Fifty active flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service span eight states — Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and Washington — as persistent rainfall pushes rivers above flood stage across a broad stretch of the central United States.
Missouri anchors the densest cluster of warnings. The Osage River at Taberville has exceeded its banks, with flooding affecting Vernon and St. Clair counties. Tributaries throughout the basin are also running high: the Little Osage River near Horton is forecast for minor flooding in Vernon County, and Petite Saline Creek near Boonville in Cooper County is in active minor flood stage, with the warning extended through Friday afternoon. At 19.5 feet, the Petite Saline Creek overtops U Highway approximately four miles southeast of Boonville. Additional Missouri counties under active warnings include Jackson, Lafayette, and Ray.
Jackson County, Missouri — home to Kansas City weather — is among the areas with active alerts, reflecting how widely the Osage and Missouri River drainages are affected.
Southern Indiana accounts for a substantial share of the remaining warnings, with alerts active across more than 20 counties including Dubois, Crawford, Perry, Harrison, Floyd, Clark, Trimble, Owen, Morgan, Johnson, Sullivan, Greene, Monroe, Brown, Bartholomew, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Lawrence, Jackson, and Jennings. Many of those counties drain toward the Ohio River; residents near the river corridor can monitor conditions via Louisville weather. Illinois warnings are concentrated in Clay and Richland counties. The geographic reach of the event extends to Alaska’s Lower Yukon River, where an active flood warning is also in effect.
Across affected Missouri gauges, the National Weather Service describes minor flooding as already occurring with additional rises forecast before rivers crest. The Petite Saline Creek warning is one of several that have been explicitly extended, a signal that rivers are not yet receding.
The National Weather Service is warning motorists throughout all affected areas against driving through flooded roadways: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Many flood deaths occur in vehicles.” The advisory is especially critical on rural county roads and low-water crossings common across the Osage basin and the rolling terrain of southern Indiana.
Updated flood statements are expected through late tonight across most affected regions. Current river stage readings and warning status are available at weather.gov.