Abundant gulf moisture streamed northward across the central US in between high pressure over the mid Atlantic and low pressure over the southwest US. Heavy rainfall occurred over central and southwest Missouri from the evening of the 17th to the morning of the 18th.
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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.
Abundant gulf moisture streamed northward across the central US in between high pressure over the mid Atlantic and low pressure over the southwest US. Heavy rainfall occurred over central and southwest Missouri from the evening of the 17th to the morning of the 18th. Rainfall accumulations of two to five inches led to flash flooding in Marionville and Verona in Lawrence County. Homes were flooded in Marionville and Highway 60 flooded. In Verona, five people had to be rescued off their roof. Additional flash flooding occurred near Pleasant Hope and Eudora in Polk County, near Billings in Christian County, and along Kelly Creek in Monett, in Barry County.
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 17, 5:18 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Springfield MO 618 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021 ...00Z AVIATION UPDATE... .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 220 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021 Regional and local radar shows scattered showers continuing over the area. Nearly stationary boundary was stretching from a low in the southwest corner of MO northeastward into central MO. Meanwhile, upper level shortwave energy continues to lift northeast across the northwestern section of the CWA with another wave of energy across central OK lifting northeast towards the region. Cloud cover and rain has kept some temperatures in the mid to upper 60s today, while some low to mid 70s have occurred along the MO/AR border and outside of the rain areas in the southwest portion of MO and southeast KS. The upper level energy will continue to lift northeast out of OK and into the area tonight with another shortwave expected to do the same on Tuesday. Some limited instability was developing this afternoon and low level jet energy will develop this evening, so the showers/thunderstorms should expand over the area from late afternoon through the evening, pushing into the eastern Ozarks later tonight. Additional convection should move into the western CWA during the morning Tuesday and then expand with increasing instability during the afternoon. Due to the mostly scattered nature of the storms, we are not expecting any widespread flooding with the convection tonight into Tuesday, but some localized pockets of excessive rain may develop. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday Night through Monday) Issued at 220 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021 It looks like a stronger wave of energy may move into the area late Tuesday night and offer the best chance of higher rain totals over the western sections of the CWA. Even then, not enough of a signal for any kind of flood watch at this point. By Thursday, the upper low will become more of an open wave and lift north-northeast into the northern plains and upper MS valley as a new upper low develops over northern CA. High amplitude ridge will be centered over the southeast into the OH valley and will retrograde slightly into the area late in the week. As this occurs, our precipitation chances will be more limited to the western sections of the CWA and will probably see some warmer temperatures into the lower and middle 80s creep into the eastern CWA. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Tuesday evening) Issued at 615 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021 Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be moving near the SGF and BBG sites this evening. JLN will likely remain dry. Chances are highest at SGF. Ceilings will likely remain MVFR through the night with some IFR potential by morning. Winds will remain south to southeasterly at SGF and BBG with a west wind at JLN. Winds at JLN should switch around to the south overnight. Additional chances for showers and storms returns by Tuesday afternoon and have included prob30 groups for now. && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT TERM...Lindenberg LONG TERM...Lindenberg AVIATION...Burchfield
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Springfield MO 235 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-181945- 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- 235 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Missouri Ozarks and extreme southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Weather hazards expected... Limited hail risk. Limited thunderstorm wind damage risk. Limited flooding risk. Limited lightning risk. DISCUSSION... Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue this afternoon and tonight across the area. A few stronger storms may produce small hail and gusty winds, but should generally remain below severe limits. Heavy rain will accompany the thunderstorms and any repeated rainfall over the same locations could bring some localized flooding. Due to the expected scattered nature of the storms, widespread flooding is not expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Several additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain are expected through the end of the week. Most of this activity will also be scattered in nature and while some localized flooding will be possible, widespread flooding is not expected at this time. Some stronger storms may develop, but no widespread severe weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight. && More detailed information can be accessed at: http://www.weather.gov/sgf/sitrep This product in graphical format...along with other weather... hydrological and climate information...at http://www.weather.gov/sgf Lindenberg
The Springfield radar (KSGF), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:06 UTC.
7 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway W at Turkey Creek was closed due to flooding.
A water rescue was performed near the headwaters of Spring Creek along Pine Road. No injuries were reported.
Highway H and 564th Road were flooded and impassable.
Widespread street flooding was reported in town.
Widespread flooding was reported in town where rainfall accumulations of two to five inches led to flash flooding in Marionville. Five homes were impacted by flood waters and at least one water rescue was performed, no injuries were reported. Highway 60 and County Road 1140 were also flooded which contributed to a vehicle accident which caused injuries to three people.
A water rescue was performed to remove five people from the roof of a flooded home. no injuries occurred.
Kelly Creek in Monett was reported out of its banks with evacuations occurring as the creek flowed rapidly out of its banks. No injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, May 2021
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: 961471, 961474, 961475, 961476, 961477, 961478, 961479.