A strong weather system remained stalled over the region with several rounds of heavy rainfall. This caused widespread flash flooding and flooding.
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 LSX wrote it up.
A strong weather system remained stalled over the region with several rounds of heavy rainfall. This caused widespread flash flooding and flooding.
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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 29, 2:47 PM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
347 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009
.DISCUSSION...
/344 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009/
RAIN MOVED IN RATHER QUICKLY TODAY AHEAD OF WEATHER SYSTEM. THIS
CONTINUES TO BE THE MAIN FORECAST ISSUE IN THE SHORT TERM.
FOR THIS EVENING...HEAVY RAIN WILL PERSIST AS WAA AND PLENTY OF
MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ON NOSE OF 50+ KT LOW LEVEL JET KEEPS
GENERATING ELEVATED CONVECTION WHICH WILL TRAIN NORTHWARD ACROSS THE
REGION. IN THE MEANTIME...UPPER LOW OVER NEW MEXICO WILL LIFT OUT
TOWARDS FORECAST AREA AS ASSOCIATED SFC LOW LIFTS NORTH
NORTHEASTWARD INTO SOUTHERN MN FRIDAY MORNING. THIS WILL DRAG THE
OCCLUDED FRONT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...MOVING INTO THE ST. LOUIS
METRO AREA BY 12Z FRIDAY. AS FOR PLACEMENT OF HEAVY RAINFALL LATER
TONIGHT...WILL SEE MAIN AXIS OF HEAVY RAIN SHIFT A LITTLE FURTHER TO
THE EAST...EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL IL TO SOUTHEAST MO...MAINLY ALONG
AND SOUTH OF I-44 CORRIDOR BY 06Z. WITH HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON
AND LINGERING INTO TONIGHT...ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH EARLIER
TODAY FOR CENTRAL/NORTHEAST MO AND WEST CENTRAL IL THAT WILL
EXPIRE AT 12Z FRIDAY. FF WATCH THAT WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY FOR
REMAINDER OF FORECAST AREA...REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 00Z SATURDAY.
OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO PERSIST ON FRIDAY AND
SLOWLY SHIFT FURTHER TO THE EAST WITH TIME...KEPT CATEGORICAL POPS
FOR SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF CWA DURING THE MORNING HOURS WITH LOWER
POPS IN THE WEST...THEN LOWERED POPS EVEN MORE TOWARDS EVENING.
FOR FRIDAY NIGHT...STILL COULD SEE ADDITIONAL WAVES OF PRECIPITATION
DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF AREA
BEFORE COMING TO AN END BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY MORNING...BUT AMOUNTS
WILL BE LESS SO DO NOT ANTICIPATE EXTENDING THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH
BEYOND 00Z SATURDAY AT THIS TIME.
AS FOR SATURDAY...SYSTEM EXITING A BIT QUICKER...SO STILL HOPEFUL
THAT MOST OF AREA TO BE DRY...BUT CLOUDY FOR TRICK OR TREATERS
SATURDAY NIGHT.
MODELS STILL HAVE ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE SLIDING SOUTHEAST THROUGH
AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY ON BACKSIDE OF SYSTEM...BUT JUST HAVE
SILENT 20 POPS IN NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF CWA DURING THIS TIME.
EXTENDED LOOKS TO BE DRY WITH HIGH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER
60S TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...AND LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S
THROUGH THE PERIOD.
BYRD
&&
.AVIATION...
/1231 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009/
FOR THE 18Z TAFS...SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES LIE WITH THE NEXT 6-12
HR TAF PD. AS OF 17Z SFC LOW WAS CONTINUING TO DEEPEN AND LIFT
NEWD ACRS THE CNTRL PLAINS AS A TONGUE OF VERY WARM AND MOIST AIR
STREAMED NWD ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE SFC COLD FRNT. RADAR RETURNS
ILLUSTRATED WIDE SPREAD RAIN AND EMBEDDED TSRA IMPACTING THE
ENTIRE BI-STATE RGN WITH TAF LOCALES AND OB SITES ADJACENT AND TO
THE WEST REPORTING A MIX OF MVFR/IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS. WITH PRESENT
TRENDS CURRENT FCST CALLS FOR RA TO SLACKEN FOR THE NEXT FEW HRS TO
-SHRA PRIOR TO PASSAGE OF THE SFC COLD FRNT. HAVE CONDITIONS ACRS
THE TERMINALS TO DETERIORATE OVER THE NEXT 6 HRS FROM MVFR TO IFR
CONDITIONS...THOUGH LIFR IS QUITE POSSIBLE. SUCH CONDITIONS AND
GUSTY SELY WINDS SHOULD LAST UNTIL FRNTL PASSAGE. THERE IS A FAIR BIT
OF UNCERTAINTY IN TS POTENTIAL AS INSTABILITY IS LIMITED...SO
UNTIL THE SITUATION BECOMES BETTER DEFINED HAVE CONTINUED WITH
VCTS AT ALL TERMINALS. ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE SFC COLD FRNT RA
SHOULD REMAIN PERSISTENT WITH ABUNDANCE OF STREAMING MOISTURE FROM
GULF COASTAL RGNS AND SUFFICIENT LIFT WITHIN THE ATMOSPHERE.
FOR THE LATER PD WITH FRNTL PASSAGE WINDS WILL BECOME WSWLY AND FEEL
THERE WILL BE SOME LINGERING SHRA WITH CONDITIONS IMPROVING FROM
IFR TO MVFR. LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT SINKING MOTIONS WILL
DISSIPATE CLOUDS IN WAKE OF THE FRNT...BUT WITH ABUNDANCE OF LOW
LVL MOISTURE... NOCTURNAL INVERSION...AND COOLING OF THE BOUNDARY
LYR...FEEL MVFR CIGS ASSOC WITH A LOW LVL STRATUS DECK WILL LAST
WELL INTO THE MIDDAY HRS AND HAVE TRENDED SO.
SIPPRELL
&&
.LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR CRAWFORD-FRANKLIN-
IRON-JEFFERSON-LINCOLN-MADISON-REYNOLDS-ST. CHARLES-ST.
FRANCOIS-ST. LOUIS-ST. LOUIS CITY-STE. GENEVIEVE-WARREN-
WASHINGTON.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR AUDRAIN-BOONE-
CALLAWAY-COLE-GASCONADE-KNOX-LEWIS-MARION-MONITEAU-MONROE-
MONTGOMERY-OSAGE-PIKE-RALLS-SHELBY.
IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR BOND IL-CALHOUN IL-
CLINTON IL-FAYETTE IL-GREENE IL-JERSEY IL-MACOUPIN IL-
MADISON IL-MARION IL-MONROE IL-MONTGOMERY IL-RANDOLPH IL-
ST. CLAIR IL-WASHINGTON IL.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR ADAMS IL-BROWN IL-
PIKE IL.
&&
WFO LSXHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO 407 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009 ILZ095>097-MOZ018-019-026-027-034>036-041-042-047>051-059-301200- ADAMS IL-BROWN IL-PIKE IL-KNOX-LEWIS-SHELBY-MARION-MONROE-RALLS- PIKE-BOONE-AUDRAIN-MONITEAU-COLE-OSAGE-CALLAWAY-MONTGOMERY- GASCONADE- 407 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...CENTRAL MISSOURI...EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...THEREFORE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE WATCH PRODUCT FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL OR ANY FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE)... HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LSX/?N=HWO1 ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-098>102-MOZ052-060>065-072>075- 084-085-099-301200- GREENE IL-MACOUPIN IL-MONTGOMERY IL-BOND IL-FAYETTE IL-CLINTON IL- MARION IL-WASHINGTON IL-RANDOLPH IL-CALHOUN IL-JERSEY IL- MADISON IL-ST. CLAIR IL-MONROE IL-LINCOLN-WARREN-ST. CHARLES- FRANKLIN-ST. LOUIS-ST. LOUIS CITY-JEFFERSON-CRAWFORD-WASHINGTON- ST. FRANCOIS-STE. GENEVIEVE-IRON-MADISON-REYNOLDS- 407 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...THEREFORE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE WATCH PRODUCT FOR MORE DETAILS. BESIDES VERY HEAVY RAINFALL A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES ON FRIDAY AS SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL OR ANY FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE)... HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LSX/?N=HWO1 BYRD
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
244 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0242 PM HEAVY RAIN 7 S STEELVILLE 37.87N 91.36W
10/29/2009 M1.70 INCH CRAWFORD MO TRAINED SPOTTER
RAINFALL BETWEEN 530 AM AND 1230 PM TODAY.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LSX0900284
TRUETTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
247 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0246 PM HEAVY RAIN 6 ENE MARTHASVILLE 38.66N 90.95W
10/29/2009 M1.54 INCH ST. CHARLES MO TRAINED SPOTTER
TODAYS RAINFALL AS OF 230 PM
&&
EVENT NUMBER LSX0900285
TRUETTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
408 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0407 PM HEAVY RAIN ST. PETERS 38.78N 90.61W
10/29/2009 M1.00 INCH ST. CHARLES MO TRAINED SPOTTER
TODAYS TOTAL...SO FAR
&&
EVENT NUMBER LSX0900286
TRUETTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
412 PM CDT THU OCT 29 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM FLOOD 2 E BIG SPRING 38.80N 91.45W
10/29/2009 MONTGOMERY MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
WATER FROM BEAR CREEK IS FLOWING OVER HWY Y...NO REPORT
ON DEPTH...ROAD IS STILL OPEN AT THIS TIME.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LSX0900287
MILLERThe St Louis radar (KLSX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:51 UTC.
8 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including Highway Y due to water flowing out of Bear Creek.
Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded.
Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded and Myers Road, about 5 miles south of Troy, had about 100 yards washed out due to Big Creek overflowing its banks.
Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including Highway 11 west of Baring and Route F and Highway 151 near Novelty.
Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including State Route DD near Maud.
Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including State Route A northeast of Woodlawn.
Between 3 and 4 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including Highway C at the intersection with Silvers Road and Highway N east of the intersection with Highway K.
Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including Highway BB southeast of Tipton. Also, a car was washed off of Highway BB just south of U.S. 50. No one was injured due to the incident.
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, October 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 200490, 200492, 200493, 200494, 200495, 200497, 200499, 200498.