Flash Flood — Webster, Missouri

2023-03-23 to 2023-03-24 · near Olga, Webster, Missouri

Event narrative

A vehicle containing 3 occupants attempted to traverse a flooded low water crossing on Route Z at the Finley River. Two of the occupants were rescued safely but the driver did not survive, drowning as a result.

Wider weather episode

The most impactful storm system to affect the region during the month of March began during the late afternoon and early evening of the 23rd as strong to severe thunderstorms trained along and north of a front that had stalled over northwest Arkansas and south central Missouri. While the storms produced sporadic wind damage and hail, rainfall accumulations exceeded three inches within a 6-hour period during the evening of the 23rd. This led to numerous flooded low water crossings, evacuations at Roaring River State Park, and swift water rescues from McDonald County to Dent County. Unfortunately, there were three flash flood related fatalities that occurred - two fatalities occurred along Parks Creek to the southwest of Grovespring in Wright County, and one fatality occurred in southern Webster County along Finley Creek. In both instances, people drove across flooded low water crossings and were swept off the road. Minor to moderate river flooding occurred along many of the larger creeks and rivers including the James, Jacks Fork, Elk, Spring, Current, Big Piney, Roubidoux and Gasconade Rivers and Shoal Creek. Rainfall accumulations averaging around two inches for the 24-hour period ending at 6 PM on the 24th occurred along and east of a line from Neosho to Osage Beach. Within this area, there was a swath of over five inches of rain from Billings to Cabool.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.1000, -92.9200)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1088056. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.