An unusual late July weather pattern, set the stage for extreme rainfall amounts and major flooding across north central and northeast Missouri, on July 24th and 25th. Hot and humid air, continued to feed north across the eastern Plains into western Missouri.
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.
An unusual late July weather pattern, set the stage for extreme rainfall amounts and major flooding across north central and northeast Missouri, on July 24th and 25th. Hot and humid air, continued to feed north across the eastern Plains into western Missouri. Meanwhile, a series of upper air disturbances had brought rainfall to the Mississippi Valley region and northeast Missouri, keeping temperatures much cooler. This reinforced a strong stationary front, that was draped from northeast into central Missouri on the 24th. During the overnight hours, a stream of strong winds developed several thousand feet above the ground, known as a nocturnal low-level jet. Typically these rivers of fast moving air, lead to nighttime thunderstorm complexes in May and June, but diminish as we head into the summer months. However, the weather pattern resembled one more typical of late Spring. These winds transported very warm and moist air into the stationary front, leading to explosive thunderstorm development along the Iowa border. Thunderstorms then tracked southeast along the front, while continuing to regenerate further northwest. The result was extreme rainfall amounts, widespread flash flooding, and record river flooding. Rainfall amounts of 6 to locally more than 12 inches fell, with Unionville to Kirksville the hardest hit. Extreme rainfall amounts continued along the Highway 63 corridor, as far south as Moberly. The Chariton River near Novinger crested at 28.44 feet, or its third highest crest ever. The Chariton River near Prairie Hill, crested at its highest level ever, at 23.27 feet.
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 24, 5:10 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 610 AM CDT THU JUL 24 2008 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .DISCUSSION... /417 AM CDT THU JUL 24 2008/ ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA...WESTERN IOWA INTO NORTHERN MISSOURI. 35KT LLJ NOSING INTO THIS AREA CONTINUES TO FEED THIS ACTIVITY AS IT GRADUALLY ROUNDS THE UPPER RIDGE AND DIVES SOUTHEASTWARD. EXPECTING THE BULK OF THE PRECIP TO CONTINUE TO EDGE SOUTHWARD INTO NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI THIS MORNING AS THE LLJ VEERS KEEPING THE BEST MOISTURE AND LIFT ACROSS THIS AREA AS DEPICTED ON THE 310K ISENTROPIC SFC. CORFIDI VECTORS TEND TO BRING THIS COMPLEX ALMOST DUE SOUTH WITH TIME...HOWEVER...ACTIVITY ACROSS MOST OF NEBRASKA HAS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SUSTAINING ITSELF WITH A CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS. HAVE KEPT HIGHEST POPS THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN COUNTIES AS TRAJECTORIES TEND TO TAKE THIS ACTIVITY AROUND THE EDGE OF THE RIDGE. WITH THE BETTER INSTABILITY REMAINING WELL TO THE WEST OF THE PRECIP AXIS...STORMS HAVE STRUGGLED IN INTENSITY THUS FAR. THEREFORE...WITH ONLY MODEST DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND MARGINAL LAPSE RATES...NOT EXPECTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF SEVERE ACTIVITY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. HOWEVER...THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL EXIST AS TRAINING CELLS HAVE PRODUCED COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF IOWA WITH THE CRESTON, IA STATION RECEIVING 2.53 INCHES IN AN HOUR. EXPECT THE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WILL CONTINUE SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE MORNING BEFORE TAPERING DOWN TOWARD THE AFTERNOON HOURS AS THE LLJ WEAKENS. SEVERAL BOUNDARIES WILL LIKELY BE LEFT OVER FROM THIS MORNINGS ACTIVITY AND IF THE AIR MASS CAN SUFFICIENTLY RECOVER...CANNOT RULE OUT SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS THE NEXT IN A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES APPROACHES THE AREA. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS FURTHER SOUTH AND WEST BY TONIGHT WITH SEVERAL IMPULSES CONTINUING TO TOP THE RIDGE CREST. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN BETTER RAIN CHANCES BY LATER TONIGHT AS A SFC LOW DEEPENS ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS WITH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY BECOMING ESTABLISHED ALONG THE KANSAS/NEBRASKA BORDER. THIS LOOKS TO PLACE EASTERN KANSAS/WESTERN MISSOURI IN A MORE FAVORABLE ALIGNMENT AS CONVECTION MOVES EASTWARD AROUND THE RIDGE PERIPHERY. IN ADDITION...30-40KT LLJ SHOULD HELP SUSTAIN ACTIVITY TONIGHT AS IT NOSES INTO SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA/NW MISSOURI OVERNIGHT. BEYOND TONIGHT...MODELS SUGGESTING SEVERAL MORE DISTURBANCES TO TRAVERSE THE AREA WARRANTING AT LEAST SLIGHT CHC TO CHC POPS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW ON THE BEST PERIOD FOR SUBSTANTIAL RAIN AS IS USUALLY INDICATIVE OF THIS TYPE OF PATTERN. DEROCHE && .AVIATION... FOR THE 12Z TAFS...MORNING CONVECTION OCCURRING ON THE NOSE OF THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL STAY EAST OF THE TAF SITES. LATER THIS AFTERNOON WITH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXPECTED TO BE LIFTING INTO NORTHWEST MISSOURI...WE MAY START TO SEE CONVECTION DEVELOPING IN ITS VICINITY...THEN WORK ITS WAY SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT AIDED BY AN WEAK UPPER LEVEL WAVE. WILL GO WITH THE BETTER CHANCES OF THUNDER CLOSER TO WHERE SURFACE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI. PC && .EAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 559 AM CDT THU JUL 24 2008 KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040- 043>046-053-054-251100- 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- 559 AM CDT THU JUL 24 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSOURI THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH LOCALIZED FLOODING POSSIBLE. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS INSTABILITY INCREASES ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE MAIN THREAT WITH ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEBRASKA. THIS ACTIVITY MAY THEN MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST KANSAS OVERNIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON FRIDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THESE STORMS TO BECOME STRONG. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY AGAIN DEVELOP FURTHER WEST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND MOVE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT. THIS ACTIVITY MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL AS IT REACHES EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI. ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. DEROCHE
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:49 UTC.
16 flash flood, 10 heavy rain, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Six inches of water was flowing across Highway D.
State Highway PP was closed due to high water.
State Highway D was closed due to high water.
Muddy Creek at Trenton was flooding parts of the city airport.
Water rescue was reported along Wolf Creek, 5 miles southwest of Trenton.
State Highway PP was closed due to high water.
State Highway A was closed due to high water. State Highway T was also closed due to high water.
Water was reported over the road on Highway 6, between Brashear and Highway V.
Numerous intersections throughout Kirksville had stalled cars in waist deep water.
Highway 149 near Connelsville was closed due to high water.
Numerous city streets were flooded by water up to six inches in depth.
Highway 63 between La Plata and the Kirksville Regional Airport, had up to a foot of water flowing over it.
State Route 129 was closed at Shoal Creek, due to high water.
State Route Y was closed due to high water at Blackbird Creek.
Two to three feet of water, was reported to cover up to 30 streets in the city of Kirksville. Ten to fifteen water rescues were done.
Business 36 was closed near Sewer and Brush Creek.
Dam on 2 acre pond at the Country Club had given way and was flooding Highway 63.
Storm total rainfall was 8.76 inches.
COCORAHS observer measured 12.15 inches of rain.
Storm total rainfall was 7.84 inches.
Total rainfall was 6.51 inches.
Total rainfall was measured at 7.10 inches.
Storm total rainfall was 6.60 inches.
Storm total rainfall was 6.60 inches.
Storm total rainfall was measured at 8.92 inches.
Total rainfall was measured at 6.65 inches by a COCORAHS observer.
Storm total rainfall was measured at 6.82 inches.
The Chariton River near Prairie Hill crested at a record 23.27 feet, or 8.27 feet above flood stage. Hundreds of acres of low lying farm land was inundated.
The Chariton River near Novinger, had its third highest crest on record,|28.44 feet. Several hundred acres of low lying farm land was inundated. Five homes in Novinger suffered total loss.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, 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: 126466, 126468, 126469, 126470, 126471, 126472, 126485, 126473, 126474, 126475, 126476, 126477, 126478, 126479, 126480, 126481, 126483, 126486, 126487, 126489, 126492, 126493, 126494, 126495, 126496, 126498, 126499, 126921, 126920.