Flooding in Missouri, May 17 to 18, 2002

Name: Flooding in Missouri, May 17 to 18, 2002
Start: 2002-05-17T01:00
End: 2002-05-18T04:00
Location: Missouri

May 17 to 18, 2002 · NWS SGF · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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 from May 16th and 17th. Runoff was excessive over south central Missouri and portions of southwest Missouri where local rivers and smaller tributaries continued to rise. The runoff slowly subsided during the early morning hours of May 18th. During the first three weeks of May, many areas of the Ozarks and southeast Kansas received between seven and twelve inches of rainfall. Not only did this cause major flooding of roadways, rivers and creeks, this contributed to lake levels rising to near record heights. Bull Shoals Lake rose so high that it caused Highway K to flood for several weeks. It forced seven families that live along Highway K to travel to and from their homes via canoes or rafts. A city park was closed for several weeks on Lake Taneycomo and caused their local fair to be cancelled. The significant and widespread flooding that occurred over the region caused the President to declare the following counties in southern Missouri disaster areas; Camden, Cedar, Christian, Dent, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Laclede, McDonald, Newton, Polk, Stone, Texas, Vernon, Wright, Barry, Barton, Dade, Dallas, Webster, Taney, Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Lawrence and Shannon counties.

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 16, 9:00 PM CST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 16, 9:00 PM CST, 4 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1000 PM CDT THU MAY 16 2002

FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR ALL OF THE SOUTHERN MISSOURI OZARKS AND
EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY.

TRAINING STORMS BEGINNING TO CAUSE FLOODING PROBLEMS OVER THE ROLLA
AREA LATE THIS EVENING.  STORMS HAVE SHOWN AN INCREASING TREND OVER
THE PAST COUPLE HOURS OVER OUR AREA AND BACK INTO NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA.  THIS OCCURRING IN AREA OF GOOD MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AHEAD
OF A SAGGING FRONT THAT STRETCHED FROM NEAR QUINCY TO CHANUTE AT
03Z.  LAPS SOUNDING SHOWED DECENT ELEVATED INSTABILITY WITH CAPES
AROUND 1500 J/KG LIFTED FROM 750 MB.  THE FRONT WILL ONLY CRAWL
ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI TONIGHT AS A SHORTWAVE RIDES OUT OF THE
CENTRAL ROCKIES. INCREASING UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE WITH THIS SYSTEM
SHOULD SUPPORT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT. UNCERTAIN ON THE
EVOLUTION OF THE DEVELOPING CONVECTIVE COMPLEX OVER OKLAHOMA WHICH
WOULD INCREASE FLOODING THREAT OVER THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES IF IT
TAKES MORE OF AN EASTERLY TRACK.  SUFFICIENT THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT SHOULD OCCUR IN ANY CASE TO CONTINUE THE FLOOD THREAT
THROUGH THE NIGHT.  ISOLATED SEVERE HAIL POSSIBLE...BUT FLOODING
WILL HIGHLIGHT HAZARDOUS WEATHER THREATS.

.SGF...
MO...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CDT FRIDAY FOR ZONES MOZ055>058...
MOZ066>071...MOZ077>083...MOZ088>098...MOZ101>106.

KS...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CDT FRIDAY FOR ZONES KSZ073...KSZ097...
KSZ101.

FOSTER

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 9:00 PM CST, 4 hours before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1000 PM CDT THU MAY 16 2002

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

0956 PM    3 S ST JAMES              MO   FLOOD
05/16/02   PHELPS                         HIGHWAY 68 SOUTH OF ST.
                                          JAMES BEING CLOSED DUE TO
                                          FLOODING. ALSO REPORTED
                                          2.50 OF RAINFALL FROM
                                          7-9:30 PM. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, May 16, 10:32 PM CST, 2 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1132 PM CDT THU MAY 16 2002

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

0956 PM    3 S ST JAMES              MO   FLOOD
05/16/02   PHELPS                         HIGHWAY 68 SOUTH OF ST.
                                          JAMES BEING CLOSED DUE
                                          TO FLOODING. ALSO
                                          REPORTED 2.50 OF
                                          RAINFALL FROM 7-9:30
                                          PM. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

1032 PM    ROLLA                     MO   FLOOD
05/16/02   PHELPS                         HWY O FLOODED. REPORTED
                                          BY HAM RADIO OPERATOR.

1035 PM    3 S ST JAMES              MO   FLOOD
05/16/02   PHELPS                         HWY B FLOODED.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

1110 PM    5 SW SALEM                MO   FLOOD
05/16/02   DENT                           HWY 32 FLOODED.
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

1110 PM    5 NW SALEM                MO   FLOOD
05/16/02   DENT                           HWY 72 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

19 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Phelps

When: May 17, 1:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Phelps forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.877, -91.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dent

When: May 17, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Dent forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.607, -91.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jasper

When: May 17, 4:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Pulaski

When: May 17, 6:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Texas

When: May 17, 6:00 AM CST to May 18, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Texas forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.317, -91.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Webster

When: May 17, 6:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM 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 17, 6:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Douglas

When: May 17, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Lawrence

When: May 17, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Maries

When: May 17, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, McDonald

When: May 17, 8:00 AM CST to May 18, 4:00 AM CST
Where: McDonald forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.629, -94.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Newton

When: May 17, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Ozark

When: May 17, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Howell

When: May 17, 9:00 AM CST to May 18, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Howell forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.774, -91.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Oregon

When: May 17, 9:00 AM CST to May 18, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Oregon forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.687, -91.403 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Shannon

When: May 17, 9:00 AM CST to May 18, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Shannon forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.157, -91.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Stone

When: May 17, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Taney

When: May 17, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 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, Christian

When: May 17, 10:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.970, -93.189 (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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5299360, 5299350, 5299353, 5299361, 5299365, 5299366, 5299367, 5299351, 5299354, 5299355, 5299356, 5299357, 5299359, 5299352, 5299358, 5299362, 5299363, 5299364, 5299349.