The partial remnants of Tropical Depression Dolly, which impacted the lower Texas Gulf Coast, ushered copious amount of deep tropical moisture into the central plains and Midwest on July 30, 2008. As an upper level storm system from the central Rockies interacted with Dolly's remnants, numerous showers and thunderstorms developed across eastern Kansas.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 episode as NWS EAX wrote it up.
The partial remnants of Tropical Depression Dolly, which impacted the lower Texas Gulf Coast, ushered copious amount of deep tropical moisture into the central plains and Midwest on July 30, 2008. As an upper level storm system from the central Rockies interacted with Dolly's remnants, numerous showers and thunderstorms developed across eastern Kansas. The slow movement of the storm system, coupled with the training and back building individual cells, set the stage for very heavy rainfall and flooding. Widespread amounts of 2 to 4 inches were noted over eastern Kansas. A flash flood warning was needed in Johnson County. In addition, several rivers responded to the rainfall, prompting several river flood warnings to be issued.
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 Jul 29, 11:34 PM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 1234 AM CDT WED JUL 30 2008 ...UPDATED AVIATION... .DISCUSSION... /343 PM CDT TUE JUL 29/ MAIN CONCERN THROUGH THE SHORT TERM WILL BE WITH PRECIPITATION AND HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. LOW/MID LEVEL CIRCULATION EVIDENT VIA VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY CURRENTLY CENTERED ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM WILL TRACK NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT SETTING THE STAGE FOR A DECENT RAIN EVENT ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF THE CWA. ONGOING PRECIP SHIELD ACROSS NORTHERN KS/MO SEEMS TO BE CLOSELY TIED TO SW/NE ORIENTED SHEAR AXIS ALONG WITH PERSISTENT 20-25KT H85 FLOW FEEDING THIS AREA. FURTHER EAST...DEEP CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED WHERE STRONGER HEATING HAS ALLOWED FOR HIGHER INSTABILITY ON THE EDGE OF CLOUD SHIELD. THIS ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED EAST OF THE CWA FOR THE TIME BEING. HOWEVER...STRONGER CONVECTION IS ALSO DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHERN KS ATTM AND THIS ACTIVITY WILL TEND TO PROPAGATE NORTHEAST WITH TIME. CIRCULATION CENTER WILL PUSH NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT AS PWS INCREASE TO 2 TO 2.5 IN ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF THE CWA. THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR DECENT RAINFALL RATES OVERNIGHT AS CONVECTION DEVELOPS AHEAD OF THE AFOREMENTIONED SYSTEM. ATTM...EXPECTING THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION TO DEVELOP DURING THE OVERNIGHT PERIODS AS NOCTURNAL LLJ STRENGTHENS AND BECOMES FOCUSED ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS INTO WESTERN MISSOURI AND THEN EASTWARD WITH TIME. EXPECTING 1 TO 2 INCHES FOR MOST AREAS OVERNIGHT WITH ISOLATED 2.5 INCHES POSSIBLE. BIG QUESTION IS TO THE EXACT SWATH OF THE HEAVIEST PRECIP OVERNIGHT. STAYED CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE WHICH PLACES THIS AREA ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE EXPECTED TRACK OF THE UPPER SYSTEM...FEEL THIS SWATH COULD EASILY BE DISPLACED FURTHER NORTH. IN ADDITION...GIVEN THE INUNDATION OF HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN COUNTIES IN RECENT EVENTS...ANY DECENT RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN FLOODING ISSUES. THEREFORE...WILL ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR AREAS ALONG...SOUTH AND EAST OF A KANSAS CITY TO BETHANY LINE WHERE THE HEAVIER QPF POTENTIAL AND LOWER FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE EXISTS. PRECIP SHOULD BE ONGOING BY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS IT GRADUALLY SHIFTS EAST. HELD ON TO CHC POPS THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES AS SYSTEM SLOWLY EXITS THE AREA. OTHERWISE...KEPT COOLER AFTERNOON TEMPS TOMORROW BEFORE RETURNING TO NEAR NORMAL BY THURSDAY AS UPPER RIDGE AXIS BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION. DEROCHE MEDIUM RANGE (FRIDAY-WEDNESDAY) MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE REMAINS IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT IN PROVIDING A WELL NEEDED DRY SPELL OF WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE EARLY PORTIONS OF NEXT WEEK. OF MORE CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST REAL SUSTAINED PERIOD OF HOT AND MUGGY WEATHER ACROSS THE LOWER MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY. BY FRIDAY...MID-LVL H500 RIDGE AXIS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO SLIDE EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL CONUS. THIS WILL IN RETURN INDUCE RATHER STRONG LOW-LVL WAA...BRINGING H850 READINGS SOME 24C TO AS HIGH AS 30C INTO THE CWA. LITTLE IN THE WAY OF CLOUD COVER SHOULD ALLOW FOR STRONG MIXING WITH READINGS PEAKING IN THE UPR 90S IN THE NW TO THE LOWER 90S IN THE SE. SATURDAY APPEARS TO THE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS AS THERMAL RIDGE FOLDS OVER AND WARM AIR PLUNGES DEEPER INTO THE REGION. WHILE I HAVE PLAYED TEMPERATURES SOMEWHAT CONSERVATIVE WITH THE ANTECEDENT HIGH SOIL MOISTURE VALUES...PRETTY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR 100 DEGREE READINGS IN THE AREA. SOME QUESTIONS ARISE IN REGARDS TO TEMPERATURES FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY...AS THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE TO AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF MID-LVL MOISTURE WORKING AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF THE H500 RIDGE AND AIRMASS IS LIKELY TO BECOME A LITTLE MORE HOMOGENEOUS. NEVERTHELESS...HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLIMB INTO AT LEAST THE MID 90S. THIS BEING SAID...BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE WILL REMAIN HIGH LEADING TO POSSIBLY SEVERAL DAYS WITH HEAT INDICES NEAR 105F. NEXT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION REMAINS ON TRACK TO AFFECT THE LOWER MO RIVER VALLEY BY WEDNESDAY...AS MID-LVL RIDGE IS FLATTENED AND THE REGION BECOMES MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO AN INCREASINGLY ACTIVE NORTHERN STREAM. THERE REMAINS SOME DIFFERENCES IN TIMING ATTM...WITH PREFERENCES REMAINING WITH THE 00Z/29 ECMWF AND 06Z/29 GFS. DUX && .AVIATION... PRECIPITATION HAS EXPANDED IN COVERAGE THIS EVENING AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT...AS IS TYPICAL OF TROPICAL INFLUENCED SYSTEMS. BAND OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH LIFR CIGS/VSBYS...IS SETTING UP GENERALLY ALONG INTERSTATE 35 FROM EMPORIA TO KC AREA. THIS BAND WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...GRADUALLY MOVING NORTH AND EAST. HAVE THEREFORE HAD TO CONTINUE THUNDER FOR THE KC SITES THROUGH THE NIGHT. HAVE TAPERED BACK TO SHOWERS AND MVFR CIGS DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS PROGGED TO MOVE SOUTH OF THE TAF SITES BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. NRR && .EAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM TUESDAY TO 1 PM WEDNESDAY FOR MOZ005- MOZ006-MOZ007-MOZ008-MOZ014-MOZ015-MOZ016-MOZ017-MOZ021- MOZ022-MOZ023-MOZ024-MOZ025-MOZ028-MOZ029-MOZ030-MOZ031- MOZ032-MOZ033-MOZ037-MOZ038-MOZ039-MOZ040-MOZ043-MOZ044- MOZ045-MOZ046-MOZ053-MOZ054. KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM TUESDAY TO 1 PM WEDNESDAY FOR KSZ057- KSZ060-KSZ103-KSZ104-KSZ105.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 1255 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040- 043>046-053-054-301800- ATCHISON KS-MIAMI-LINN KS-DONIPHAN-LEAVENWORTH-WYANDOTTE- JOHNSON KS-ATCHISON MO-NODAWAY-WORTH-GENTRY-HARRISON-MERCER- PUTNAM-SCHUYLER-HOLT-ANDREW-DE KALB-DAVIESS-GRUNDY-SULLIVAN-ADAIR- BUCHANAN-CLINTON-CALDWELL-LIVINGSTON-LINN MO-MACON-PLATTE-CLAY- RAY-CARROLL-CHARITON-RANDOLPH-JACKSON-LAFAYETTE-SALINE-HOWARD- CASS-JOHNSON MO-PETTIS-COOPER-BATES-HENRY- 1255 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT INCREASING TROPICAL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PARTIAL REMNANTS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION DOLLY WILL LEAD TO A HEIGHTEN THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINS OVER A LARGE PART OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. AT THE MOMENT...THE BEST THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINS LOOKS TO EXIST MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A ST JOSEPH TO UNIONVILLE LINE WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER OTHER THAN HEAVY RAINS WILL REMAIN LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AS SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE ONGOING SOUTH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. THIS AREA WILL SHIFT EAST AND INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AGAIN...SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO THE AREA BY THE LATTER PORTIONS OF THE WORK WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. HEAT INDICIES MAY APPROACH OR EXCEED 100 TO 105 DEGREES DURING THIS TIME FRAME AND INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AS THIS TIME FRAME APPROACHES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER...PLEASE RELAY ANY RAINFALL TOTALS AS WELL AS LOCATIONS OF FLOODING. DEROCHE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 1126 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 MOZ038-044-045-300500- JOHNSON-LAFAYETTE-PETTIS- 1126 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHEASTERN JOHNSON...NORTHWESTERN PETTIS AND SOUTHEASTERN LAFAYETTE COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT... AT 1122 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF WARRENSBURG...MOVING EAST AT 26 MPH. WIND GUST OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... 6 MILES SOUTH OF CONCORDIA BY 1150 PM CDT. THE TOWN OF FAYETTEVILLE IS ALSO IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. NRR
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
1154 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1145 PM FLASH FLOOD 2 SW DOVER 39.17N 93.72W
07/29/2008 LAFAYETTE MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
SHERIFF OFFICE REPORTS WATER OVER HWY 213 BETWEEN HWY 20
AND 24...AS WELL AS OVER HWY 224 WEST OF LEXINGTON.
&&
MRDThe Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:12 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Water rescue was reported at 114th and Tomahawk Creek Parkway. Many roads were under water along Tomahawk Creek.
A total of 3.85 inches of rain was reported in this storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, July 2008
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: 126551, 126552.