Strong and damaging winds developed in the wake of an intense squall line. These non thunderstorm winds reached gusts to 90 mph resulting in damage to trees, power lines, and some structures.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Strong and damaging winds developed in the wake of an intense squall line. These non thunderstorm winds reached gusts to 90 mph resulting in damage to trees, power lines, and some structures. It was too difficult to determine what damage occurred from thunderstorm winds compared to the wake low winds. Therefore all damage estimates were documented under thunderstorm winds.
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 May 8, 5:55 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
655 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009
...UPDATE TO AVIATION...
...MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE DISCUSSION...
.UPDATE...
THE MCS ENTERING THE WESTERN CWA HAS NOW BECOME FORWARD
PROPAGATING WITH ITS FORWARD MOTION APPROACHING OR EXCEEDING 70
MPH. SEVERAL REPORTS OF 70 TO 80 MPH WINDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM
SOUTHEAST KANSAS. SEE NO REASON FOR THIS TREND NOT TO CONTINUE AS
THIS LINE BLASTS THROUGH SOUTHWEST MISSOURI GIVEN LATEST SHORT
TERM GUIDANCE. THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL
FOR MESOVORTICES AND PERHAPS BRIEF TORNADOES AS PLENTY OF AMBIENT
AND STORM SCALE VERTICAL VORTICITY SOURCES ARE PRESENT. HAIL WILL
ALSO BE A CONTINUED THREAT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND
SHEAR PRESENT. EXTREME RAINFALL RATES...IN SOME CASES EXCEEDING
THREE INCHES PER HOUR...WILL ALSO POSE A SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOOD
THREAT.
SCHAUMANN
&&
.DISCUSSION...
MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS THE SEVERE MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM
THAT WILL IMPACT THE REGION THIS MORNING.
REGIONAL RADAR IMAGERY INDICATES THAT THIS MCS IS IN ITS BEGINNING
STAGES ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. LATEST OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS AND SHORT
TERM GUIDANCE DATA INDICATE AN ENVIRONMENT VERY FAVORABLE FOR A
FORWARD PROPAGATING MCS. THIS SHOULD FAVOR THESE STORMS
ACCELERATING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND
EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSOURI SHORTLY BEFORE SUNRISE. THESE STORMS
WILL BE PROLIFIC WIND PRODUCERS...WITH 70 MPH WIND GUSTS EASILY
ATTAINABLE. ENOUGH INSTABILITY AND SHEAR ALSO EXIST FOR SOME LARGE
HAIL. THE ENVIRONMENT WILL ALSO BE SOMEWHAT FAVORABLE FOR
MESOVORTICES AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT THIS
MCS WILL RACE ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI...POSSIBLY CLEARING THE
FORECAST AREA BY 18Z. ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS TYPE OF MCS IS
THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL NOT LAST ALL THAT LONG. THE BAD
NEWS IS THAT RAINFALL RATES WITH THE LINE WILL BE RATHER INTENSE.
WILL THEREFORE LEAVE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH INTACT. NOT SURE HOW
MUCH WE WILL WARM UP THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE WAKE PRECIPITATION
AND CLOUD COVER...BUT SOME BREAKS OUT WEST MAY ALLOW SOME
AFTERNOON WARMING.
WE MAY SEE A LEFT OVER SHOWER OR STORM TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTHERN
MISSOURI...BUT A PASSING COLD FRONT SHOULD TEND TO SHIFT MOST IF
NOT ALL ACTIVITY INTO ARKANSAS. CANNOT RULE OUT A SHOWER OR
PERHAPS AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM SATURDAY OVER SOUTHERN
MISSOURI...BUT THINK MOST AREAS WILL BE DRY. WE MAY SEE A SLIGHTLY
BETTER SHOT AT SHOWER ACTIVITY ON SUNDAY AS UPPER LEVEL ENERGY
TRAVERSES THE AREA. NOT LOOKING AT MUCH INSTABILITY...SO THINK
LIGHT SHOWERS WILL BE ABOUT ALL WE CAN MUSTER. MAINLY DRY WEATHER
AND SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO START NEXT WORK WEEK
BEFORE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASE AGAIN BY MIDWEEK.
SCHAUMANN
&&
.AVIATION...
A SEVERE COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI AND WILL PASS THROUGH KJLN AND KSGF BETWEEN 13
AND 16Z. IFR AND BRIEF LIFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE
STORMS. VERY STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS WITH
GUSTS OVER 40 KNOTS POSSIBLE. ONCE THE MAIN LINE PASSES...RAIN AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LAST A FEW MORE HOURS. EXPECT MVFR AND
OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS WITH THIS ACTIVITY. FLIGHT CONDITIONS
WILL IMPROVE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. WE MAY SEE A STRATUS DECK
DEVELOP THIS EVENING BEHIND A PASSING COLD FRONT...BUT CONFIDENCE
IS TOO LOW TO GO WITH IFR CEILINGS AT THIS TIME.
SCHAUMANN
&&
.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MOZ077-079>083-
088>098-101>106.
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR KSZ097-101.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 435 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-090945- 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- 435 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED: DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS. ISOLATED TORNADOES. HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING: A SQUALL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI AFTER 530 AM. THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE EASTWARD INTO THE MISSOURI OZARKS... REACHING THE HIGHWAY 65 CORRIDOR AFTER 700 AM AND THE HIGHWAY 63 CORRIDOR AFTER 830 AM. DISCUSSION: AN INTENSE...SQUALL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF THIS LINE WILL REMAIN VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE. WITH STRONG WIND SHEAR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM...THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS AND INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA PRIOR TO SUNRISE. SEVERE WEATHER IS LIKELY WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS AS IT MOVES THROUGH EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND THE MISSOURI OZARKS BETWEEN 500 AM AND 1000 AM. INTENSE STRAIGHT LINE WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS. GIVEN STRONG LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR...ISOLATED TORNADOES EMBEDDED WITHIN THE SQUALL LINE ARE POSSIBLE. WHILE THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL MOVE QUICKLY ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...HIGH RAINFALL RATES ARE EXPECTED DUE TO THE VERY MOIST ATMOSPHERE IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION. RAINFALL RATES IN EXCESS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE...WHICH WILL LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS. THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER NEAR THE ARKANSAS BORDER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...HOWEVER THE OVERALL THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE BY THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS MORNING BEGINNING AT 530 AM ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI AND AFTER 700 AM FOR AREAS NEAR THE HIGHWAY 65 CORRIDOR. && 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/SCHAUMANN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
829 AM CDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0828 AM HEAVY RAIN LAMAR 37.49N 94.28W
05/08/2009 M2.35 INCH BARTON MO CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
KARDELLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
832 AM CDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0830 AM TSTM WND GST ASH GROVE 37.32N 93.58W
05/08/2009 E70 MPH GREENE MO FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
TREES DOWN AT HIGHWAY T AND 45
&&
RUNNELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
833 AM CDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0833 AM HAIL HOLLISTER 36.62N 93.22W
05/08/2009 E0.88 INCH TANEY MO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
KARDELLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
834 AM CDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0830 AM TORNADO STRAFFORD 37.27N 93.12W
05/08/2009 GREENE MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
I-44 AT THE 83 MILE MARKER POSSIBLE TORNADO OR STRONG
WINDS OVERTURNED A SEMI. TORNADO WAS RAIN WRAPPED
&&
SRUNNELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
837 AM CDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0832 AM TSTM WND DMG SPRINGFIELD 37.20N 93.29W
05/08/2009 GREENE MO AMATEUR RADIO
AT FR 115 AND HWY 60 A ROOF BLEW OFF A HOUSE AND OUT
BUILDING
&&
SRUNNELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
838 AM CDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0837 AM TSTM WND DMG 2 N FORSYTH 36.71N 93.12W
05/08/2009 TANEY MO TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN...ALSO LARGE TREES SNAPPED.
&&
RUNNELSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
Strong winds downed trees, damaged roofs and caused widespread power outages.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, 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: 171114, 171113, 171122, 171121, 171118, 171120, 171115, 171116, 171119, 171117.