Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Birmingham, AL

ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-081100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
926 PM CST SAT MAR 07 1998

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR ALL OF ALABAMA AND
PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...

A STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL
GEORGIA THIS EVENING.  LARGE AREAS OF RAIN...MIXED WITH SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS...WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE
NIGHTTIME HOURS.  THE BEST INGREDIENTS FOR SEVERE WEATHER ARE ACROSS
PARTS OF SOUTH ALABAMA...AND WESTERN PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA TONIGHT.

SOME OF THE STORMS TONIGHT MAY BECOME STRONG ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH
AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...BUT AT THIS TIME...THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE
WEATHER ACROSS THESE AREAS APPEARS TO BE SUNDAY.

THE MAIN THREAT TONIGHT WILL BE FOR FLASH FLOODING.  RAINFALL FROM
THE PREVIOUS DAYS HAS SATURATED THE GROUND IN SOME LOCATIONS.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE NIGHT
AND MAY LEAD TO FLOODING.  ALSO...SOME OF THE RIVERS ARE NEARING OR
HAVE GONE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE.  MORE RAINFALL TONIGHT AND SUNDAY WILL
CAUSE SIGNIFICANT RISES ALONG RIVERS IN ALABAMA.

THERE REMAINS THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND...AND POSSIBLY
TORNADOES ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH ALABAMA TONIGHT...INTO EARLY SUNDAY
AND AREA WIDE SUNDAY.  IF SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL CONTINUES ACROSS THE
AREA SUNDAY...THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE EXPANDED.

CURRENTLY...SOUTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA...WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
GEORGIA REMAINS UNDER A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER FOR TONIGHT
AND EARLY SUNDAY.

AT THIS TIME...ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS IS NOT ANTICIPATED
TONIGHT.  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND LAW OFFICIALS SHOULD STAY TUNED TO
THE LATEST WEATHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA...AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL
GEORGIA TONIGHT.

FOLLOW UP STATEMENTS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED DURING SUNDAY MORNING.