Training thunderstorms which developed under weak upper flow and a weak surface boundary produced heavy rainfall and flooding across portions of southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. Some locations reported 24 hour rainfall totals near 5 inches.
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.
Training thunderstorms which developed under weak upper flow and a weak surface boundary produced heavy rainfall and flooding across portions of southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. Some locations reported 24 hour rainfall totals near 5 inches.
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 Jul 21, 2:20 AM CST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
320 AM CDT TUE JUL 21 2009
.DISCUSSION...
QUITE A FEW FORECAST CONCERNS...WITH THE BULK OF THEM OCCURRING
OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS. SHORT TERM CONCERNS INCLUDE HEAVY
RAINFALL...NON THUNDERSTORM WINDS...AND FOG POTENTIAL FOR LATER
TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP THE WEATHER
SOMEWHAT UNSETTLED INTO THIS WEEKEND...WITH THE NEXT GOOD SHOT AT
PRECIPITATION LATER FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.
TODAY AND TONIGHT...A SOMEWHAT DISORGANIZED AREA OF SURFACE LOW
PRESSURE ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA WILL SLOWLY PULL EAST INTO
ARKANSAS BY TONIGHT. A STRONG PRESSURE RISE/FALL COUPLET IS
CURRENTLY DEVELOPING IN RESPONSE TO THE LOW AND AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTH. A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT IS ALSO
BEING AIDED BY A CLUSTER OF CONVECTION ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. PLENTY OF SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT IS IN PLACE
AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW WITH AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL SHORT
WAVE TROUGH AIDING IN AN INCREASING LOW LEVEL JET/PRESSURE
ADVECTION.
WITH ALL THAT SAID...THE LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS IS EXPECTED SLOWLY
SHIFT/DEVELOP SOUTHEAST INTO THE MISSOURI OZARKS. WITH EMBEDDED
POCKETS OF HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED...WILL CONTINUE THE FLASH FLOOD
WATCH. FEELING AT THIS TIME IS THAT WATCH PLACEMENT LOOKS GOOD
WITH THE BEST SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN
MISSOURI. SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI WILL SEE THE BULK
OF THEIR RAINFALL THIS MORNING. NOT TOO CONCERNED WITH SEVERE
THREAT...BUT IT IS FEASIBLE WE COULD SEE SOME HIGHER MOMENTUMS
TRANSFERED TO THE SURFACE WITH HEAVIER BANDS OF RAIN.
MEANWHILE...THE TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL LEAD TO A
STEADILY INCREASING EAST TO SOUTHEAST WIND AHEAD OF THE
LOW...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR. THESE
WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST BEHIND A PASSING
COLD FRONT LATER TODAY. IF EVERYTHING LINES UP JUST RIGHT...THERE
IS ACTUALLY CONCERN FOR REACHING WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA ACROSS
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI. WILL HOLD OFF
ON THIS FOR NOW AND CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE SITUATION.
FINALLY...TEMPERATURES WILL MOVE VERY LITTLE TODAY...AND MAY EVEN
FALL A FEW DEGREES IN SOME CASES.
AS FOR TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION WILL END ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI.
WE WILL THEN NEED TO WATCH THE CLEARING LINE AS THERE APPEARS TO
BE A PRETTY FAVORABLE SETUP FOR FOG. DECIDED TO INCLUDE PATCHY FOG
OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI FOR NOW. IF
THINGS TIME OUT JUST RIGHT...DENSE FOG WILL BE FEASIBLE.
WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD INTO THE REGION. WE ARE THEREFORE LOOKING AT A DRY PERIOD
WITH TEMPERATURES A SOLID TEN DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.
THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...SHORT WAVE ENERGY DROPPING SOUTHEAST
ACROSS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WILL INDUCE AN INCREASING LOW LEVEL
JET. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WE COULD SEE A SHOWER OR STORM ACROSS
WESTERN OR CENTRAL MISSOURI...BUT THINK MOST IF ANY ACTIVITY WILL
REMAIN TO THE NORTH.
LATE THIS WEEK INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE
TO ADVERTISE ANOTHER COLD FRONT PASSING THROUGH THE REGION LATER
FRIDAY OR SATURDAY. THE LATEST ECMWF HAS SLOWED THIS FRONTAL
PASSAGE BY ABOUT 12 HOURS...INTO THE SATURDAY TIME FRAME. HAVE
CONTINUED LOW CHANCE POPS FOR THE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY PERIOD
AS TIMING IS STILL SOMEWHAT IN QUESTION. BEYOND SATURDAY...LONG
WAVE CHARTS INDICATE THE NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE. THIS MEANS
CONTINUED BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.
SCHAUMANN
&&
.AVIATION...
FOR THE 06Z TAF PACKAGE...VERY DIFFICULT FORECAST. RAIN AND
EMBEDDED TSRA WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER THE TAF SITES
TONIGHT...SLOWLY MOVING WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE
DAY TUESDAY. FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS...OCCASIONAL BOUTS OF MVFR
VIS ARE EXPECTED...WITH CIGS REMAINING MOSTLY VFR. AS LOW PRESSURE
MOVES EAST INTO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND DURING THE DAY
TUESDAY...A LOWERING OF CIGS IS EXPECTING. TIMING THIS LOWERING IS
PROVING DIFFICULT AS THIS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL TAKE ITS TIME.
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST IFR CIGS AS EARLY AS 12Z...HOWEVER
WILL MAINTAIN THE PREV FORECAST WITH IFR AFTER 14Z. PROLONGED IFR
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AT BBG MUCH OF TUESDAY...WITH A 4 TO 6
HOUR BOUT OF IFR CIGS AT JLN/SGF PER SREF PROBABILITIES. 850MB
THERMAL TROUGH TAKES ITS TIME MOVING THROUGH THE AREA...SO HAVE
KEPT MVFR CIGS LINGERING THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF CYCLE.
GAGAN
&&
.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MOZ066-067-077>079-
082-088>098-101>106.
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR KSZ073-097-101.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 757 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-220100- 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- 757 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED: THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH THE PRIMARY RISKS. AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING: PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AREA WIDE TONIGHT DISCUSSION: THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF KANSAS AND MISSOURI THIS EVENING...MERGING INTO A LARGER COMPLEX OF STORMS THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. WITH A MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE...HEAVY RAINFALL AND AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING ARE EXPECTED. INSTABILITY SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT A FEW EMBEDDED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 65...WITH THE MAIN RISKS BEING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONGOING ACROSS THE OZARKS TUESDAY MORNING WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE OZARKS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && 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
The Springfield radar (KSGF), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:20 UTC.
3 flash flood, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving storm complex caused the Little Cherry Creek to flow out of its banks and over Kansas Highway 7. Emergency management officials closed the road to traffic for several hours as a result of the flash flooding.
Slow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall across much of Crawford County causing several creeks and streams to fill quickly and rise out of their banks. Emergency management officials reported widespread flooding and road closings, particularly across the southern portions of the county. Flooded roads were reported near the towns of McCune, Monmouth, Cherokee and Chicopee.
Emergency management officials reported that Cherry Creek had risen out of its banks due to heavy rainfall from slow moving thunderstorms over the county. The rising water had covered several low water roads and bridges along its course.
Flooding continued along Cherry and Lightning Creeks which were impacting several low water roads and bridges. Emergency management officials performed a water rescue along flooded Cherry Creek, where a vehicle had driven into the flood waters. The water rescue occurred at the intersection of NW 60th Street where it crosses Cherry Creek. No injuries resulted from the water rescue.
Several areas of Cherokee County continued to experience flooding from the heavy rain which fell during the previous 24 hours. Flooding continued along Cherry Creek, which was running approximately 2.5 feet deep over Bethlehem Road and 70th Road.
Several areas of Cherokee County continued to experience flooding from the heavy rain which fell during the previous 24 hours. Lightning Creek remained out of its banks in northwest Cherokee County, impacting some low water roads and bridges.
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, July 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: 188487, 188489, 188490, 188494, 188505, 188515.