Red Flag Warning Issued for Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri; Alert Set to Expire at 8 PM

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Springfield, MO, has issued a Red Flag Warning for southeast Kansas and southwest and central Missouri. The alert is effective until 8:00 PM CST this evening, February 19, 2026.

Affected Areas

The warning covers a broad geographic area including:

• Southeast Kansas: Bourbon, Crawford, and Cherokee counties.
• Missouri: Benton, Morgan, Miller, Maries, Vernon, St. Clair, Hickory, Camden, Pulaski, Phelps, Barton, Cedar, Polk, Dallas, Laclede, Texas, Jasper, Dade, Greene, Webster, Wright, Newton, Lawrence, Christian, Douglas, Howell, McDonald, Barry, Stone, Taney, and Ozark counties.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected zones should remain prepared and monitor local conditions. As the warning is set to expire shortly, continue to exercise caution regarding fire hazards until conditions fully stabilize.

Expected Conditions

According to the National Weather Service, relative humidity values are currently improving as a cold front pushes into the area. This improvement is expected to continue from west to east as the front progresses. Behind the front, gusty winds are shifting to the northwest and are forecast to diminish into tomorrow morning.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning was issued at 7:50 PM CST and is scheduled to expire at 8:00 PM CST on February 19, 2026.