A squall line of thunderstorms produced damaging winds and flash flooding.
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 SGF wrote it up.
A squall line of thunderstorms produced damaging winds and flash flooding.
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 Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 19, 7:55 PM CST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
855 PM CDT WED AUG 19 2009
...MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE DISCUSSION...
.UPDATE...
FORECAST BEING UPDATED FOR TORNADO WATCH.
WINDS HAVE RECOVERED A BIT FROM EARLIER CONVECTION AND ARE BACKED
TO THE SOUTHEAST. OVERALL...INSTABILITY IS NOT OVERLY
RAMBUNCTIOUS...BUT CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF SUSTAINED THE LINE
SEGMENT OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS. WIND AND
HAIL REMAIN THE PRIMARY RISK...THOUGH A ISOLATED EMBEDDED TORNADO
CANNOT BE RULED OUT.
GAGAN
&&
.DISCUSSION...
THE POTENTIAL OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH HEAVY
RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING ARE THE FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING. THEN A DRIER AND COOLER AIRMASS WILL SETTLE
INTO THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH COMFORTABLE CONDITIONS
LASTING THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)...
A COMPLEX CONVECTIVE SETUP IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE PLAINS AND THE
OZARKS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST
KANSAS AND TRACK ACROSS THE MISSOURI OZARKS. THIS CONVECTION IS
DEVELOPING ON THE NOSE OF A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET. EXPECTATIONS
ARE FOR CONVECTION TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING AIDED BY
UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE.
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG A SURFACE FRONT IN
THE PLAINS AND MOVE INTO THE OZARKS LATE TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL
KICK SOUTHEAST WITH THE APPROACH OF AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE
DIGGING INTO THE BASE OF AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE PLAINS.
AS THE FRONT APPROACHES SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND THE MISSOURI
OZARKS...COOLING ALOFT WILL STEEPEN MIDLEVEL LAPSE RATES WITH
0-6KM SHEAR INCREASING TO NEAR 50 KNOTS. WHILE ONGOING CONVECTION
COMPLICATES SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL...ISOLATED EMBEDDED STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT WITH A THREAT
FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. OVERALL SEVERE THREAT
CONTINUES TO BE A MESOSCALE FORECAST CHALLENGE WITH THE FORECAST
FURTHER FINE TUNED AS CONVECTION DEVELOPS.
WILL GO WITH A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON INTO
THURSDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND PORTIONS OF THE
MISSOURI OZARKS. HIGH RAINFALL RATES AND TRAINING OF
THUNDERSTORMS BRING THE CONCERN OF FLASH FLOODING. PRECIPITABLE
WATER VALUES REMAIN NEAR AN INCH AND HALF ACROSS THE REGION.
ONGOING CONVECTION WILL MOISTEN THE GROUND...AND STRONG UPPER
LEVEL DYNAMICS ALONG WITH STRONG SURFACE FRONT WILL DEVELOP
SUFFICIENT UPDRAFTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEAVY
RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY LATE TONIGHT AS 850 MB LOW LEVEL JET
INCREASES TO NEAR 50 KNOTS AND INTERACTS WITH THE FRONT.
THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI BY EARLY
AFTERNOON THURSDAY WITH CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ENDING. STRONG ISENTROPIC DOWNGLIDE ALONG THE 310K SURFACE WILL
BRING CLEARING LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY EVENING.
WILL NEED TO MONITOR FOG POTENTIAL FRIDAY MORNING WITH CLEAR
SKIES...LIGHT WINDS AND A MOIST GROUND.
ANGLE
LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF QUITE WEATHER IS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL START OFF BELOW NORMAL THIS
WEEKEND AS A LONGWAVE TROUGH TRANSLATES EASTWARD TOWARD THE EAST
COAST. TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO MORE SEASONABLE LEVELS NEXT WEEK
AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS TH CENTRAL
U.S. IT APPEARS THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN WILL NOT RETURN UNTIL LATE
NEXT WEEK.
FOSTER
&&
.AVIATION...
FOR THE 00Z TAF PACKAGE...BKN BAND OF SHRA/TSRA CONTINUES TO LIFT
NE AWAY FROM JLN/SGF/BBG...HOWEVER ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS
ALREADY UNDERWAY TO THE WEST ACROSS N OK AND PORTIONS OF SE KS.
COMPLEX FORECAST AS ANY VIS/CIG RESTRICTIONS OVER THE NEXT 12 TO
15 HOURS WILL BE TIED TO SHRA/TSRA. VFR IS EXPECTED MUCH OF THIS
EVENING...HOWEVER AS DOWNPOURS FROM SHRA/TSRA DEVELOP OVER THE
AREA OCCASIONAL MVFR WITH AN OUTSIDE SHOT OF IFR IS POSSIBLE. A
COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY WITH IMPROVING
CONDITIONS EXPECTED FROM NW TO SE STARTING DURING THE MID TO LATE
MORNING HOURS. VFR IS EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON.
GAGAN
&&
.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR MOZ055>058-
066>071-077>083-088>094.
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR KSZ073-097-101.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 848 PM CDT WED AUG 19 2009 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-210200- BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON- ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS- LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON- LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE- TANEY-OZARK-OREGON- 848 PM CDT WED AUG 19 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHEAST OUT OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI THIS EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS ACTIVITY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER NEBRASKA...KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING. THIS FIRST OF THIS ACTIVITY WILL ENTER EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AFTER 900 PM AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI AFTER 1000 PM. MORE ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZED HAIL. IN ADDITION...AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM GIRARD KANSAS TO SPRINGFIELD AND HARTVILLE IN MISSOURI. HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY WHERE THUNDERSTORMS TRACK OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OCCURRING OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI THURSDAY MORNING. WHILE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE GRADUALLY WEAKENING BY THIS TIME...WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE IF THE STORMS CAN REMAIN ORGANIZED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT AFTER 9 PM ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE OUTLOOK AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF(ALL LOWERCASE) GAGAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
338 PM CDT WED AUG 19 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0335 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 SW WEST PLAINS 36.68N 91.92W
08/19/2009 M1.25 INCH HOWELL MO CO-OP OBSERVER
RAINFALL FELL IN A HALF HOUR. ALSO STREET FLOODING BEING
REPORTED IN WEST PLAINS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
&&
GCLAYCOMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
919 PM CDT WED AUG 19 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0919 PM TSTM WND GST 10 W COLUMBUS 37.17N 95.03W
08/19/2009 E45 MPH CHEROKEE KS EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
GCLAYCOMThe Tulsa radar (KINX), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:22 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A storm spotter estimated a thunderstorm wind gust of 70 MPH.
Law enforcement estimated thunderstorms winds of 60 MPH near Highway 400 and 160th Street.
A trained spotter estimated a wind gust of 65 MPH.
The emergency manager reported roof damage.
The emergency manager estimated a wind gust of 70 MPH.
The emergency manager reported flooding near Bethlehem Road between 10th and 20th streets and along 90th Road West near the Neosho River.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 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: 193271, 193272, 193273, 193270, 193275, 193269.