MetroRegion K.C. Weather: "Moderate Risk" of Severe Storms in Northern MetroRegion Today

The moderate risk area as outlined by the NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is generally along and north of U.S. 36 highway- including Atchison KS and cities such as St. Joseph- Maryville- Chillicothe- Kirksville- Bethany and Trenton- and the moderate risk lasts until about 7 a.m. Saturday morning.


Metro Kansas City and the southern areas of the MetroRegion are in a "slight risk" area for severe thunderstorms.


Primary severe threats today are large hail and winds of 58 m.p.h. or greater and- as is the risk with any severe thunderstorm- isolated tornadoes- especially in the moderate risk area.

More a threat will be torrential rainfalls that could produce deadly flash flooding- or at the very least exacerbate present flood conditions.

There's also a "slight risk" for severe storms Saturday through early Sunday from Metro Kansas City northward.

CSW will man the overnight hours Saturday and Sunday morning to let you know if any severe weather threatens the Metro.

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Minnesota Tornadoes Kill At Least 2

Tornadoes in west-central- northwestern and south-central Minnesota has killed at least 2 people and injured at least four.

Almora was the location of a woman killed trying to seek shelter in a ditch when the tornado struck the small enclave of 20 people around 5 p.m..

The woman's husband who was also trying to take shelter was seriously injured.

A man was killed and 3 were injured when a gas station in Mentor MN was destroyed by a tornado about 6:30 p.m. CDT..

High winds and possibly a tornado or two did heavy damage in the city of Wadena- but there are no initial reports of injuries- according to the MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE.



Later in the evening- a large tornado was reported near Albert Lea in south-central Minnesota.

Homes were reported destroyed with "people injured" in the area of Alden MN- according to the ALBERT LEA (MN) TRIBUNE.

Heavy damage was also reported in the community of Kiester.

UPDATE- Friday morning 0855 CDT- The ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE is now reporting one fatality and "dozens" of injuries.

Tornado watches and/or severe thunderstorms continue tonight from northern Kansas into Nebraska- Iowa- Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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CSW COMMENTARY: Should Texas Apologize to America For Rep. Joe Barton?

Here's an aside to today's Congressional "hearings" regarding British Petroleum's (BP) trashing of the Gulf of Mexico shoreline by their well blowout.



Believe this or don't- Republicrat Representative Joe Barton of Texas apologized to BP's Tony Hayward for the way Haywood was treated by certain Americans- specifically President Obama.


Here- you can watch it yourself courtesy of CBS News.

I've lived in Texas- I visit Texas often- there are many friends and damn good people in Texas.

How the HELL did some of your brethren elect the likes of Joe Barton and do ya think ya-all might DO something about that?


President Obama's DEMAND for an escrow account- the $20-billion that BP must set aside- was the start of what I hope are a series of right things being done about this continuing ecological disaster.


Joe Barton's "apology" was sheer political bullshit- and ANY American trying to play politics with the worst ecological disaster in American history should at very least have his head examined.

At very best- voters should replace the likes of Joe Barton at the earliest possible election.

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Woman Yells at BP's Hayward: "You Need to be Charged with a Crime."

Watching the Senate's hearings regarding BP's- Halliburton's- et-al- trashing of America's Gulf of Mexico- at the start of the hearing a woman in the audience stood up and yelled at British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward "You need to be charged with a crime."

He's BP's CEO and he "isn't responsible?????"

One crime I see and hear while watching the hearing is that Hayward can't even answer many of the questions put to him by politicians. 

Playing dumb won't cut it with many Americans who are absolutely LIVID over the continued destruction of the American coastline of the Gulf of Mexico.

If it means bankruptcy for BP- Halliburton- et al- so be it.

Any and ALL deep-sea drilling within America's shorelines MUST be halted until oil companies come up with complete plans to stop such massive oil leaks.

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Minor Fire Shuts Down South Kansas City Eatery

Five companies of the Kansas City MO Fire department were called at 10:18 a.m. Thursday morning to a reported fire at Couzin's Catfish restaurant in the 8700 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard.


This CSW photographer was first on the scene- and witnessed dark brown smoke coming from the roof of the 1-story structure while employees inside evacuated.

The fire was in a deep fryer and vent- and was pretty-much extinguished by the restaurant's fire supression system and a handline from a fire department pumper.


Damage was fairly light- but the KC-MO Health department was called and the restaurant is closed to the public until health department inspector determines the establishment is safe for food service.

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More Photos of Tuesday Evening's Full Double-Rainbow

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June Rainfall In Parts of Metro Kansas City Passes the 14-Inch Mark

Wednesday evening's thunder-downpours brought around 2-inches of rain in about an hour over parts of the southern Metro.

Images shown (click to enlarge) are- to the left is Wednesday's rainfall totals- via Overland Park's "Stormwatch" - from rain guages covering JoCo KS- south and midtown KC-MO as well as Northland KC-MO- and to the right the June totals so far as of the 9 p.m. hour Wednesday.


A June maximum so far of 14.02 is reported at Mission Road at Indian Creek in Leawood. Second place goes to a reporting station at I-435 and Nall in Overland Park at 13.98-inches.

There are unofficial reports I've seen of more than 17-inches of rain so far this month in the Ruskin Heights area of south KC-MO and parts of northwestern Cass county MO..


Wednesday's  heaviest rains appeared to be over northwestern Cass county with the 2-inch report- followed by south Jackson county MO into eastern and southeastern Johnson county KS with 1.5 to 1.8 inch reports.

Some high water rescues were necessary in Leawood KS at 151st Street and Kenneth Road- in Belton  in the 16400 block of Harris and in Raymore in the 1000 block of Johnston.

Lightning struck several houses in Overland park and Leawood- and caused a fire that heavily-damaged a house in Lee's Summit MO..

No injuries reported at any of those incidents.


Moderate flood crests are forecast by the NWS along the Missouri River from Brownsville NE to Leavenworth KS.

The flood crest will arrive in Leavenworth Friday morning.

The current weather radar shows last evening's activity well east of Metro Kansas City- but another area of precipitation shown moving east into central Kansas- leaving at least some chance of more precip here in the Metro later this Thursday morning.

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Photos of Rare Double-Rainbow Over Eastern Raytown

The storm system that brought parts of Metro Kansas City nearly 1.75-inches of rain in an hour has moved into the southeastern through eastern MetroRegion.

On it's departure- it left a stunningly-beautiful full double rainbow to the east of Blue Ridge in Raytown- and we just HAD to pull-off an snap these and other photos/videos of this rare sight.


An update on today's rainfall totals and the June running-total so far coming soon....

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CSW BREAKING: Severe Thunderstorms Poised To Hit Metro K.C.

Severe thunderstorms are just to the west of Metro Kansas City and warnings have been posted for western and northwestern Kansas Metro counties (refer to radar image for exact locations).

Also- be aware of rapidly-developing and potentially deadly flash flooding with these storms!

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Central States News: One Missing When Railroad Bridge Collapses into Floodwaters Near Norfolk NE

Three employees of the Nebraska Central Railroad Co. were inspecting a bridge Tuesday when the bridge suddenly collapsed- sending the 3 men into the raging floodwaters of the Elkhorn river at Norfolk.

Two of the men managed to get out of the swollen river- but the 3rd man went missing and remains so today- according to the story in The GRAND ISLAND (NE) INDEPENDENT.

The Elkhorn crested "2 inches below" the flood-control levees in Norfolk- and the river is slowly receeding.

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MetroRegion Kansas City Flood Update

Scattered heavy rains continue over the Central States and Kansas City MetroRegion- gradually worsening flood conditions on the middle Missouri River upstream of Kansas City.

The latest hydrologic conditions- as shown in this recent image from the NWS-Kansas City/Pleasant Hill office shows moderate flooding on the Missouri as far south as Atchison KS today.

Currently- showers and thunderstorms are occurring over parts of south through north-central Kansas.

This activity is GENERALLY moving north-northeast- but some storm activity could very well develop eastward in the heat of the day into Metro Kansas City- adding to some locations' rainfall totals so far the June 2010 of a foot or more of rainfall.

No break in this warm to hot and humid weather pattern is seen yet- with another low pressure trough re-organizing in the western states next week- gradually re-loading this weather pattern of summer storms.

The good news is that aside from the torrential rainfalls- only isolated- if any- severe weather is expected to occur.

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