Widespread heavy rainfall events on October 27th and again on the 29th and 30th sent several rivers above flood stage. These rivers remained above flood stage into early November.
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 PAH wrote it up.
Widespread heavy rainfall events on October 27th and again on the 29th and 30th sent several rivers above flood stage. These rivers remained above flood stage into early November. Minor to moderate flooding continued on the Black, Current, St. Francis, and Mississippi Rivers.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 31, 5:30 PM CST, 6 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 630 PM CDT SAT OCT 31 2009 .UPDATE... UPDATED AVIATION SECTION FOR 00Z TAFS && .DISCUSSION... MAIN CONCERNS FOR THE ENTIRE 7 DAY FORECAST WILL BE TEMPERATURES...WITH TRENDS HINGING ON TIMING OF A COUPLE OF FRONTS THROUGH THE AREA. THE MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT OVER THE FIRST 2 TO 3 DAYS OF THE FORECAST. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE OVER THE REGION LATE TONIGHT...AND LINGER OVER THE QUAD STATE SUNDAY BEFORE SHIFTING SOUTHEAST...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. THERE ARE 2 QUESTIONS FOR TONIGHT...WILL THERE BE ANY FOG DEVELOPMENT...AND WILL THERE BE A BRIEF LIGHT FREEZE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. THE GROUND REMAINS QUITE WET AFTER THE RAINS OF THE PAST WEEK...AND THERE SHOULD BE DECENT RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY AFTER 06Z. THE PROBLEM IS THAT GOOD MIXING IS ONGOING...ALONG WITH STRONG DRY ADVECTION. THE SURFACE HIGH WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA...BUT WINDS MAY NOT GO COMPLETELY CALM UNTIL NEAR DAYBREAK. GUIDANCE IS NOT HITTING IT HARD...BUT FEEL THAT AT LEAST SOME PATCHY FOG WILL DEVELOP THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THEREFORE WILL CAST A LARGE NET AND MENTION PATCHY FOG OVER THE ENTIRE AREA AFTER 08Z TONIGHT. UNDERCUT GUIDANCE A BIT FOR LOWS TONIGHT IN MOST LOCATIONS...WHICH COULD BE DICEY GIVEN THE MOISTURE-LADEN GROUND. CURRENT GRID INDICATES A FEW LOCATIONS GETTING DOWN TO 31 OR 32 DEGREES...WHICH WOULD BE RATHER BRIEF. AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT A HARD/KILLING FREEZE...SO WILL NOT ADDRESS IT WITH ANY EXTRA PRODUCTS AT THIS TIME. LOTS OF SUN EXPECTED TOMORROW...BUT WITH THE SURFACE RIDGE OVER THE AREA...TEMPERATURES WILL NOT LIKELY EXCEED TODAYS LEVELS...BUT WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER. SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER COOL NIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BRING IN WARMER CONDITIONS MONDAY...WITH SOME AREAS APPROACHING NORMAL. CLOUDS WILL BE INCREASING MONDAY...AHEAD OF A CLIPPER SYSTEM THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. FOLLOWED THE 12Z GFS AND 09Z SREF MEAN FOR FRONTAL TIMING. ALTHOUGH SOME INCREASE IN CLOUDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT...IT WILL BE TOO DRY FOR PRECIPITATION TO DEVELOP...SO THE FORECAST WILL REMAIN DRY. A RE-INFORCING SHOT OF COOL SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES RETURNING FOR TUESDAY. THE EXTENDED PERIODS BEGINNING TUESDAY NIGHT WILL BE DOMINATED BY FAST NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ALONG THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE COUNTRY. AT THE SURFACE...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OR TWO WILL LIKELY SWEEP QUICKLY EASTWARD THROUGH THE REGION. HOWEVER...TIMING FRONTS IN THIS TYPE OF FLOW REGIME IS DIFFICULT FOR THE MODELS. AT THIS POINT...THE BEST GUESS IS THAT A FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. CURRENT FEELING IS THAT THE FRONT WILL BE DRY...WITH A BAND OF CLOUDS AT BEST AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE QUAD STATE. STRONG LOW-LEVEL RIDGING TO OUR SOUTH WILL PREVENT ANY SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE RETURN AHEAD OF IT...AND IT WILL BE MOVING TOO FAST TO GENERATE THE LIFT NEEDED TO THOROUGHLY SATURATE THE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION. GENERALLY FOLLOWED HPC GUIDANCE FOR FRONTAL TIMING. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. ONCE CONFIDENCE IMPROVES IN THE FRONTAL TIMING...THE TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE ACCENTUATED ABOUT IT...WITH READINGS POSSIBLY CLIMBING TO NORMAL LEVELS AHEAD OF IT AND THEN FALLING WELL BELOW NORMAL BEHIND IT. && .AVIATION... CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS TAF PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES EAST ACROSS OUR REGION. DUE TO WET GROUND...CLEAR SKIES...AND LIGHT WINDS...SOME FOG IS POSSIBLE AROUND SUNRISE. BEST CHANCE OF FOG APPEARS TO BE AT THE FOG PRONE KCGI SITE. PREVAILING VSBYS SHOULD BE MVFR THERE...THOUGH BRIEFLY LOWER VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && AVIATION...MY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 457 AM CDT SAT OCT 31 2009 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-011000- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 457 AM CDT SAT OCT 31 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AREA RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS SHOULD BE REFERRED TO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION REGARDING RIVER FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AREA RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS SHOULD BE REFERRED TO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION REGARDING RIVER FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. /UPDATED TO INCLUDE MENTION OF RIVER FLOODING/
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Moderate flooding of the St. Francis River continued from October. The river crested at the Patterson gage on October 31 and slowly fell in early November. There was considerable flooding of fields and parkland adjacent to the river.
Moderate flooding continued on the Current River from late October. The river crested at the Doniphan river gage on October 31 and fell below flood stage on November 1. There was considerable flooding of parking lots and streets adjacent to the river. A park was flooded.
Minor flooding continued on the Black River from late October. At the Poplar Bluff river gage, the crest of 18.63 feet occurred on the 1st. Flood stage there is 16 feet. Several businesses and a church on the northeast edge of Poplar Bluff were surrounded by floodwaters. The river flooded portions of the Black River Industrial Park off Business Loop 60. Floodwaters were fifteen inches deep on the industrial park road, six inches in a diesel machine shop, and two feet in a warehouse. Water was crossing the parking lot of another business but did not reach it. Clinton Park in Poplar Bluff was flooded. Some low-lying fields and woods along the river were flooded. River water broke through a private levee near County Road 611 southeast of Poplar Bluff. Some farmland was flooded by the levee break. U.S. Highway 60 began to flood heading toward Baskey.
The Mississippi River remained above flood stage from October. At the Cape Girardeau river gage, the river crested at 39.07 feet on the 4th. Flood stage there is 32 feet. Moderate flooding of low-lying areas around the river primarily affected woods, fields, and river access roads. Railroad tracks along the river were shut down. The flood gates on Broadway and on Themis Street were closed. The Mississippi River backed into several creeks, producing flooding.
The Mississippi River rose above flood stage from heavy rain upriver in October. At the Cape Girardeau river gage, the river crested at 39.07 feet on the 4th. Flood stage there is 32 feet. Route E was closed due to flooding in Commerce.
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, November 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: 199694, 199695, 199696, 200046, 200047.