Central States BREAKING NEWS: Video of Flash Flooding In Northeast Oklahoma

This video- courtesy of Tulsa Channel 8- shows flash flooding along U.S. 69 in Pryor-OK..


Serious flash and river flooding is on-going in the Tulsa area- and is forecast to continue this weekend.

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Kansas City's BREAKING NEWS: Cop Shot At KC-MO Police Shooting Range

At 10:46 am- KC-MO emergency services were responding to 6900 Coal Mine Road at the KC-MO Police shooting range on the report of a police officer shot there.

There is yet no word on the circumstances of this shooting nor the officer's condition.

Update here as received....
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UPDATE - The officer was actually an U.S. Army officer out practice shooting at the PD range who shot himself in the foot.

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Some Wet April 2009 - Rainfall Totals in Metro Kansas City

Here are some April rainfall totals from Overland Park's "Stormwatch" system of weather stations- stream and rain gages located throughout southern and southwestern Metro K.C. (most in Johnson County-KS).

Locations are mostly self-explainatory- but questions as to the gage's location can be answered at the Stormwatch site.

Click on these rainfall amount images for full size.


Rainfalls upwards of nearly one foot saturated Metro Kansas City in April. The areas with the heaviest rainfall were in a swath from southern Leavenworth county- across Wyandotte county-KS into southern Platte and Clay and northern Jackson in MO.

Another swath of heavier rainfalls were found across southern Johnson county KS eastward across southern Jackson and northern Cass counties MO..

Soils are saturated area-wide now- forecasted future rainfalls will become mostly runoff and this makes the flash flooding threat very high for the Metro.

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'Baron of Blue Valley' "Skip" Sleyster Dies

I met Duren "Skip" Sleyster during a meeting on Blue Valley flood control in 1990.

"Skipster" as I called him was a Kansas Citian of the old school. A "doer."

Wearing coveralls- Mr. Sleyster stood at the back of the room where he growled out questions for the speakers (one of whom was future mayor Funkhouser).

Skip Sleyster wasn't the simple man he appeared to be. Almost single-handedly over a period of 40 years- Mr. Sleyster attempted to bring Blue Valley- once vibrant with industry that left America- back to life.

He tried to find viable uses for old buildings- like the General Motors Leeds plant and the huge Montgomery Wards distribution center at St. John & Belmont.

It took all of Skip's 85 years. Yesterday it took his life.

Duren "Skip" Sleyster died peacefully at home Thusday morning.

Visitation will be Monday 5-6pm at the Ararat Shrine Temple at 5100 Ararat Drive with Masonic services at 7:30pm.

Burial will be at Floral Hills at Blue Ridge and Gregory with a service prior at 1pm Tuesday.

"Skip" Sleyster tried to make his hometown of Kansas City a better place.

Thanks Skipster!!!

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Metro K.C. BREAKING WEATHER: Flash Flood Warning

This was just issued by the NWS-Pleasant Hill-KC:

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
1039 AM CDT THU APR 30 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
EASTERN LEAVENWORTH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...
NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...
SOUTHERN CLAY COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...
SOUTHERN PLATTE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...
WESTERN JACKSON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...
WYANDOTTE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...

* UNTIL 300 PM CDT

* AT 1035 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
INDICATED AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS CONTINUING TO TRACK
ACROSS THE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN AREA. GROUND OBSERVATIONS SHOW
THAT UP TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE 7
AM FROM NEAR DOWNTOWN TO NEAR OLATHE...OVERLAND PARK AND
GRANDVIEW. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 11 AM
BEFORE A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL
MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL
INCH OF RAINFALL THROUGH NOONTIME...WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
BASEHOR...BONNER SPRINGS...CLAYCOMO...DE SOTO...EDWARDSVILLE...
FAIRWAY...GLADSTONE...GRANDVIEW...INDEPENDENCE...KANSAS
CITY...LAKE QUIVIRA...LANSING...LEAVENWORTH...LEAWOOD...
LENEXA...LIBERTY...MERRIAM...MISSION...MISSION HILLS...
OLATHE...OVERLAND PARK... PARKVILLE...PRAIRIE VILLAGE...
RAYTOWN...RIVERSIDE...SHAWNEE AND SUGAR CREEK.

THIS INCLUDES PORTIONS OF INTERSTATES 35...70...29...AND THE 435
LOOP.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

FLOODING IS IMMINENT WITH THE EXPECTED RAINFALL. 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.

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K.C. Metro BREAKING WEATHER: Record Flooding On The Platte River

UPDATE/CORRECTION - 1137 CDT: The latest reading from this Platte river gage indicates the prior reading observed and imaged here was bogus.

The actual forecasted crest is just over 33 feet Friday morning.

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The location indicated for record flooding is at Sharp's Station on the Platte River in Platte county-MO- northeast of Platte City.

The current flood crest reads more than 43 feet (43.13) at that location- according to a USGS gage there.


The highest flood crest on record at this location is 36.43 ft on July 26-1993. That has been surpassed by more than 6 feet.

Also- flooding is expected in the small community of Tracy-MO.

The current Platte river reading at Tracy is 27.3 feet. At 25 feet- 1st Street in Tracy was overtopped.

The forecast crest is 28.9 feet Friday afternoon. At 29 feet- Missouri Highway (M-) 92 is flooded in Tracy.

More rain is expected for the next 24 to 48 hours- and this will only worsen conditions on the Platte river as well as all other area streams and rivers.

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K.C. Metro-MetroRegion WEATHER: Flash Flood Watch In Effect

The entire Kansas City Metro and MetroRegion- as well as a large part of the Central States- are included in a National Weather Service (NWS)- issued "Flash Flood Watch."

A large area of moderate to heavy rain is moving slowly across eastern Kansas and will begin to affect the Metro by early afternoon.

Soils are saturated and any additional rains will result in runoff into creeks and streams.

There is also a "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms later today- mainly over the western 1/2 of the Kansas City MetroRegion.

More here on CSW as needed....

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OMFG - Swine Flu Is Here - Take Cover - You Gonna DIE

It's the latest news media "flavor of the day."

Enjoy the hype Hype HYPE!!!


BULLETIN: The sun's shining and the birds happily chirping here....

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Central States WEATHER: NWS-SPC - Severe Storm Risk Thursday and Friday

Large parts of the Central States- including Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City are under a forecasted "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms and their accompanying weather on Thursday and Friday.

It addition to the severe weather threat- this new storm system will again bring heavy rainfalls to the Central States as well as our local area.

So later this week- again the chance for severe thunderstorms and heavy- possibly flooding rainfalls.

More on this here later....

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K.C. MetroRegion WEATHER: NWS-SPC- Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 201 - MO-KS-AR-OK

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman-OK has issued Severe Thunderstorm (ST) Watch Number 201 that will be in effect until 7 PM this Monday evening.


As shown in the NWS-SPC graphics (click-on for full size)- the only Kansas City MetroRegion counties included in ST Watch No. 201 are Vernon in MO and Bourbon in KS- the cities of Nevada and Fort Scott respectively.

Here's the latest visible satellite and Doppler weather radar images:

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Kansas City's AM "News-Radio" Stations Not There Saturday Evening

The broadcast media holds the licenses to their communities partially in exchange to providing news and public service to that community.

If that were the SOLE reason for local radio stations to keep their licenses- many Kansas City stations would go silent after Saturday evening's severe weather.

I switched around the AM dial during the height of the severe weather and tornado touch-down in Leavenworth county Saturday evening.

KMBZ- KCMO- 610 - the ONLY station with ANY live programming was 610 carrying the Royals game at Kauffman Stadium.

The other so-called "news-talk" station were certainly doing the talk part- with syndicated programs from elsewhere.

Very little if any breaking severe weather news.

Either you serve your listening public properly or quit advertising that your station is the place to tune into when the skies darken.

Saturday evening's AM radio coverage of the severe weather and tornado event gets an "F."

I'll stick to my scanners for news here on out....

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K.C. and Topeka NWS Radar Indicated Precipitation Maps

Here are the rainfall totals so far for Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City as indicated by our 2 covering NWS Doppler radars in Topeka and Pleasant Hill/KC-MO.

The color codes are on the left side of each image- showing the preciptation amounts registered by the radar during the time period (since Saturday) indicated in the information box on the upper right side of the image.

Rainfalls in Metro K.C. ranged from around 2 to locally 4 inches. More rainshowers today- but should not significantly exacerbate any high water issues.

Any forecasted severe weather today will be south and southeast of Metro K.C..

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Metro-MetroRegion K.C. WEATHER: NWS-SPC- Tornado Watch No. 194 Until Midnight - MO-KS-IA-IL-WI

Tornado Watch Number 194 includes Metro Kansas City- and those MetroRegion areas northeast- north and northwest of Kansas City until midnight.

Areas around Lexington- Marshall- Odessa- Warrensburg and Clinton are NOT in TW No. 194- but should remain on alert later tonight.


Severe weather watches stretch from the Mexican border to Minnesota and Wisconsin this evening.

Here is a visible satellite picture of the U.S. Central States- and the latest Doppler weather radar image from NWS-Pleasant Hill-KC:

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Radar- Other Images and Tidbits From Saturday's Leavenworth County-KS Tornado-Producing Storm

The first inkling of trouble was severe storms moving into and through Jefferson county-KS around 4:30pm- then the surreal story of a man killed after being struck by lightning while riding his motorcycle in a group along U.S. 24 in southern Jefferson county KS around 4:45pm.

Thirty minutes later- a radar-indicated tornado warning was issued for areas southwest of Lawrence around 5:15pm.

Shown here in velocity-mode weather radar images- the circulation inside that severe thunderstorm was clearly evident as the cell moved over Osage into Douglas counties KS..

Osage- Douglas and Jefferson counties were in a tornado watch. Leavenworth county in a severe storm watch.

No tornadoes were reported as the storm moved northeast over Clinton Lake in western Douglas county- then northeast of Lawrence.

This next series of images- compliments of Lawrence.com- shows the rotating wall cloud approaching from the west-southwest then passing about a mile north of downtown Lawrence.


This storm could have dropped a tornado at any time (Notice the Bowersock Dam on the Kansas River in some of the images- click-on them for full size).

The weather radar image from around the same time the photos were taken indicates a general rotation northwest of Lawrence- the direction the photos were taken.

However a tighter- stronger rotation had developed just southeast of Lawrence.

This part of the storm would drop the tornado in southwestern Leavenworth county around 6:30pm- about 10 minutes after the last photo was taken.

Channel 9 had their news chopper up- and a reporter and cameraperson travelling west toward Lawrence on the Kansas Turnpike/I-70 when the tornado formed near the Lawrence Service area- around 238th Street and Loring Road.

While the helicopter brought Channel 9 viewers live pictures of the funnel swirling across the countryside- the reporter and cameraman in the station vehicle below were forced to pull over on the Turnpike and take cover in a ditch as the tornado moved along the Interstate.

The funnel missed them and at least 3 other travelers who took cover in nearby ditches filled with rainwater. No one was injured either on the Turnpike or in any of the reported 6 homes struck by the twister.

A Leavenworth couty emergency spokesperson said the damage was mostly minor at the 6 homes. There were outbuildings and vehicles on those properties damaged or destroyed however. Power was knocked out for around a thousand customers in the area.

The funnel lifted for good just west of Bonner Springs in the vicinity of 188th Street & Metropolitan.

The tornado-bearing part of the storm then moved eastward- toward thousands sitting out a delay race at the Kansas Speedway. Officials herded thousands of fans still at the track into tornado shelter areas until the storm passed.

The storm weakened over the Metro- then again produced tornado warnings and a tornado near the Cameron-MO airport. There were no reports of injuries or damage there.

All in all an exciting Saturday evening weather-wise in the Metro.

Could Sunday evening be a repeat? Stay tuned....

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Central States WEATHER: NWS-SPC- Tornado Watch No. 188 Until 1 PM- KS

Tornado Watch Number 188 will be in effect for much of south-central and central Kansas until 1 PM Sunday afternoon.

There was a tornado warning around Great Bend about 20 minutes ago- but no report if any funnels touched down.

Here is the latest Doppler weather radar image from NWS-Topeka:

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Metro K.C. WEATHER: Severe Storm Watch Over ... More Later

The Storm Prediction Center cancelled early ST Watch No. 185 that was in effect until awhile ago (5am).

"Slight" severe storm chances continue today- tonight and tomorrow over most of the Kansas City MetroRegion.

There will be a greater or "moderate" risk of severe storms and possible tornadoes from south-central Kansas into Oklahoma once again.

Of another concern will be heavy- flash-flooding rainfalls- particularily in areas that have received heavy rains the past few days.

CSW will be on-the-ball as it's dropped on us later this April Sunday....

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Lawrence-KS Motorcyclist Killed By Lightning A First

CSW broke the story first: At 4:45pm Saturday afternoon- Jefferson county-KS fire and EMS units were sent to the 6900 block of U.S. 25 highway west of Perry- a caller reported they had been following a motorcyclist who was struck by lightning.

The caller indicated 2 people were on the cycle- but actually a 2nd cyclist was riding next to the driver who was struck. Both cycles crashed.

EMS arrived about 10 minutes later and reported the man struck by the bolt dead-on-arrival. The second driver was "up and walking around" EMS said.

That was the cut-and dried story.


A severe thunderstorm over southern Jefferson county-KS on Saturday afternoon. This view looking northwest from downtown Lawrence-KS.


What is later learned is that the victim was a 45-year-old Lawrence man who was riding with a group of 10 other riders on a charitable mission. The man riding next to the victim was 35-year-old Michael Robinson of Gardner-KS.. Mr. Robinson suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from a Topeka medical center.

The group the 2 men were riding with was the Kansas branch of Bikers Against Child Abuse. They reportedly were returning after visiting some past victims they had helped.

In my more than 40 years of weather study and weather-news media exposure I've NEVER heard of a motorcyclist going down a highway who was struck by lightning and killed.

This incident was particularily tragic- and our condolences go out to the victim's family and friends..

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