Flooding in Missouri, July 26 to 30, 1998

Name: Flooding in Missouri, July 26 to 30, 1998
Start: 1998-07-26T03:00
End: 1998-07-30T07:00
Location: Missouri

July 26 to 30, 1998 · NWS SGF · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $2.3 million
Crop damage: $6.2 million
Events: 10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SGF wrote it up.

A series of thunderstorm complexes over central and south central Missouri produced widespread flooding. Cooperative weather stations reported over 8 inches of rain at Versailles (Morgan County), Rolla (Phelps County, and Salem (Dent County). Flooding caused widespread damage to roads and low water crossings and bridges. The Missouri Governor declared a state of emergency for several counties in central Missouri including Benton, Dent, Maries, Miller, Morgan, Phelps, and Shannon. In Miller County, flooding caused widespread damage to roads and low water bridges. Significant damage occurred to corn (50% damaged), soybean (50% damaged), hay (35% damaged) crops. Cattle (300 head) and poultry (3000 turkeys or chickens) were lost. Extensive damage to farm property and equipment was also reported.In Morgan County, widespread flooding significantly damaged roads and bridges. One state bridge on Hwy TT (Gravois Mills Bridge) was destroyed. Several cars were washed off of roads. No injuries or deaths were reported. Homes and campgrounds near Versailles and Gravois Mills required evacuations. Some homes and businesses received flooding of lower floors or basements. Damage to crops included soybeans (20% loss), corn (20 to 30% loss), and hay. Some livestock was lost. There was also extensive damage to farmland and equipment. The Lamine River Conservation Area suffered some flood damage.In Phelps County, flooding damaged some roads and low water bridges. Some damage to the hay crop was reported. Flooding of basements and lower floors of some homes was reported in Rolla. The Meramec Spring Fish Hatchery suffered damage from flooding. In Maries County, three bridges were destroyed including a local landmark "swinging rope" bridge near Vienna which was built in 1930.In Shannon County, flooding caused widespread damage to roads and low water bridges. Flooding also washed away a large number of hay bails.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Camden

When: July 26, 3:00 AM CST to July 27, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Camden forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.027, -92.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Morgan

When: July 26, 3:30 AM CST to July 30, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Property damage: $1.1 million
Crop damage: $2.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.424, -92.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Miller

When: July 26, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Miller forecast zone
Property damage: $456,000
Crop damage: $4.2 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.215, -92.428 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Phelps

When: July 26, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Phelps forecast zone
Property damage: $36,000
Crop damage: $3,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.877, -91.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Maries

When: July 26, 6:00 AM CST to July 27, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Maries forecast zone
Property damage: $419,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.162, -91.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dent

When: July 26, 6:20 AM CST to July 27, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dent forecast zone
Property damage: $124,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.607, -91.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Benton

When: July 26, 12:00 PM CST to July 27, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Benton forecast zone
Property damage: $27,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.295, -93.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pulaski

When: July 27, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.825, -92.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hickory

When: July 27, 6:30 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Hickory forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.941, -93.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Shannon

When: July 29, 7:00 AM CST to July 30, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Shannon forecast zone
Property damage: $142,000
Crop damage: $4,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.157, -91.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Missouri in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Missouri, July 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5662768, 5662765, 5662764, 5662766, 5662763, 5662762, 5662761, 5662770, 5662769, 5662767.