An upper level disturbance moving across the Ozarks and a stationary front positioned across the Ozark caused a cluster or strong to severe storms to develop which caused wind damage and localized flash 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 SGF wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moving across the Ozarks and a stationary front positioned across the Ozark caused a cluster or strong to severe storms to develop which caused wind damage and localized flash 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 Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 12, 6:14 PM CST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 714 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .DISCUSSION... THUNDERSTORM/PRECIPITATION CHANCES REMAIN FOCUS OF THE SHORT TERM FORECAST...WITH A RATHER IMPRESSIVE RETURN TO EXCESSIVELY HOT CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE EXTENDED. BEGINNINGS OF SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY GETTING UNDERWAY AS OF 1845Z...AS TROPICAL MID LEVEL WAVE OVER CENTRAL OK MOVES TOWARD THE REGION. EXPECT TO SEE EXPANSION IN THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS VORT MAX APPROACHES THE AREA. OVERALL WEAK SHEAR AND MEDIOCRE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL MITIGATE AN ORGANIZED SEVERE THREAT...BUT PWAT VALUES IN THE 1.6 INCH RANGE AND DECENT LOW LEVEL THETA-E DIFFERENTIALS SUGGESTS A WET/HYBRID MICROBURST THREAT WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. CONVECTIVE TRENDS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT UNCLEAR AT THIS TIME...AS VORT VERY SLOWLY MOVES TOWARD AND OVER THE CWA. THINK THAT VORT ADVECTION AND ASSOCIATED LARGE SCALE LIFT WILL BE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN CONVECTION THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT...LIKELY FOCUSED ON ANY OUTFLOW FROM MORE DIURNALLY FORCED STORMS THIS AFTERNOON. RESULT SHOULD BE WIDESPREAD...BUT DISORGANIZED CONVECTION OVERNIGHT. CONFIDENCE IN QPF QUITE LOW RIGHT NOW...AS MODEL GUIDANCE APPEARS TO HAVE A RATHER POOR HANDLE ON THIS SYSTEM...ESPECIALLY QPF. WITH PWATS APPROACHING 2 INCHES AND WARM RAIN PROCESSES EXPECTED...THINK THAT HEAVY TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT...AND HAVE GONE NEAR HPC QPF...WELL ABOVE MOST IF NOT ALL AVAILABLE MODEL GUIDANCE. STORM MOTIONS ALSO LOOK TO BE VERY SLOW TO ALMOST NIL...SO RAIN COULD BE FOCUSED OVER A GIVEN AREA FOR A WHILE. THANKFULLY WITH SUCH DRY GROUND ACROSS THE REGION...FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD RISK WILL BE MITIGATED SOMEWHAT. NONETHELESS...THINK THAT LOCALIZED FLOOD/FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN A FEW SPOTS. CERTAINLY DON'T THINK THREAT IS SUCH TO NECESSITATE ANY SORT OF FLASH FLOOD WATCH...BUT THREAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE MENTIONED IN HWO PRODUCT. RAIN/THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY TOMORROW AS VORT REMAINS OVER THE AREA. UNCERTAINTIES WITH CONVECTIVE COVERAGE YIELDS SOME QUESTIONS AS TO HIGH TEMPS FOR THE DAY TOMORROW...WITH ANY AREA THAT SEES MORE THAN A SHORT PERIOD OF CLEARING LIKELY WARMING QUITE QUICKLY. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...SHOULD SEE RAIN START TO COME TO AN END BY THURSDAY NIGHT AS VORT MAX EXITS SOUTHEAST. GFS CURRENTLY GENERATING AN MCS THURSDAY NIGHT THAT DROPS DOWN ACROSS THE AREA. RIGHT NOW...AM SEEING LITTLE IN THE MASS FIELDS (BOTH WITHIN GFS AND OTHER MODEL SOURCES) TO REALLY SUPPORT THIS SOLUTION. SO FOR NOW...WILL BET AGAINST MCS CHANCES...AND CONTINUE WITH A CLEARING TREND BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPS ON FRIDAY LOOK TO CLIMB BACK INTO THE MID 90S OVER SE KANSAS/WESTERN MO AND LOW 90S ELSEWHERE...PERHAPS A LITTLE HIGHER IF CLEARING COMMENCES FASTER THAN CURRENTLY EXPECTED. HEAT REALLY RETURNS IN IMPRESSIVE FASHION INTO THE WEEKEND...AS MASSIVE UPPER RIDGE CENTERS ITSELF OVER A BIT NORTH OF THE KANSAS CITY AREA. END RESULT FOR THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE A VERY TROPICAL AIR MASS...WITH EASTERLIES ALOFT AND RICH MOISTURE AT THE SURFACE. NO REASON TO THINK THAT HIGHS THROUGH THE WEEKEND WON'T BE IN THE UPPER 90S OVER THE OZARKS...AND NEAR OR ABOVE 100 OVER THE OSAGE PLAINS AND AREAS NORTH OF THE OZARK PLATEAU. UNFORTUNATELY...SUSPECT THAT WE'LL SEE MORE IMPRESSIVE AFTERNOON DEW POINTS THAN WE HAVE THE LAST FEW DAYS...ESPECIALLY IF APPRECIABLE RAIN FALLS THESE NEXT FEW DAYS. STILL A LITTLE EARLY TO HOIST ANY SORT OF EXCESSIVE HEAT PRODUCT FOR THE END OF THE WEEK/WEEKEND...BUT WON'T BE AT ALL SURPRISED TO SEE AT LEAST AN ADVISORY EVENTUALLY BECOME NECESSARY. BOXELL && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 708 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011/ FOR THE 13/0000Z KSGF/KJLN/KBBG TAFS...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER THE PLAINS WILL MOVE INTO MO ON WED. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED TSTMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD ON A REGIONAL BASIS...WITH MORE FAVORED TIMES BEING DRIVEN BY DIURNAL HEATING (AFTERNOON/EVENING). ATTM...HARD TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT TIMING AND TSTM COVERAGE IN THE LOCAL TAF AREAS. WILL MONITOR TRENDS AND MAKE AMENDMENTS AS NEEDED. OUTSIDE OF TSTMS...TAFS ARE VFR. DSA && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 808 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-140115- 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- 808 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER RISK LEVEL IS...LIMITED. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... LIMITED EXCESSIVE HEAT RISK. LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND RISK. LIMITED HAIL RISK. LIMITED LIGHTNING RISK. DISCUSSION... VERY WARM TEMPERATURES EARLY THIS EVENING WILL COOL DOWN OVERNIGHT WITH EXPECTED LOWS IN THE 70S. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE REGION WEDNESDAY WILL PRODUCE CLOUD COVER ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO HELP PRODUCE SLIGHTLY COOLER CONDITIONS. WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY DURING THE EVENING HOURS. AN ISOLATED BRIEF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT THIS EVENING ALONG ANY RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES...BUT IN GENERAL WITH THE CONTINUED LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING SEVERE STORM CHANCES ARE LIMITED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PERIODS OF LOCALIZED VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. LOW SOIL MOISTURE DUE TO BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL OVER THE LAST ONE TO TWO MONTHS WILL MITIGATE SOME OF THE FLOODING RISK...BUT A FEW INSTANCES OF LOCALIZED FLOODING IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS WILL BE POSSIBLE. HOT WEATHER WILL RETURN LATE IN THE WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND...WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES OVER 100 DEGREES LIKELY. .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) DSA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
458 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011
MOZ055-056-122245-
BENTON MO-MORGAN MO-
458 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BENTON AND SOUTHERN MORGAN
COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT...
AT 457 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WARSAW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. PENNY
SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
LINCOLN BY 540 PM CDT.
EDMONSON AND 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COLE CAMP BY 545 PM CDT.
OTHER LOCATIONS IN THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY INCLUDE LAKE OF
THE OZARKS AND TRUMAN LAKE.
LAT...LON 3835 9276 3815 9347 3825 9352 3854 9329
3854 9306
TIME...MOT...LOC 2159Z 229DEG 12KT 3826 9342
GRIFFINSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
608 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011
KSZ073-122345-
BOURBON KS-
608 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BOURBON COUNTY UNTIL 645 PM
CDT...
AT 605 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES EAST OF BRONSON...OR 16 MILES WEST OF
FORT SCOTT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS
AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
XENIA BY 615 PM CDT.
DEVON BY 625 PM CDT.
HARDING AND MAPLETON BY 630 PM CDT.
FULTON BY 645 PM CDT.
LAT...LON 3804 9509 3805 9508 3804 9504 3805 9464
3804 9463 3784 9490 3786 9509
TIME...MOT...LOC 2308Z 231DEG 20KT 3792 9497
GRIFFINThe Springfield radar (KSGF), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:44 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A carport was flipped upside down and several large limbs were blown down.
A NWS storm survey revealed that a microburst with winds estimated around 90 miles per hour snapped several trees. One tree fell on a house damaging the chimney and breaking a window.
One boat dock was destroyed and minor damage was reported to several boats. A few trees were blown down.
A barn was damaged and several trees blown down.
A NWS storm survey revealed that a microburst with winds estimated between 90 and 100 mph partially peeled a roof off a garage. These winds also rolled an 1100 pound fiber optic sewer pipe 200 yards.
Excessive rainfall caused flash flooding to occur along the Little Maries River at the intersection with County Road 634. This low water crossing was impassable to motorists with two feet of swift water flowing over the bridge.
A large tree was snapped.
Numerous streets within the city of Lebanon were flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, July 2011
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: 311157, 311162, 311161, 311160, 311165, 311155, 311159, 311156.