severe weather Archives

Storms leave wind damage, 75,000 without power

July 8, 2014 By Mike Lear

A line of damaging storms hundreds of miles long continues to sweep south through Missouri. The storms have downed trees and power lines, caused some flooding and left tens of thousands of Missourians without power.

Storms continue to sweep south through the state and are still prompting the issuance of severe thunderstorm warnings. (image courtesy; WeatherTap Zoom)

Winds along the front of the storm were consistently between 50 and 75 miles per hour through Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Wind damage has been reported throughout the state. Some of the most significant reports came out of Hannibal, where law enforcement reported store front windows were broken out of three stores and several cars were moved, and in Sedalia, where two power poles caught fire as high winds whipped their lines.

At 2:30 a.m., Kansas City Power and Light reported more than 38,000 customers in Missouri without power, Ameren Missouri reported more than 22,000 customers without power in the St. Louis area and in central and north-central Missouri, and more than 15,000 customers of Columbia Water and Light were without power. The storms were only beginning to reach the Springfield area at that time.

For National Weather Service information for your area including watches and warnings, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri: Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri: St. Louis

In southwest Missouri: Springfield

In southeast Missouri: Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties: Davenport, IA

Slight risk for severe weather Thursday and Friday in Missouri

May 7, 2014 By Mike Lear

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center is warning of a slight risk for severe weather for much of Missouri Thursday and a smaller portion of the state on Friday. Missourians are encouraged to watch for weather updates and be aware of changing conditions.

This graphic from the National Weather Service’s St. Louis Office shows where the Storm Prediction Center says there is a slight chance of severe weather Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service says storms could move into southwest Missouri after midnight Thursday morning and begin impacting northwest Missouri by around daybreak. Storms the morning carry some risk for severe weather, primarily from hail.

Meteorologist Steve Lindenberg says later Thursday storms could become stronger if enough instability is present.

“During the afternoon and evening we could get additional strong to severe weather with large hail and damaging winds the primary severe weather risk,” says Lindenberg. The Weather Service does not rule out the possibility of isolated tornadoes Thursday.

The front that will produce these storms is expected to move slowly and linger in the state Friday and into the weekend, presenting the possibility of more rounds of thunderstorms Friday and perhaps Saturday and Sunday. A slight chance for severe weather remains for Friday in most of the southern half of the state.

The Storm Prediction Center says the predictability of severe weather for Saturday and Sunday is too low to offer an outlook.

Forecasters are also concerned about the possibility of minor flooding in the next few days, but major, widespread flooding is not anticipated.

For National Weather Service information for your area, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri: Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri: St. Louis

In southwest Missouri: Springfield

In southeast Missouri: Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties: Davenport, IA

Slight risk of severe storms this afternoon, evening in Missouri

March 27, 2014 By Mike Lear

There is a slight risk that storms expected to pass through the state today will be severe, according to the National Weather Service.

This weather graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service office in Springfield.

Meteorologist Jared Leighton says a storm system moving in from the west is expected to spur thunderstorm development along a cold front. Storms are expected to develop in far eastern Kansas and move into western Missouri in the early to mid afternoon.

Leighton says the storms will move quickly through western and central Missouri.

“Storm motion will be straight to the east at perhaps up to 50, 60 miles per hour,” says Leighton. He predicts they will be in eastern Missouri and the St. Louis area around 7 or 8 p.m.

“We are expecting strong storms. They will be able to produce some hail, maybe even some winds,” says Leighton. “We’re not expecting any tornadoes. It’s not something we can rule out completely but definitely not something we’re expecting any kind of widespread activity on that.”

Leighton says southwest Missouri could see the strongest storms in the state.

“The strongest storms could form in southeast Kansas, east Kansas into far western Missouri. By the time the system actually gets into central and southeast Missouri it will probably be lined out into kind of a squall line. At that point your tornado threat is virtually nothing and your hail threat is very minimal as well. You’re basically a wind threat at that point,” says Leighton. “If you’re anywhere southeast of basically a Columbia to Springfield line you’re probably going to see a squall line … heavy rain, lighting, maybe some winds but that’s about it.”

For information for your area, tune in to your Missourinet affiliate station and visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri: Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri: St. Louis

In southwest Missouri: Springfield

In southeast Missouri: Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties: Davenport, IA

UPDATE on severe weather possible in south Missouri Thursday afternoon

February 20, 2014 By Mike Lear

Severe weather is possible in parts of the Ozarks, the Bootheel and the St. Louis region this afternoon and evening.

This graphic from the National Weather Service office in Paducah, KY shows the expectation for severe weather in Southeast Missouri.

A cold front moving through the state is going to cause temperatures in central Missouri to drop from the 60s and 70s into the 40s. That same front has been causing hail and some strong wind gusts in north Missouri in the late morning and early afternoon.

That front has slowed slightly, and Meteorologist Jim Packett with the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky says as the afternoon progresses storms will form along and east of a line from St. Louis to west of Van Buren. There is a slight risk those storms will be severe. A moderate risk for severe weather exists south and east of Missouri.

The cold front is expected to be along that St. Louis to Van Buren-area line around 3:00 p.m., though Packett says variance could have that happen an hour earlier or an hour later.

The primary threat in areas of Missouri that might see severe weather is damaging wind. Packett says there is a slight tornado threat east of the St. Louis to Van Buren area line and a greater threat for tornadoes east of a line from Perryville to Poplar Bluff.

In Northwest Missouri some snowfall is possible, with accumulation estimates ranging from a trace of an inch to 2 inches north of a line from south of the Kansas City area to northeast Missouri to 2 to 4 inches north of a line from St. Joseph to south of Lamoni, Iowa.

There is also a flood risk in far northeast Missouri where prior snow melt is expected to combine with rainfall and could cause smaller creeks and streams to rise out of their banks.

Gusty winds are also possible with sustained winds expected from 20 to 30 miles per hour and gusts as high as about 50 miles per hour.

For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri: Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri: St. Louis

In southwest Missouri: Springfield

In southeast Missouri: Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties: Davenport, IA

Severe weather possible Wednesday and Thursday in Missouri

February 18, 2014 By Mike Lear

Click here for an updated story on severe weather Thursday afternoon:

Storms tomorrow night and Thursday could bring some severe weather to Missouri.

This graphic from the National Weather Service in St. Louis illustrates part of the severe weather threat. Storms are also anticipated to produce up to around 2 inches of rain and hail in western Missouri before reaching eastern Missouri and the Bootheel.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Mark Britt says storms could begin tomorrow night in western Missouri.

He says storms Wednesday night will be isolated, “that could produce some hail over parts of western and central Missouri. Then as we go into Thursday, parts of eastern and southeastern Missouri could see a few severe thunderstorms.”

Britt says storms could intensify into Thursday morning, with, “possible isolated tornadoes … but the main threat at least right now looks like some damaging winds.”

He encourages Missourians to watch for updates.

For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri: Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri: St. Louis

In southwest Missouri: Springfield

In southeast Missouri: Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties: Davenport, IA

NWS: Shutdown won’t impact service as severe weather possible this week

October 2, 2013 By Mike Lear

Storms between tomorrow and Saturday will bring severe weather to the Midwest, but not much of the strong stuff is expected to hit Missouri.

The National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill created this graphic outlining the risk for severe weather later this week.

National Weather Service meteorologist Andy Bailey says the chances of severe weather in Missouri are only slight.

“This going to be a pretty potent severe weather system, just maybe not so much for Missouri,” Bailey tells Missourinet. “At this point, the bulk of the severe weather should occur to our north up in Iowa. They’re even expecting some fall tornadoes up there. For us down here in Missouri we’re more probably going to see hail and maybe some damaging straight-line winds from these storms. Certainly the far Northwest corner of Missouri does stand the best chance of seeing the most severe weather with this event, at least that’s the way it appears now, for Friday evening.”

Bailey says the storm is still far enough away, having not yet made landfall on the West Coast, that the timing and track could change significantly. Severe weather could prove to be less of a Friday evening event and instead occur into Friday overnight and Saturday morning.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor information, updated last Tuesday and posted last Thursday.

He also says it won’t do much to alleviate the drought, which, in Missouri, is the most severe in the northern half of the state.

“The problem is, as I look at the forecast for seven-day rainfall totals, over about the northwest half of the state we’re still looking at less than three-quarters of an inch over the next week,” Bailey says. “So, this is certainly not a drought buster but at least it will help keep the drought from getting worse.”

Bailey says Missouri should see a quarter-of-an-inch to a half-inch of rain in storms beginning tomorrow.

He adds that despite the federal shutdown, the job of the Weather Service will not be impacted, including the tracking and reporting of severe weather.

This message appears when one attempts to access the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s main website, NOAA.gov.

“We’re going to continue to provide all services directly related to our mission of protecting life and property. All the warnings and forecasts we always issue will continue. We’re going to be here 24-7 despite the shutdown.”

Bailey says no meteorologists have been furloughed due to the shutdown.

Some weather-related government websites have been deactivated, but those considered important to protecting lives and property remain up, including regional Weather Service office websites, are up and running.

UPDATE: Weather Service finds evidence of ten tornadoes in Missouri from storms Monday

May 21, 2013 By Mike Lear

Update 05/22/2013 3:50pm: Evidence of a tenth tornado during Monday night’s storms has been found 3 miles east of Shell Knob in Southwest Missouri. The Weather Service believes that tornado touched down at about 7:50 Monday night. It uprooted and damaged trees in a 1.4 mile damage path 200 yards wide. Winds reached about 110 miles per hour, making it an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

Update 05/22/2013 2:00pm: The National Weather Service has found evidence of another EF-1 tornado that touched down Monday at about 8:05, about 3 miles north-northwest of Reeds Spring in Southwest Missouri. The storm uprooted trees in a damage path 100 yards wide and 1.4 miles long. Winds reached about 90 miles per hour.

Another EF-0 tornado touched down 2 miles north of Reeds Spring causing some tree damage. Its winds ranged from 80 to 85 miles per hour.

A survey team has also been sent to the Shell Knob area to investigate damage there.

UPDATE 05/22/2013 noon: The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado did touchdown southwest of Hannibal Monday night. That tornado uprooted and snapped trees and tore the tin roofing off of a barn as it passed about a mile south of Hannibal Regional Medical Center, before dissipating. The tornado’s winds reached about 90 miles per hour, making it an EF-1.

The Weather Service says the same storm caused considerable wind damage in Hannibal. A portion of the roof on a building at Hannibal-LaGrange College was torn off and a brick building in downtown Hannibal had a wall collapse and part of its roof torn off. Another building on the south side of Hannibal also had part of its roof torn off, as well as other tree damage and broken windows.

Another EF-1 tornado crossed over from Oklahoma into Missouri Monday afternoon. The tornado came within about a half-mile from Seneca, snapping and uprooting trees in a damage path 600 yards wide and less than a mile into Missouri. Its wind speeds reached between 95 and 100 mph.

The Weather Service says these reports are not final and surveys do continue.

UPDATE: The Weather Service has confirmed a third, EF-1 tornado touchdown 7 miles west of Lamar. The storm destroyed a couple of outbuildings and damged trees along a damage path nearly 7 miles long and up to 100 yards wide. Wind speeds are estimated to have reached 95 miles per hour.

National Weather Service assessment teams have confirmed five tornado touchdowns in Missouri from storms yesterday.

The National Weather Service’s Pleasant Hill (Kansas City) office tweeted this picture, saying this damage is from a “likely EF-1 tornado” in Johnson and Pettis Counties. Its assessment team has since confirmed an EF-1 tornado did touch down in those areas.

Tornadoes with winds topping out at between 90 and 100 miles per hour caused damage near Knob Noster in western Missouri and near Carthage in southwest Missouri. Trees were uprooted, power lines were downed and outbuildings destroyed near Carthage. Those tornadoes rate EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Tornadoes producing winds of about 85 miles per hour touched down in southwest Missouri near Lockwood, where a grocery store roof was damaged, trees were uprooted and a car port was thrown, and in the Orleans Trail public use area near Stockton, damaging a barn and several trees. Another weak tornado left a 100-yard wide path of minor damage near Gravois Mills in central Missouri, uprooting trees and causing minor structural damage. Those tornadoes rate EF-0.

An assessment team has determined that damage in Hannibal was not caused by a tornado. Instead, it says it found evidence of straight line winds gusting an estimated 80 to 100 miles an hour.

Severe weather possible this afternoon, evening for most of Missouri

April 17, 2013 By Mike Lear

The National Weather Service is warning Missourians of the possibility of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Storms happening this morning could present some severe activity, but the greater threat is later in the day.

The St. Louis NWS office’s severe weather outlook for today and tomorrow.

The Weather Service says large hail and damaging winds are likely and tornadoes are possible. A tornado watch is now in effect for 71 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis until 10 p.m. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 5 p.m. for 32 counties across northern Missouri.

Flooding is also a threat with this system, with forecasted rainfall totals as high as more than four inches in north-central Missouri through the Kansas City area. The heavy rainfall will be falling on already saturated ground, increasing the threat for flooding. Flood watches and warnings extend through most of the state except southeast Missouri.

Another round of severe weather is possible late tonight and Thursday morning.

For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri: Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri: St. Louis

In southwest Missouri: Springfield

In southeast Missouri: Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties: Davenport, IA

Emergency text warnings available for State Fair goers

August 6, 2012 By Mike Lear

A severe storm last year blew down tents and other temporary structures at the Missouri State Fair, but no one was injured. That was only days after a storm at the Indiana State Fair blew down a concert stage, killing seven people and injuring 43.

Smartphone users can sign up for text warnings during the State Fair by scanning this QR code. The passcode is MOFAIR12.

With those events fresh in memory, Missouri State Fair organizers are offering a text message-based warning system to guests at this year’s Fair. Director Mark Wolfe says last year’s storm in Sedalia exposed an issue.

“One of the things that we noticed during that storm last year was it was very difficult to get a hold of not only just people on the grounds but those people maybe that evening that had already left … vendors and things … as we moved into the evening hours.”

The service, called Nixle, is being offered in conjunction with the Highway Patrol.

“When you come through the gate there will be signs right there at the gates that shows you with your phone how you can sign up for this Nixle system. What will happen is any time any kind of alert goes out it is monitored from right there on the fairgrounds from the Highway Patrol office. We can send out any kind of weather alert and it’s one send. You hit it one time and everybody that’s signed up gets it immediately in the form of a text message.”

To sign up, send a text to 888777 with the message MOFAIR12

Highway Patrol Lieutenant John Hotz says Fair goers can sign up based on their involvement at the Fair. “People, for example, who are in the campgrounds will sign up for one type of message, people who maybe are showing livestock will sign up in a different group and vendors would sign up in even another group. Basically what we want to try to do is send the information to the people that need it.”

Hotz says some messages will go to more than one group, as an emergency might warrant. It will tell recipients when an emergency arises, and more. “They’re also going to get instructions on if they do need to evacuate and what building they need to go to on the Fairgrounds.”

Hotz says the sign up information collected won’t be used for anything except to send alerts regarding emergencies at the State Fair.

The Fair begins Thursday in Sedalia.

Nationwide text alert program begins in June

May 23, 2012 By Mike Lear

A new type of text alert could be coming to your cell phone beginning next month.

A sample of what WEAs will look like on some phones. (Image courtesy, National Weather Service.)

Beginning in June, new Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will come from the FCC, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Weather Service. They will be issued for Presidential Alerts, Imminent Threats and AMBER Alerts.

When issued, WEAs will go out to all phones on towers in the effected area, so users with capable phones will get the warnings no matter where they are or where they are from. The alerts are free to all subscribers and will not count against texting limits on wireless plans.

Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Andy Bailey’s interest is with the “Imminent Threat” alerts, which would include severe weather warnings.

No action necessary by consumers.

He says there’s no signing up involved. “It’s an opt out, which means everybody with a capable phone will automatically be entered into this. To my knowledge you won’t be able to turn off individual warnings. It’s either all-in or all-out.”

Bailey says most phones currently in use are not WEA-capable but he believes most that are being sold, are.

“I spoke with one of the major providers in the country a few weeks ago and they said out of their 40 million handsets, 3 million are capable to receive these right now. But, they said most people upgrade every 18 months to two years and within a matter of a couple of years it’ll be much closer to 80 or 90 percent.”

Phones capable of receiving WEAs will bear this symbol on their packaging.

Bailey suggests consumers contact the business they purchased their cell phone from first, and then the service provider, to see if it is WEA-capable. All major carriers and many second-tier carriers have agreed to offer WEA alerts.

The warnings won’t contain a lot of information. Bailey says they’re only meant to get a person’s attention.

“What this is really meant to do is not provide folks with all the information they need to deal with whatever hazard they’re facing. It’s more like a bell-ringer or an alert to let people know they need to seek more information from other sources, primarily the media.”

The types of weather warnings offered varies by area. In Missouri, the Weather Service will issue WEAs for tornado warnings, flash flood warnings, blizzard warnings and ice storm warnings. Other parts of the country might see texts for things like tsunamis and hurricanes.

Redundancy in this case is a good thing.

Because systems can fail especially in emergencies, Bailey encourages people not to opt out of the WEAs even if they have already signed up for other text alert systems.

“None of the systems are 100% reliable. They all have their weak points and when we’re dealing with systems like this, they’re all prone to failure at one point or another. So, just having another system, in this case a system that you’re already paying for through your cell phone … it’s not an additional charge … I’d really encourage people to remain signed up.”

Consumers can opt out of the Imminent Threat and AMBER Alert warnings but not the Presidential Alerts, by contacting their service providers.

For more details, visit these information pages at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website and CTIA’s website.