Flash Flood and Hail in Missouri, June 9, 2009

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in Missouri, June 9, 2009
Start: 2009-06-09T09:21
End: 2009-06-09T19:50
Location: Missouri

June 9, 2009 · NWS EAX · 18 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS EAX wrote it up.

An early morning complex of thunderstorms rolled across portions of eastern Kansas and central Missouri , June 9, 2009. These thunderstorms developed quickly by mid-morning lifting northeastward while producing large hail in locations from Belton to|Butler and Clinton. An additional area of thunderstorms developed over central Kansas|and began to surge southeast towards the Kansas City metropolitan areas by early|afternoon. These thunderstorms raced over the same areas as were hit in the|morning, producing tree damage with estimated winds at 60 mph.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 9, 5:48 AM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 9, 5:48 AM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
648 AM CDT TUE JUN 9 2009

...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION...

.DISCUSSION...

...HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN MISSOURI TONIGHT...

ZONAL FLOW IS CURRENTLY PREVAILING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AS A
CLOSED LOW ACROSS THE U.S./CANADIAN BORDER -AND TROUGH OFF THE
CALIFORNIA/BAJA COAST- KEEP A RIDGE ACROSS MEXICO AND THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS SUPPRESSED. VERITY OF MODELS FORECAST THAT THE
CALIFORNIA/BAJA TROUGH WILL EJECT SEVERAL SHORTWAVES INTO THE ZONAL
FLOW ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK AND INTO
THE WEEKEND. CLOSER TO HOME...THE FRONT THAT PUSHED THROUGH THE
REGION YESTERDAY HAS SETTLED ALONG THE ARKANSAS/MISSOURI BORDER.
SHORTWAVES MOVING INTO THE ZONAL FLOW WILL HELP SHIFT THE FRONT BACK
NORTH TODAY...UNFORTUNATELY FINDING THE SHORTWAVE IN THE CONFLUENT
FLOW ACROSS THE PLAINS IS A BIT OF A TASK. STILL...UP SWING IN
CLOUDS ON INFRARED IMAGERY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS ACROSS THE
FAR WESTERN PLAINS...ALONG WITH VEERING H8 WINDS IN THE PROFILER
NETWORK OUT THAT WAY...INDICATE THAT ONE OF THESE HARD TO SEE WAVES
IS HEADING THIS WAY.

SHORT RANGE MODEL OUTPUT IS HAVING A BIT OF A TIME PINNING DOWN HOW
FAR NORTH THE FRONT WILL MOVE TODAY....WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN
THE THE ZONAL FLOW AND COOL HIGH PRESSURE CURRENTLY SPREAD ACROSS
KANSAS AND MISSOURI. NOT GOING TO GET TO HUNG UP ON ON WHICH MODEL
IS RIGHT OR WRONG FOR NOW...BUT INSTEAD AM CHOOSING TO SIMPLY FOCUS
ON THE FACT THAT A WARM FRONT WILL BE LIFTING INTO CENTRAL -MAYBE
NORTHERN- MISSOURI TODAY. SHORTWAVE MOVING THOUGH TODAY/TONIGHT WILL
THEN FOCUS THE LOW LEVEL JET ACROSS THE FRONT OVERNIGHT. WITH
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES...BASIC
FORECASTING POINTS AT A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION WITH HEAVY
RAIN ACROSS AT LEAST THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT.
AS A RESULT...HAVE BUMPED POPS INTO THE CATEGORICAL RANGE FOR
TONIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 36 FROM ST. JOSEPH TO MACON. HAVE
HOISTED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH ACROSS THESE PORTIONS OF MISSOURI FOR
TONIGHT AS A RESULT. DAY SHIFT MIGHT NEED TO REFINE ITS LOCATION AND
TIMING...BUT WITH FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES OF 1 INCH OR LESS
ACROSS THE MANY PARTS OF THE WATCHED AREA...AND RIVERS ALREADY
SWOLLEN FROM RECENT RAINS...INDICATIONS ARE THAT IT WONT TAKE MUCH
TO PRODUCE SOME SORT OF FLOODING.

AS FOR TODAY...SHORTWAVE MOVING OUT OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST MIGHT
KICK CONVECTION OFF EVEN BEFORE TONIGHT. WITH A WARM FRONT MOVING
NORTH...AND SOME MID-LEVEL INSTABILITY...THE WAVE SHOULD ONLY BE
LIMITED BY AVAILABLE MOISTURE...SO IT SHOULD BE ABLE GET SOME
ACTIVITY GOING BY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE MOISTURE MOVES NORTH. HAVE
HOWEVER...DID LIMITED LIKELY POPS TO WESTERN REACHES OF THE FORECAST
AREA BASED ON THE LIMITING MOISTURE.

VICINITY OF THE WARM FRONT AND A 50 KNOT H5 JET STREAK MIGHT PROVIDE
ENOUGH SHEAR THAT SOME OF THE ACTIVITY THAT OCCURS THIS AFTERNOON
MIGHT PRODUCE MARGINALLY SEVERE WEATHER. SIMILAR LOGIC APPLIES TO
THE CONVECTION THAT OCCURS TONIGHT...THOUGH BEST POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERE WEATHER WOULD BE ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF ANY CONVECTIVE
COMPLEX THAT DEVELOPS.

FOR WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE COLD POOL PUT DOWN BY
TONIGHTS CONVECTION WILL HELP SHOVE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY -WHEREVER
IT IS- BACK TO THE SOUTH. BUT...THE FRONT WILL MOST LIKELY WAIT TILL
WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY TO EXIT THE FORECAST AREA COMPLETELY. THIS
WILL LEAVE A CHANCE OF MORE STORMS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

CUTTER

&&

.AVIATION...

FOR THE 12Z TAFS...ELEVATED MOISTURE ADVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH A
MID-LEVEL SPEED MAX WAS ALREADY BEGINNING TO GENERATE WIDESPREAD
ELEVATED CONVECTION ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS INTO NEBRASKA. THIS
ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND SPREAD EAST THIS
MORNING...REACHING THE TERMINALS AROUND THE NOON HOUR. SHOWERS AND
EMBEDDED STORMS WILL IMPACT THE TERMINALS FOR MUCH OF THE
AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH GIVEN THEIR HIGH BASED NATURE...CONDITIONS
SHOULD REMAIN GENERALLY VFR.

SOME QUESTION REMAINS AS TO HOW MUCH OF A BREAK WE WILL SEE EARLY
THIS EVENING BEFORE THE SECOND ROUND OF PRECIPITATION BUILDS TOWARD
THE AREA. A LARGE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX...ORIGINATING FROM AN
EXPECTED SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK OVER SRN KS/NRN OK ALONG A
RETREATING WARM FRONT...WILL OVERSPREAD THE TERMINALS THIS EVENING.
THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW SHOULD KEEP WINDS GENERALLY FROM THE
SOUTHEAST TO EAST-SOUTHEAST THROUGH TONIGHT...ALTHOUGH LOCAL
CONDITIONS WITH VARIABLE/GUSTY WINDS MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE
KANSAS CITY TERMINALS LATE THIS EVENING.

MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION MAY ACCOMPANY TONIGHTS MCS...WITH
CEILINGS GRADUALLY LOWERING TO MVFR. AS MOISTURE POOLS LONG AND JUST
BEHIND THE BROAD SURFACE LOW...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE LATER
AMENDMENTS TAKE CEILINGS TO IFR OVERNIGHT.

BOOKBINDER

&&

.EAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM TUESDAY TO 7 AM WEDNESDAY FOR
     MOZ002-MOZ003-MOZ004-MOZ005-MOZ006-MOZ007-MOZ008-MOZ012-
     MOZ013-MOZ014-MOZ015-MOZ016-MOZ017-MOZ020-MOZ021-MOZ022-
     MOZ023-MOZ024-MOZ025.

KS...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 9, 5:08 AM CST, 4 hours 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
608 AM CDT TUE JUN 9 2009

KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040-
043>046-053-054-101100-
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-
608 AM CDT TUE JUN 9 2009

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 WARM FRONT ALONG THE ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI BORDER WILL SLOWLY
RETREAT NORTH TODAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPS IN SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL OVERSPREAD EASTERN KANSAS AND
NORTHERN MISSOURI LATER THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. NO
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

AS THE FRONT RETREATS NORTH THIS EVENING...THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP MAINLY ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS AND MOVE EAST INTO
THE OUTLOOK AREA TONIGHT. GULF MOISTURE WILL SURGE NORTH OVER THE
FRONT WITH WEAK TO MODERATE INSTABILITY SUPPORTING THE POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH ANY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

ALTHOUGH THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY REGION WIDE...THE GREATEST RISK OF
SEVERE WEATHER WILL GENERALLY BE RESTRICTED TO AREAS SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 70 DURING THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. IN
ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME RATHER WIDESPREAD WITH HEAVY
RAINFALL POSSIBLE LEADING TO FLOODING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS AREAS
ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 36 FROM ST JOSEPH TO MACON WHERE RECENT
RAINS HAVE LEFT THE GROUND SATURATED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE
REGION THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. DEPENDING ON WHERE THE
FRONT IS...MARGINALLY SEVERE WEATHER MAY ALSO PERSIST. ANY ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL WILL AGGRAVATE ANY FLOODING POTENTIAL.

OTHERWISE...THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON SATURDAY...
THOUGH IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE STORMS WILL BE
SEVERE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

CUTTER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 9, 9:08 AM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
1008 AM CDT TUE JUN 09 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1005 AM     HAIL             5 N LOUISBURG           38.70N 94.68W
06/09/2009  E1.50 INCH       MIAMI              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

ABAILEY

Special weather statement, Jun 9, 9:08 AM CST, 13 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
1008 AM CDT TUE JUN 9 2009

KSZ103>105-091545-
JOHNSON-LEAVENWORTH-WYANDOTTE-
1008 AM CDT TUE JUN 9 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHWESTERN JOHNSON...SOUTHEASTERN
LEAVENWORTH AND SOUTHWESTERN WYANDOTTE COUNTIES UNTIL 1045 AM CDT...

AT 1006 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR EUDORA...OR 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DE
SOTO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

PENNY SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

LAT...LON 3914 9490 3898 9471 3884 9499 3888 9506
      3897 9505 3898 9507 3896 9508 3895 9510
      3896 9512 3896 9514 3897 9517

ACH

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Cass

When: June 9, 9:21 AM CST
Where: Cass County, 0.54 mi E of Peculiar
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.720, -94.460

Hail, Cass

When: June 9, 9:24 AM CST
Where: Cass County, 2.15 mi W of Belton
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.820, -94.570

Hail, Cass

When: June 9, 9:28 AM CST
Where: Cass County, 0.69 mi N of Belton
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.830, -94.530

Hail, Cass

When: June 9, 9:29 AM CST
Where: Cass County, Belton
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.820, -94.530

Hail, Bates

When: June 9, 9:30 AM CST
Where: Bates County, 0.88 mi NW of Butler
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 38.260, -94.340

Hail, Cass

When: June 9, 9:30 AM CST
Where: Cass County, Belton
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 38.820, -94.530

Hail, Cass

When: June 9, 9:32 AM CST
Where: Cass County, Belton
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.820, -94.530

Hail, Bates

When: June 9, 9:35 AM CST
Where: Bates County, 4.27 mi SE of Pleasant Gap
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.140, -94.120

Flash Flood, Jackson

When: June 9, 10:30 AM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where: Jackson County, 2.68 mi E of Kansas City Downtown to 3.01 mi E of Kansas City Downtown
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 39.120, -94.550

The 500 block of Westport Road had water running 2 feet deep.

Hail, Henry

When: June 9, 10:55 AM CST
Where: Henry County, 0.69 mi S of Clinton
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 38.370, -93.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Cass

When: June 9, 12:45 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 0.69 mi N of Harrisonville
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.660, -94.350

The AWOS at the airport had a wind gust to 64 knots.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henry

When: June 9, 12:48 PM CST
Where: Henry County, 0.88 mi SE of Blairstown
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.560, -93.960

Eight inch tree limbs and small trees were knocked down.

Hail, Johnson

When: June 9, 12:50 PM CST
Where: Johnson County, 0.88 mi SE of Holden
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.710, -93.990

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When: June 9, 12:57 PM CST
Where: Johnson County, 1.28 mi ESE of Magnolia
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.640, -93.900

A trained spotter estimated wind gusts to 60 knots.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henry

When: June 9, 1:35 PM CST
Where: Henry County, 0.69 mi S of Clinton
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.370, -93.770

A five inch diameter tree branch was blown down.

Hail, Cass

When: June 9, 6:29 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 0.88 mi SW of Lisle
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.540, -94.610

Hail, Jackson

When: June 9, 7:25 PM CST
Where: Jackson County, Lees Summit
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.920, -94.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Bates

When: June 9, 7:50 PM CST
Where: Bates County, 1.08 mi E of Butler Mem Arpt
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.280, -94.310

A trained spotter estimated wind gusts to 60 knots.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Missouri in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Missouri, June 2009

Sources

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: 176951, 176952, 176953, 176954, 176948, 176956, 176955, 176949, 176966, 176959, 176957, 178013, 176963, 176964, 176961, 176958, 176965, 176950.