Numerous showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flooding across Southeast 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 SGF wrote it up.
Numerous showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flooding across Southeast Kansas.
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 20, 1:55 AM CST, 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
255 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
.DISCUSSION...
COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM KC METRO SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTHEAST KS.
MOST OF THE AREA HAS BEEN WORKED OVER BY CONVECTIVE COMPLEX THAT
OCCURRED WELL AHEAD OF THE FRONT. STILL A THREAT FOR SEVERE
CONVECTION IN THE NEAR TERM OVER THE FAR SE KS/SOUTHWEST MO
PORTION OF THE CWFA WHERE 1500-2000 MLCAPE EXISTS IN AREAS WHERE
COLD POOL HASNT CONTAMINATED INSTABILITY. RECENT 48KT GUST AT
KPPF WARRANTS CONTINUATION OF THE WATCH IN THAT AREA...HOWEVER...WONT
BE LONG BEFORE LINE OF CONVECTION WORKS THAT AREA OVER AS WELL.
PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL RATES WILL OCCUR ALONG THE MO/AR BORDER
OVERNIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THE FLOODING THREAT. HAVE
ALREADY SEEN POCKETS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN WHERE CONVECTION HAS
BECOME ORIENTED EAST-WEST. EXPECT THAT CONVECTIVE WATCHES WILL
EXPIRE AT OR BEFORE LISTED EXPIRATION TIMES. WILL MAKE DECISION
GOING FLASH FLOOD WATCH LATER BASED ON RADAR TRENDS (SET TO EXPIRE
AT 1000AM/1500Z).
LINGERING PRECIP WILL OCCUR OVER PARTS OF SOUTHERN MO
TODAY...OTHERWISE COOLER AIR MASS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION
BEHIND THE FRONT. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WILL DIG SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE
AREA ON THE BACK SIDE OF A LARGER SCALE TROUGH OVER THE GREAT
LAKES/MIDWEST ON FRIDAY...AND MAY PRODUCE SOME DIURNAL CLOUDS AND
MAYBE SOME VERY LIGHT PRECIP OVER CENTRAL MO. AFTER THAT...SFC
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
WITH GREAT WEATHER IN STORE. WARMING TREND WILL OCCUR LATE IN THE
WEEKEND AND EARLY IN THE WORK WEEK NEXT WEEK AS AN UPPER RIDGE
SHIFTS EAST OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS. DSA
&&
.AVIATION...
FOR THE 0600Z TAF PACKAGE...CONVECTION WILL GRADUALLY WORK SOUTH
AND EAST OF THE AREA OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. CONVECTIVE WINDS
HAVE BEEN STRONG AT TIMES ESPECIALLY IN THE KJLN AND KBBG AREAS.
WENT VFR FOR BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT WILL NEED TO LOOK AT FOG
POTENTIAL...ESPECIALLY AT KBBG FOR TONIGHT WITH A WET GROUND. A
DRY AIR MASS BUILDING INTO THE REGION MAY LIMIT THE DEPTH AND
EXTENT OF ANY FOG. DSA
&&
.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR MOZ055>058-
066>071-077>083-088>094.
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS 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
152 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 N JOPLIN 37.14N 94.51W
08/20/2009 M2.66 INCH JASPER MO ASOS
6 HOUR RAINFALL ACCUMULATION
&&
GCLAYCOMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
155 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0149 AM HEAVY RAIN CARTHAGE 37.18N 94.31W
08/20/2009 E3.76 INCH JASPER MO CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL PRECIP SO FAR.
&&
GCLAYCOMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
206 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0103 AM TSTM WND DMG SALEM 37.65N 91.54W
08/20/2009 DENT MO EMERGENCY MNGR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS KNOCKED OVER SEVERAL TREES
AND POWER POLES ACROSS MUCH OF DENT COUNTY. IN SALEM...A
CONVENIENT STORE SUSTAINED ROOF DAMAGE...ALONG WITH
DAMAGE TO A DISPLAY CASE. POWER HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT TO
NUMEROUS RESIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
&&
DCRAMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED THE TIME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
226 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1238 AM TSTM WND DMG SALEM 37.65N 91.54W
08/20/2009 DENT MO EMERGENCY MNGR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS KNOCKED OVER SEVERAL TREES
AND POWER POLES ACROSS MUCH OF DENT COUNTY. IN SALEM...A
CONVENIENT STORE SUSTAINED ROOF DAMAGE...ALONG WITH
DAMAGE TO A DISPLAY CASE. POWER HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT TO
NUMEROUS RESIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
&&
DCRAMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
247 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0244 AM FLASH FLOOD MONETT 36.92N 93.93W
08/20/2009 BARRY MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
THE MONETT POLICE DEPARTMENT JUST RELAYED TO THE NWS THAT
CITY STREETS ARE BEGINNING TO FLOOD. THEY ARE WATCHING
KELLEY CREEK CLOSELY.
&&
DCRAMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
258 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0258 AM FLASH FLOOD SCAMMON 37.28N 94.82W
08/20/2009 CHEROKEE KS EMERGENCY MNGR
THE LITTLE CHERRY CREEK HAS FLOODED A SECTION OF HIGHWAY
7 NEAR SCAMMON. THE HIGHWAY HAS BEEN CLOSED TO MOTORISTS.
&&
DCRAMERThe Springfield radar (KSGF), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:58 UTC.
3 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
The emergency manager reported the closure of portions of Highway 7 near Scammon due to flooding along the Little Cherry Creek. The emergency manager did a successful water rescue near the Little Cherry Creek.
The emergency manager reported flooding near a low water crossing.
A cooperative observer measured 6.16 inches of rain.
The emergency manager reported that a half mile stretch of Highway 7 near Columbus was closed due to flooding with a water depth of 18 inches. Flooding also occurred along Brush Creek near Highway 7.
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: 193544, 193545, 193548, 193547.