Tornado watch dropped for Kansas City area; flood watch remains

Update: The Kansas City area is no longer under a tornado watch, the National Weather Service reported late Tuesday afternoon in a tweet, though areas east of the metro are expected to remain under a tornado watch until 9 p.m.

A tornado watch has been issued for Kansas City and surrounding areas Tuesday afternoon as the threat of severe thunderstorms draws near.

The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Tuesday and covers the Kansas City area as well as eastern and northeastern Kansas and western and north-central Missouri.

Strong to severe storms are possible Tuesday afternoon and evening, with damaging winds and isolated tornadoes being the primary threats, according to the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill.

The most likely timing for the wind and tornado threats will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The threat quickly dissipates after the sun sets.

The storms are approaching the area from the southwest, moving northeast. A few tornadoes are possible early on, while damaging gusts are possible until sunset.

The Weather Service warned that even if tornadoes don’t materialize, people should be aware that strong winds could uproot trees.

“Keep in mind that with the recent rains and saturated ground, it may not take much wind to bring down power lines and/or trees,” the Weather Service said in a post on Facebook.

The storms are expected to bring 1 to 3 inches of rain to the area Tuesday and into the overnight hours. Some areas might see heavier rainfall.

That rain, combined with the multiple rounds of rain that has already fallen in the past few days, could worsen ongoing flooding in the area.

Concerns about flooding remain focused on areas along the Kansas and Missouri state line and northwest Missouri. The threat of flash flooding could move east as the storms sweep through the area, according to the Weather Service.

This story was originally published October 9, 2018 at 2:39 PM.