Flash flood warning issued for KC metro as hail pelts some areas during tornado watch

Already under a tornado watch, the Kansas City metro, along with parts of Missouri and Kansas, were issued a flash flood warning Monday afternoon as severe thunderstorms and quarter-sized hail pelted the area, according to the National Weather Service.

The Missouri counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte, and the Kansas counties of Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte remain under a flash flood warning until 8:15 p.m. A flash flood warning has also been issued to Cameron, Plattsburg, and Lathrop in Missouri until 8:30 p.m.

More than 1.8 million people could be affected by the flood warning.

The thunderstorms are currently producing one and a half to two inches of rain per hour, the weather service said. Rainfall between a half an inch and up to 2 inches has already been measured, with a possible extra inch of rainfall expected, according to the National Weather Service.

Wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour are expected. Those high wind gusts have already been seen at the Johnson County Airport and in Jackson County, the National Weather Service posted on social media.

The weather service advises drivers to avoid flooded or closed roadways.

Flash floods generally occur within a short time period after a rain event, generally 6 hours or less, the weather service said. They are considered more life-threatening for that reason.

This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM.