1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Kansas City, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 1:45 AM CST, 5 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 245 AM CDT SUN AUG 31 2003 MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS UNFOLDING OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL EVENT AND FLOODING IMPLICATIONS TODAY... ONGOING AREA OF RAINFALL COINCIDES NICELY WITH THE UPGLIDE ON THE SATURATED 305-310K ISENTROPIC SURFACES. THIS LIFT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE UPPER LEVEL SHEAR AXIS POSITIONED FROM CENTRAL KANSAS TO THE MISSOURI/IOWA BORDER AND COINCIDENT UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENT ZONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE 250MB JET. WOULD EXPECT THE CURRENT ACTIVITY TO BE SUSTAINED AND ADVANCE SLIGHTLY NORTHWARD THROUGH THIS MORNING AS THE UPPER JET MAKES LITTLE PROGRESS TO THE EAST AND THE UPPER DIVERGENT ZONES REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS NORTHERN MISSOURI. THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND FLOODING THREAT WILL REMAIN THROUGH TODAY AS AN AIRMASS WITH TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS WILL CONTINUE TO FEED NORTHWARD INTO THE AREA AS CAN BE SEEN BY DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AS HIGH AS 2.25 INCHES WILL BE AVAILABLE TODAY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH LESSER VALUES TO THE NORTH STILL IN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES. AN ALREADY UNSTABLE BOUNDARY LAYER ASSOCIATED WITH THE INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH WILL BE TRIGGERED AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY EJECTS EASTWARD AT MIDLEVELS AND A CLOSED UPPER LOW DROPS INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. REDEVELOPMENT OF A MODERATE RAIN BAND IS EXPECTED BY EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SAME AREA THAT RECEIVED 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN YESTERDAY AS THE LOW LEVEL JET REINTENSIFIES. A WARM FRONT WILL PROVIDE A FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR CONVECTION AS IT LIFTS NORTH INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI DURING THE AFTERNOON. ALL IN ALL...EXPECT ADDITIONAL WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED 4-6 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. WILL EXPAND THE CURRENT FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT TO INCLUDE ALL BUT NORTHERN 2 TIERS OF COUNTIES IN MISSOURI. AM A BIT CONCERNED WITH A SECOND SHORTWAVE FORECAST BY BOTH THE ETA AND AVN TO EJECT EASTWARD AGAIN ON MONDAY. WITH MOISTURE STILL LINGERING...THOUGH ON THE DECREASE...COULD STILL SEE SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS DEVELOP ON MONDAY BUT WOULD EXPECT THEM TO DISSIPATE BY EVENING. THE AVN ADVERTISES THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE SURFACE LOW NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION WILL CLIP THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY WITH SOME WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY AVAILABLE. HOWEVER...THE ETA SHOWS A WEAKER SURFACE LOW AND THEREFORE KEEPS THE COLD FRONT FURTHER TO THE NORTH. IN EITHER RESPECT THE MUCH DRIER AIRMASS LOOKS LESS CONDUCIVE FOR CONVECTIVE SUPPORT AND WILL KEEP WEDNESDAY DRY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TAKES HOLD ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND BUILDS INTO THE MISSOURI AND EASTERN KANSAS REGION LATE WEDNESDAY. THE CENTRAL U.S. PATTERN RETURNS TO THAT OF AN AMPLIFIED RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN STATES AND ELONGATED TROUGH OVER THE EAST DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. A GRADUAL WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FORECAST REGION BRINGING TEMPERATURES BACK TO AROUND NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. STOFLET 500 PM SAT... NUMEROUS ISSUES CONCERNING NON-FUNCTIONING EQUIPMENT AND HEAVY RAINS IN DROUGHT AREA RESULTED IN LATE DISCUSSION. CONCERNS CENTER ON THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINS AND LOCATION FOR ANY FLOOD WATCH. DUE TO BAND OF HEAVY RAIN LAYING OUT A 1-3 INCH BAND ACROSS SOUTHERN KC METRO PLUS THE RECENT HEAVY RAINS OF PAST COUPLE OF DAYS AND THE EXPECTATION FOR ANOTHER 1-3 INCHES HAVE OPTED TO GO WITH A FLOOD WATCH FROM KC AREA SOUTH OF THE MO RIVER TO THE BUTLER AND MOUND CITY KS AREAS. 700 MB SHEAR AXIS EXTENDS FROM SOUTHWEST OK THROUGH CENTRAL MO. VORTICITY MAX ALONG THIS FEATURE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KS WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHEAST AND WEAKEN. LATEST RADAR IMAGES SUPPORT THIS AS RAIN AREA HAS STEADILY FALLEN APART AS IT MOVES INTO NORTHERN MO. MODELS ALL BUT WASH THIS 700 MB SHEAR AXIS AWAY. HAVE SOME DOUBTS ABOUT THIS. WILL BE WATCHING EVOLUTION OF STORMS FROM NORTH CENTRAL OK ALONG INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH TO SEE IF THEY FORM ANOTHER CONVECTIVE SYSTEM. RIGHT REAR QUAD/ENTRANCE REGION OF UPPER LEVEL JET HAS ALSO AIDED CURRENT CONVECTION. MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THIS PORTION OF JET SEGMENT WILL REFORM LATER TONIGHT OVER KS AND TRACK EAST-NORTHEAST AND PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCE ALOFT TO SUPPORT LONG LASTING CONVECTION. DESTABILIZATION OF AIRMASS LATER TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY SUGGESTS WE COULD HEAR MORE THUNDER THAN TODAY. TROPICAL TYPE AIRMASS ALSO SUPPORTS HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WHICH COULD EASILY TRANSLATE TO 1-3 INCHES OF RAIN OVER A LARGE PART OF FORECAST AREA BY 00Z MONDAY. TEMPERATURES REALLY GOING NOWHERE AS SEEN BY DEWPOINTS NOW INTO THE UPPER 60S OVER ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST MO. TEMPERATURES SHOULD FLAT LINE TONIGHT IN THE UPPER 60S MOST LOCATIONS...AND ONLY INCH UP A FEW DEGREES TOMORROW. FLY IN OINTMENT WILL BE HOW THE TROPICAL SYSTEM IN THE WESTERN GULF INTERACTS WITH SHORTWAVE MOVING EAST OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. THE SURGE IN DEEP LAYERED MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROPICAL SYSTEM SHOULD SHEAR NORTHEAST AND JUST MISS CWA...BUT IT BEARS WATCHING AS BACKING FLOW ALOFT AHEAD OF CENTRAL ROCKIES SYSTEM COULD ENTRAIN SOME OF THIS MOISTURE INTO EASTERN SECTIONS OF FORECAST AREA. RAIN SHOULD COULD TO A SLOW END FROM WEST TO EAST LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...MAY EVEN LINGER INTO MONDAY MORNING IN CENTRAL MO. LOOKS LIKE WE WILL NOT SEE THE LONG AWAITED DRIER AIR TILL MONDAY NIGHT. BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE THE RAIN TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE DROUGHT SHORT TERM. MJ IN THE EXTENDED RANGE...MODELS PROG THE FORECAST AREA TO BECOME SANDWICHED BETWEEN MID/UPPER RIDGING OVER THE WESTERN CONUS AND A TROUGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THIS WILL LEAVE THE REGION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MID/UPPER NORTHWEST FLOW FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE PERIOD. UNDER THIS REGIME...NEAR-NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED. LS 1125 AM... LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND EMBEDDED THUNDER CONTINUES TO SLOWLY ADVANCE NORTHEAST AHEAD OF SHORTWAVE WHICH EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL KS THROUGH CENTRAL OK. THE RAIN WILL LAST INTO THE AFTERNOON AND GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTHEAST TOWARDS A ST JOSEPH TO MACON LINE. HAVE LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE RAIN COOLED AIR TO LOWER 70S AND LIKEWISE A CATEGORY IN THE NORTH DUE TO THE EXPANDING CLOUD COVER. HAVE ALSO WENT AHEAD AND INCREASED RAIN CHANCES FOR TONIGHT AFTER QUICK LOOK AT LATEST NEW MODEL DATA. MJ 917 AM... UPDATED SOUTHERN HALF OF FORECAST AREA FOR TODAY. LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS LIFTING NORTH INTO FAR SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF CWA AIDED BY INCREASING ISENTROPIC LIFT AHEAD IMPRESSIVE LOOKING SHORTWAVE NOW MOVING INTO FAR WESTERN KS. CONVECTION EXPECTED TO REACH THE MO RIVER AND DEBATING WHETHER IT WILL BREACH THAT LINE. FOR NOW WILL BUMP UP POPS SOUTH OF THE RIVER ACCORDINGLY AND RAISE QPF AS WELL. MAY BE TOO CONSERVATIVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR NEW DATA COMING IN. MJ .EAX... KS...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FOR KSZ025-057-060-102>105. MO...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FOR MOZ020>025-028>033-037>40-043>46-053-054.
KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040- 043>046-053-054-011100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 600 AM CDT SUN AUG 31 2003 ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE TODAY OVER PARTS OF EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS INTO WEST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI...WHICH MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT BANDS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL AFFECT AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM DENTON...TO CHILLICOTHE...TO LA PLATA...WHICH MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING OR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND LOW LYING AREAS. AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL INTERACT WITH DEEP MOISTURE AND AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO CAUSE REDEVELOPMENT OF MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS HAVE BEEN FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH A BAND OF 3 TO 7 INCH TOTALS ALONG AND 20 MILES TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM TONGANOXIE...TO DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY...TO WAVERLY. ADDITIONAL WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED TODAY...WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/EAX OR HTTP://WEATHER.GOV. STOFLET
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding on various creeks and roadways due to torrential rains. An 18 year old Johnson county male died swimming in a rain swollen Indian Creek. Indian Creek crested at 12.6 feet or 0.6 feet above flood stage.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood, Johnson | 2003-08-31 | 18 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 2003
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: 5374600.