring MVFR
ceilings and a brief period of light rain within the next 1-3
hours. Otherwise, afternoon shower and thunderstorm chances
appear to stay east of TAF sites, though scattered convection
will be possible across the Ozarks.

&&

.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...None.
MO...None.

&&

SHORT TERM...Camden
LONG TERM...Camden
AVIATION...Camden
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 16, 4:58 AM CDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Springfield MO
458 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-171000-
Bourbon-Crawford-Cherokee-Benton-Morgan-Miller-Maries-Vernon-
St. Clair-Hickory-Camden-Pulaski-Phelps-Barton-Cedar-Polk-Dallas-
Laclede-Texas-Dent-Jasper-Dade-Greene-Webster-Wright-Newton-
Lawrence-Christian-Douglas-Howell-Shannon-McDonald-Barry-Stone-
Taney-Ozark-Oregon-
458 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Missouri
Ozarks and extreme southeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Weather hazards expected...

Marginal hail risk.
Marginal thunderstorm wind damage risk.
Limited lightning risk.

DISCUSSION...

Heavy rainfall has ended, but 1 to 4 inches of rain have fallen
over the last 24 hours, which caused flash flooding across a
narrow corridor of southern Missouri. Residual areal flooding will
continue through today. Water is rising across area waterways,
especially small tributaries and the Little Osage and Spring
Rivers, which are rising into minor flood stage.

There is a short window for a few scattered strong to severe
thunderstorms this afternoon, especially in areas east of Highway
65 that are south of I-44. The primary hazard would be hail to the
size of golf balls, with a secondary damaging wind risk.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Severe thunderstorms expected on Friday, with an Enhanced (level
3 of 5) Risk of severe weather beginning in the afternoon and
continuing through the overnight hours into early Saturday
morning.

All modes of severe weather possible, but widespread damaging
winds in excess of 70-80+ mph will be the primary severe hazard as
a squall line with several bowing segments develops along the
cold front.

Flooding will be possible in areas that receive multiple rounds
of heavy rainfall.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.

&&

More detailed information can be accessed at:
http://www.weather.gov/sgf/dsspacket

This product in graphical format...along with other weather...
hydrological and climate information...at
http://www.weather.gov/sgf

Camden

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:16 AM CDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
516 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

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

0459 AM     Flood            4 SSW Richland          37.80N 92.43W
04/16/2026                   Laclede            MO   Dept of Highways

            State Highway FF is closed due to flooding.

&&

MB
Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:26 AM CDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
526 AM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

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

0523 AM     Flood            2 WSW Boston            37.40N 94.31W
04/16/2026                   Barton             MO   911 Call Center

            State Highway 126 is flooded just west of
            Interstate 49.

&&

MB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 7:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFBarry45 min
Apr 15, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFCamden, Dallas, Laclede, Polk45 min
Apr 15, 7:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningSGFCedar, Dade, Polk6 hr
Apr 15, 7:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFCamden, Dallas, Laclede, Miller, Pulaski51 min
Apr 15, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMiller38 min
Apr 15, 7:53 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningSGFVernon7 days
Apr 15, 7:56 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningSGFDallas5 hr
Apr 15, 8:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMaries, Miller, Phelps, Pulaski49 min
Apr 15, 8:31 PM CDTTornado WarningSGFMaries28 min
Apr 15, 8:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFBarton, Jasper46 min
Apr 15, 9:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatSGFBarton, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence39 min
Apr 15, 10:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFDade, Greene, Lawrence, Polk59 min
Apr 15, 10:15 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningSGFJasper, Newton6 hr
Apr 15, 10:46 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisorySGFCamden, Dallas, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Phelps and 1 more14 hr
Apr 15, 11:40 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningSGFBarton, Cedar, Dade, Hickory, Jasper, Polk13 hr
Apr 16, 12:16 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningSGFCamden, Dallas, Hickory13 hr
Apr 16, 11:00 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFWright30 min
Apr 16, 11:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFTexas, Wright39 min
Apr 16, 12:06 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFTexas39 min
Apr 16, 12:23 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFDent37 min
Apr 16, 12:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFDent, Shannon30 min
Apr 16, 12:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFOzark31 min
Apr 16, 1:12 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFHowell48 min
Apr 16, 1:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFHowell46 min
Apr 16, 1:48 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFDallas57 min
Apr 16, 1:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFHowell, Oregon40 min
Apr 16, 1:53 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFMiller52 min
Apr 16, 2:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMaries, Miller45 min
Apr 16, 2:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFOregon47 min
Apr 16, 2:38 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningSGFMiller4 hr
Apr 16, 2:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMaries, Miller50 min
Apr 16, 3:24 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningSGFMaries4 hr
Apr 16, 3:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMaries, Miller63 min
Apr 16, 4:05 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementSGFMiller25 min
Apr 16, 4:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMiller41 min
Apr 16, 4:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningSGFMiller4 hr
Apr 16, 5:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatSGFMiller39 min
Apr 16, 5:22 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningSGFMaries, Miller13 hr
Apr 16, 5:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMiller12 min

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.