Central States WEATHER: NWS- "Very Serious Flash Flooding Threat" in Central Missouri

This is for areas on the extreme eastern edges of the Kansas City MetroRegion- areas in and around Columbia and Jefferson City- where up to 7-inches of rain has fallen today.

More rain is on the way for the same areas.

If you plan on driving in any of the below-warned areas- PLEASE use extreme caution!


BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1212 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
AUDRAIN COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... CALLAWAY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... COLE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... MONITEAU COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI... MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI... OSAGE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 1205 PM CDT...A VERY SERIOUS FLASH FLOODING THREAT HAS DEVELOPED OVER MID MISSOURI.

RAINFALLS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED IN AN EAST-WEST BAND FROM WEST OF COLUMBIA TO NEAR MONTGOMERY CITY... AND MORE RAIN IS ON THE WAY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE BRIEF BREAK IN THE HEAVY RAIN THAT WILL OCCUR EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

MORE RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

NUMEROUS ROADS ACROSS MID-MISSOURI WERE FLOODED AND CLOSED AT MIDDAY... AND AS THE RAIN AND RUNOFF CONTINUES TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MORE HAZARDOUS.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE:

ASHLAND... CALIFORNIA... CENTRALIA... COLUMBIA... FULTON... HOLTS SUMMIT... JEFFERSON CITY... LINN... MEXICO... MONTGOMERY CITY... TIPTON...VANDALIA... WELLSVILLE... AUXVASSE... BELLFLOWER... BIG SPRING... BRAZITO... BUELL... CENTERTOWN... CHAMOIS... CLARKSBURG... EASLEY... FARBER... FREEBURG... HALLSVILLE... HICKORY HILL... HIGH POINT... JAMESTOWN... JONESBURG AND LADDONIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT.

MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES... DIPS... OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM... EVEN A SMALL ONE... ON FOOT OR IN A VEHICLE.

IF YOU COME ACROSS A FLOODED ROAD TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER ROUTE TO YOUR DESTINATION.

NO TRIP IS WORTH YOUR LIFE!

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS FLOODED ROADS.

FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

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