A nearly stationary thunderstorm produces heavy rain which flooded streets.
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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 PUB wrote it up.
A nearly stationary thunderstorm produces heavy rain which flooded streets.
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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 24, 3:23 AM MST, 10 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 423 AM MDT SUN MAY 24 2009 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) PRIMARY SHORT TERM METEOROLOGICAL CHALLENGES/CONCERNS CONTINUE TO BE PRECIPITATION INTENSITY AND COVERAGE AS WELL AS TEMPERATURES. CWFA CURRENTLY NOTING VARIABLE CLOUDINESS IN COMBINATION WITH GENERALLY LIGHT WINDS AND ABOVE SEASONAL LATE MAY EARLY MORNING TEMPERATURES. EARLY THIS MORNING...LOCAL RADARS INDICATE THAT MAJORITY OF PRECIPITATION LIES SOUTHWEST TO WEST AND NORTHEAST OF THE CWFA. LATEST COMPUTER PROJECTIONS...FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS AND REAL TIME DATA/SATELLITE TRENDS INDICATE THAT PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES HOVERING AROUND 200 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OR HIGHER WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION INTO AT LEAST THIS EVENING...WHICH WARRANTS MENTION OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IN GRIDS/ZONES FROM APPROXIMATELY 18Z SUNDAY INTO 03Z MONDAY. IN ADDITION...LOCALIZED AFTERNOON/EVENING CAPES/LIS AND 0-6 KM BULK SHEARS NEARING 2000 J/KG/-4C AND 20KTS RESPECTIVELY SUGGESTS THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR A COUPLE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO EXISTS. OVERALL...WILL CONTINUE WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH HIGHEST COVERAGE AND MOST INTENSE ACTIVITY EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD BE RATHER SIMILAR TO VALUES NOTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHILE MINIMUMS ON MONDAY MORNING SHOULD RUN A CATEGORY OR SO HIGHER OVER MOST AREAS AS COMPARED TO VALUES NOTED SUNDAY MORNING. ALSO HAVE PAINTED SOME PATCHY FOG DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TODAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF PATCHY FOG ALSO POSSIBLE FOR A FEW HOURS MONDAY MORNING. FINALLY... GRADIENT WINDS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ON THE LOW GRADE SIDE THROUGH TONIGHT. .LONG TERM... (MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) FCST AREA REMAINS IN A MOIST PATTERN THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK...WITH WEAK TROFING TO THE WEST GRADUALLY MOVING ACROSS THE STATE MONDAY AND TUES. SHALLOW FRONT APPEARS TO DROP THROUGH SOUTHEAST CO ON MONDAY...THOUGH PROBABLY NOT MUCH OF A COOL DOWN JUST YET AS COOLER AIR REMAINS FARTHER NORTH. HOWEVER...ENOUGH CONVERGENCE ALONG THIS WIND SHIFT MAY HELP TO FOCUS CONVECTION ACROSS THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SE MTS MON AFTN. EVEN OUT WEST...WITH SOME WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING IN SHOULD SEE SCT TSTORMS DEVELOP DURING BY EARLY AFTN. DEW POINTS ACROSS THE SE PLAINS INCREASE MON AFT...WITH NAM/GFS INDICATING UP TO 1500 J/KG OF CAPE POSSIBLE BY AFTN. HOWEVER...WEAK DEEP LAYER SHEARS SHOULD PREVENT ANY RISK FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE TSTORMS. MAIN THREAT WILL BE SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN WITH LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE AS PRECIPITABLE WATERS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN ABOVE 150 TO A LITTLE OVER 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SE MTS. DEEPER FRONTAL SURGE MOVES IN MON NIGHT AND BOTH GFS AND NAM INDICATE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD QPF ACROSS THE PLAINS CONTINUING MON NIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT. TUES WILL BE COOLER BEHIND THE FRONT ACROSS THE PLAINS AND HAVE DROPPED BACK TEMPS FOR THESE AREAS. UPPER TROF AXIS SHIFTS EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS...HOWEVER THERE IS STILL SOME WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY EVIDENT IN TROP PRESSURE FIELDS MOVING ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE AFTN. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW A LITTLE LESS CAPE THAN THE PREVIOUS DAY AS NRLY FLOW ADVECTS SOME DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION. HOWEVER...WITH PRECIP WATERS STILL RUNNING AROUND 150-200 PERCENT OF NORMAL...EXPECT TO SEE SCATTERED TSTORMS REDEVELOP ACROSS THE MTS BY AFTN WHERE HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. MODELS AREN/T SHOWING MUCH CIN ACROSS THE PLAINS EITHER...THOUGH WITH SOME SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE DEPARTING TROF...TSTORMS MAY HAVE A HARDER TIME REDEVELOPING ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS DURING THE AFTN. HAVE CUT BACK ON POPS EAST OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR. UPPER RIDGE TO THE WEST GRADUALLY TRANSLATES EASTWARD FOR THE MIDDLE TO LATTER PART OF NEXT WEEK. STILL LOTS OF MOISTURE CAUGHT IN THE FLOW TO KEEP ISOLATED TO SCT TSTORMS EACH DAY. WITH UPPER LEVEL FLOW BECOMING MORE NORTH TO NORTHEASTERLY...STORMS MAY STAY MORE CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAIN AREAS. STILL LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL EACH AFTERNOON MAINLY WEST OF I-25. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REBOUND BACK ABOVE NORMAL BY LATE IN THE WEEK. -KT && .AVIATION...KCOS AND KALS COULD EXPERIENCE MVFR TO BRIEFLY IFR VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS DUE TO SOME LOW CLOUDS AND FOG THROUGH ABOUT 15Z TODAY WITH VFR CONDITIONS THEN RETURNING TO ALL THREE TAF SITES FOR THE REMAINDER OF TODAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME CONTAINING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRIEFLY REDUCE VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS TO MVFR VALUES...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 77/31
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1134 AM MDT SUN MAY 24 2009 COZ058>089-093>099-251745- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- 1134 AM MDT SUN MAY 24 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...THEN DECREASING IN COVERAGE DURING THE LATE EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS FROM STORMS TODAY WILL BE HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE UNDER THE STRONGER STORMS. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH THUNDERSTORMS REMAINING MOST NUMEROUS OVER THE MOUNTAIN. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE UNTIL AROUND 8 PM ACROSS SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO. 28/28
The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:50 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
There was water up to car windows at the intersection of South Walnut and West Cucharras.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 2009
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: 170035.