Missouri, 2002

Flooding in Missouri, May 12 to 14, 2002

May 12 to 14, 2002 · NWS SGF · 34 events in 34 counties and zones

This is the continuation of the flooding that occurred over portions of southern Missouri on May 12th and 13th. Although numerous low water crossings, bridges, and area rivers flooded for the second time in less than a week, this area was more concentrated over portions of southwest Missouri and portions of extreme south central Missouri.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 34 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
$700,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
34

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.

This is the continuation of the flooding that occurred over portions of southern Missouri on May 12th and 13th. Although numerous low water crossings, bridges, and area rivers flooded for the second time in less than a week, this area was more concentrated over portions of southwest Missouri and portions of extreme south central Missouri. One of the more significant factors this time with the flooding is that the area lakes rose to critical levels, especially Bull Shoals and Table Rock Lake, where the water rose to a few feet below the flood pool. This flooding event prolonged the closure of numerous roads and low water bridges over central and southern Missouri. The additional heavy rain also worsened already existing river flooding over the region. Polk County received over eight inches of rainfall during a 12 hour period which caused most of the southern part of the county to have significant road erosion. Parts of Dent County also reported significant basement flooding and road erosion.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at May 12, 12:01 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 12, 12:01 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
101 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER BUSY EVENING/NITE COMING ACROSS CWA.  SGF RADAR
SHOWING FAIRLY STRONG TSRA OVER SE KS ATTM...BEHIND THE COLD FRONT.
WAITING FOR SVR TSRA BOX TO COME OUT ANY MINUTE.

CLOUDS COVERS ALL CWA WHICH HAS KEPT TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 70S TO
MID 60S BEHIND THE FRONT. MAIN PROBLEM IS WHAT TO DO WITH FFA. WILL
KEEP CURRENT THINKING AS PREVIOUS SHIFT AND TRIM OFF THE NWRN ZONES
OF CWA AND PUT A LIKELY POP...BASED ON MESO ETA QPF FIELDS.  WILL
KEEP THE FFA FOR REST OF CWA FOR TONIGHT.  LOOKS LIKE EARLY MORNING
HOURS MOST OF THE UPPER SUPPORT (5H TROF) IS PUSHING EAST OF CWA.

WILL GO WITH BLEND OF ETA/MAV FOR TEMPERATURES.  NICE/MILD/DRY
WEATHER FOR THE REST OF THE FORECAST.

ANOTHER 5H TROF WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT CWA BY END OF NEXT WEEK...MADE
ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO CURRENT EXTENDED.

WILL SEND UPDATED AFD AFTER DETERMINE FFA GOES AND UPDATE ZONES FOR
NEW SVR WEATHER BOX.

SS

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 12, 3:01 PM CST, 59 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
401 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0355 PM    BOLIVAR                   MO   FLOOD
05/12/02   POLK                           FLOODING OF CITY
                                          STREETS IN BOLIVAR AND
                                          HURON. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
Local storm report, May 12, 3:07 PM CST, 53 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
407 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0407 PM    SWEDEBORG                 MO   .75 INCH HAIL
05/12/02   PULASKI                        REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
Local storm report, May 12, 3:10 PM CST, 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
410 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0408 PM    BOLIVAR                   MO   FLOOD
05/12/02   POLK                           HIWAY 83, 6 MILES NORTH
                                          OF BOLIVAR, WATER OVER
                                          ROAD, ROAD CLOSED.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.
Local storm report, May 12, 3:44 PM CST, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
444 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0440 PM    LEBANON                   MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/12/02   LACLEDE                        TREES UPROOTED AND ROOF
                                          DAMAGE TO A BUSINESS.
                                          ALSO FLOODING REPORTED
                                          ALONG HIGHWAY 5 NORTH
                                          OF LEBANON AND AT
                                          BENNET SPRINGS.
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
Local storm report, May 12, 3:47 PM CST, 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
447 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0430 PM    CHARITY                   MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/12/02   DALLAS                         TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
Local storm report, May 12, 3:59 PM CST, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
459 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0450 PM    GREENFIELD                MO   FLOOD
05/12/02   DADE                           HIGHWAY 245 AND 126
                                          FLOODED. REPORTED BY
                                          LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

34 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Barton

When
May 12, 4:00 PM CST to May 13, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Barton forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.502, -94.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Benton

When
May 12, 6:00 PM CST to May 13, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Benton forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.295, -93.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cedar

When
May 12, 6:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Cedar forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.724, -93.857 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Polk

When
May 12, 6:00 PM CST to May 14, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Property damage
$500,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.617, -93.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, St. Clair

When
May 12, 6:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
St. Clair forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.037, -93.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dallas

When
May 12, 6:45 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Dallas forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.680, -93.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Laclede

When
May 12, 6:45 PM CST to May 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Laclede forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.658, -92.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Camden

When
May 12, 7:00 PM CST to May 13, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Camden forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.027, -92.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dade

When
May 12, 7:00 PM CST to May 13, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Dade forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.432, -93.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Phelps

When
May 12, 7:00 PM CST to May 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Phelps forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.877, -91.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pulaski

When
May 12, 7:00 PM CST to May 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.825, -92.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jasper

When
May 12, 8:30 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Jasper forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.204, -94.341 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Newton

When
May 12, 8:30 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Newton forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.906, -94.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dent

When
May 12, 8:45 PM CST to May 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Dent forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.607, -91.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Barry

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Barry forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.710, -93.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Christian

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Christian forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.970, -93.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Greene

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Greene forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.258, -93.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hickory

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 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, Lawrence

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.106, -93.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, McDonald

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
McDonald forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.629, -94.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Morgan

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Morgan forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.424, -92.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Oregon

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Oregon forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.687, -91.403 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Stone

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Stone forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.747, -93.456 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Webster

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Webster forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.281, -92.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wright

When
May 12, 9:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Wright forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.270, -92.469 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Maries

When
May 12, 10:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Maries forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.162, -91.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Miller

When
May 12, 10:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Miller forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.215, -92.428 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Texas

When
May 12, 10:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Texas forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.317, -91.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Vernon

When
May 12, 10:00 PM CST to May 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Vernon forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.851, -94.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Douglas

When
May 13, 12:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.933, -92.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Ozark

When
May 13, 1:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Ozark forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.649, -92.445 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Shannon

When
May 13, 1:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Shannon forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.157, -91.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Taney

When
May 13, 1:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Taney forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.655, -93.041 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Howell

When
May 13, 1:15 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Howell forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.774, -91.886 (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

More

Every storm in Missouri in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, May 2002

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: 5299263, 5299264, 5299266, 5299286, 5299289, 5299269, 5299276, 5299265, 5299268, 5299285, 5299287, 5299275, 5299282, 5299270, 5299262, 5299267, 5299272, 5299273, 5299277, 5299279, 5299281, 5299283, 5299290, 5299334, 5299335, 5299278, 5299280, 5299332, 5299333, 5299271, 5299284, 5299288, 5299331, 5299274.