Missouri, 2002

Flooding in Missouri, May 7 to 16, 2002

May 7 to 16, 2002 · NWS LSX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Several heavy rain events caused the South Fabius River to flood parts of Northeast Missouri. Flooding primarily occurred from May 7-9 and again from May 11-16.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 LSX wrote it up.

Several heavy rain events caused the South Fabius River to flood parts of Northeast Missouri. Flooding primarily occurred from May 7-9 and again from May 11-16. The river rose from 7-9 feet over flood stage at various points. Some roads were closed at times and many acres of farmland were flooded.

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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 7, 4:37 AM CST, 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 4:37 AM CST, 53 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
500 AM CDT TUE MAY 7 2002

NO TIME FOR EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION.

SGFNT SVR WX OUTBREAK CRAWING TO A CLOSE. LONGER TERM ISSUE IS STILL
HVY PCPN EVENT OVR E CNTRL MO. WL CANCEL WATCH FOR REST OF CWA
SHORTLY
AND HV CANCELLED FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS MORNING. HWVR LOOKING FOR
ANOTHER
HVY RAIN/SVR WX EVENT LATER ON TDA/TNGT. MENTIONED HVY RAIN IN MOST
ZONES AND WL LET DAY FCSTR IDENTIFY AREAS LATER ON. HWVR AS SFC LOW
DPNS LLJ FCST TO INCR TO 50KT TNGT AND ANOTHER EPISODE FCST TO
OCCUR. INTERACTION WITH OLD BNDRY WL COMPLICATE AREA OF CONCERN BUT
LIKE THE AREA IDENTIFIED IN EXCESSIVE OUTLOOK.

OF NEAR TERM INTEREST IF NEW LN DVLPG FROM 50W MKC TO 40S COU. WL
KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON IT.

DAY 2 JUST AS INTERESTING AS LOOKS LIKE CDFNT WL DVLP AND CREATE
ANOTHER
SQUALL LN TMW NGT.

RE-INTRODUCED PCPN TO FCST FOR SUN/MON. MRF LOOKS LIKE A BROKEN
RECORD
WITH NMRS S/W RIDING ACROSS AREA AND AMPL PCPN AND PSBL SVR WX.

HV KEPT FF WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING FM E CNTRL
MO INTO W CNTRL IL FOR A DOZEN COUNTIES.

.STL...FLOOD WATCH FOR TNGT AND TUE MRNG FOR ENTIRE CWA.

PEDIGO

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 7, 4:44 AM CST, 46 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
544 AM CDT TUE MAY 07 2002

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

1117 PM    2W COLUMBIA               MO   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/02   BOONE                          REPORTED BY EOC.

1143 PM    COLUMBIA                  MO   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/02   BOONE                          REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

1147 PM    2N COLUMBIA               MO   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/02   BOONE                          REPORTED BY EOC.

1205 AM                              MO   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/07/02   BOONE                          REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

0122 AM    COLUMBIA                  MO   FLOODING
05/07/02   BOONE                          EOC REPORTED HIGHWAY 40
                                          WEST OF I-70 CLOSED DUE
                                          TO FLOODING.  BROWN
                                          SCHOOL ROAD CLOSE DUE TO
                                          HIGH WATER.

0221 AM    OLD MONROE                MO   60 MPH WIND GUST
05/07/02   LINCOLN                        REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          SHERIFF.

0226 AM    PORTAGE DES SIOUX         MO   90 MPH WIND GUST
05/07/02   ST CHARLES                     SPOTTER RECORDED 87 MPH
                                          WIND GUST.

0235 AM    BRUSSELS                  IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   CALHOUN                        SHERIFF REPORTED POWER
                                          LINES DOWN.

0235 AM    DEER PLAIN                IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   CALHOUN                        SHERIFF REPORTED ROOF
                                          BLOWN OFF EQUIPMENT
                                          SHED.

0235 AM    1S BRUSSELS               IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   CALHOUN                        SHERIFF REPORTED SEVERAL
                                          FARM BUILDINGS
                                          DESTROYED.

0248 AM    2N ORCHARD FARMS          MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   ST CHARLES                     EOC REPORTED NUMEROUS
                                          TREES AND UTILITY POLES
                                          DOWN OFF HIGHWAY V.
                                          EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ALSO AT
                                          THE NORTH SHORE MARINA.

0250 AM    ALTON                     IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   MADISON                        FIRE DEPT REPORTED POWER
                                          LINES DOWN.

0250 AM    GODFREY                   IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   MADISON                        EMS REPORTED TREE BLOWN
                                          ONTO A HOUSE.

300  AM    BUNKER HILL               IL   0.88 INCH HAIL
05/07/02   MACOUPIN                       REPORTED BY FIRE DEPT.

0300 AM    3S NUTWOOD                IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   JERSEY                         SHERIFF REPORTED LARGE
                                          TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROUTE
                                          100.

0300 AM    GODFREY                   IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   MADISON                        EMS REPORTED LARGE TREES
                                          DOWN WEST OF HIGHWAY 111.

0325 AM    5SW STEELVILLE            MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   CRAWFORD                       SHERIFF REPORTED LARGE
                                          TREE DOWN.

0345 AM    UNION                     MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   FRANKLIN                       SHERIFF REPORTED POWER
                                          LINES DOWN.

0355 AM    5W HILLSBORO              MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   JEFFERSON                      SHERIFF REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN.

0400 AM    5N HILLSBORO              MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   JEFFERSON                      SHERIFF REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN IN GOLDMAN.

0400 AM    FESTUS                    MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   JEFFERSON                      SHERIFF REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN.

415  AM    COLUMBIA                  IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   MONROE                         SHERIFF REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN ON ROUTE 3.

415  AM    2W WATERLOO               IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   MONROE                         SHERIFF REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN ON ROUTE 156.

0420 AM    BONNE TERRE               MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   ST FRANCOIS                    SHERIFF REPORTED LARGE
                                          TREE LIMBS DOWN.

0430 AM    NEW ATHENS                IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   ST. CLAIR                      EOC REPORTED TREES AND
                                          POWER LINES DOWN.  SOME
                                          STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO A
                                          HOME DUE TO A FALLEN
                                          TREE. ROOF BLOWN OFF A
                                          HOUSE.

0430 AM    BLOOMSDALE                MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/02   STE GENEVIEVE                  SHERIFF REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Knox

When
May 7, 5:30 AM CST to May 16, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.128, -92.148 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marion

When
May 7, 5:30 AM CST to May 16, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Marion forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
39.806, -91.622 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Shelby

When
May 7, 5:30 AM CST to May 16, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
39.798, -92.077 (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: 5291391, 5291392, 5291393.