Some roadways in the area were temporarily closed or rendered impassable on Monday morning and afternoon after several inches of rain fell in a few short hours.
Rain gauges report that nearly 2 inches of rain fell in Columbia through the early afternoon, while the Lake of the Ozarks area saw a reported 2.65 inches near Macks Creek, and 3.37 inches in Versailles. These reports were made in the mid-afternoon, and more rain is expected through the evening.
The inundation led National Weather Service offices in Kansas City, Springfield, and St. Louis to issue flood alerts for most of the area through Monday evening. Flood Watches and Advisories are issued when conditions are ripe for flooding, and Flood Warnings are issued when flooding is ongoing or observed.
The Weather Prediction Center also issues excessive rainfall outlooks to highlight areas with high probabilities of flash flooding. Much of the area, especially in western Missouri, is under a moderate risk of flash flooding on Monday, which equals about a 40% probability of flooding. While this might sound low, it’s almost a coin flip chance to experience a flood…