Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2002

Flash Flood Warning 25, NWS Birmingham, AL

July 12, 2002Jefferson County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jul 12, 2002, 7:28 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 12, 2002, 7:28 PM CDT (00:28 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 2002, 10:15 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Jefferson County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:31 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 43 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2002-07-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 481 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2002-07-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -23 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
481 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
660 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
2 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
11 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WGUS54 KBMX 130028
FFWBHM
ALC073-130315-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
725 PM CDT FRI JUL 12 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  JEFFERSON COUNTY IN ALABAMA

* UNTIL 1015 PM CDT

* AT 725 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY   
RAIN ALONG INTERSTATE 65 STRETCHING THE LENGTH OF THE 
COUNTY...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH. RADAR ESTIMATES THREE 
TO FIVE INCHES OF RAINFALL FROM NEAR BIRMINGHAM...TO TARRANT...TO 
GARDENDALE IN THE PAST FEW HOURS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF ONE TO TWO 
INCHES IS POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE AREAS NORTH AND EAST 
OF BIRMINGHAM ARE AT THE GREATEST THREAT FOR FLOODING.

FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN GARDENDALE WITH SEVERAL ROADS 
IMPASSABLE. FIVE MILE CREEK IS FLOODED IN AND NEAR HUFFMAN. SEVERAL 
RESCUES ARE IN PROGRESS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND LIFE 
THREATENING SITUATION...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS...ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK
HIGHER GROUND.
3 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS74 KBMX 130117 CCA
FFSBHM
ALC073-130200-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT..CORRECTED FOR WARNING TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
805 PM CDT FRI JUL 12 2002

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM...

AT 805 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUING ACROSS EASTERN JEFFERSON 
COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS LOCATED EAST OF A CENTER POINT TO 
BIRMINGHAM. THE RAIN AREA CONTINUES SLOWLY MOVING EAST. NUMEROUS 
AREA CREEKS HAVE RISEN OUT OF THEIR BANKS. FLOODING HAS BEEN 
REPORTED IN TARRANT...GARDENDALE...CENTER POINT...PINSON... 
KETONA...ROEBUCK...HUFFMAN...AND BIRMINGHAM. ALTHOUGH THE HEAVIEST 
RAINFALL HAS MOVED EAST...RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS...LIFE THREATENING SITUATION...AND EVERY
PRECAUTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO AVOID LOSS OF LIFE AND PROERTY.
EXTENSIVE FLOODING IS EXPECTED. MOTORISTS SHOULD AVOID WATER COVERED
ROADS...AND FIND ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.

DURING HEAVY RAINS...KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS...
DITCHES...CREEKS AND STREAMS. SHALLOW...GENTLY FLOWING WATER CAN
BECOME A RAGING TORRENT IN A MATTER OF MINUTES WHEN HEAVY RAINS
OCCUR. KEEP IN MIND THAT...THIS DEEP...FAST MOVING WATER WILL
CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE RAINS HAVE STOPPED.
000 
WGUS74 KBMX 130232
FFSBHM
ALC073-130330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
924 PM CDT FRI JUL 12 2002

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY UNTIL 1015 
PM...

AT 924 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES 
MOST OF THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS DECREASED IN INTENSITY...BUT 
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING IN WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY. 
RADAR ESTIMATES TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN FELL THIS EVENING...WITH 
SOME ISOLATED AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS SIX INCHES. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL 
MAINLY OCCURRED FROM BIRMINGHAM...TO TARRANT...TO PINSON. REPORTS 
INDICATE NUMEROUS LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE ABOVE BANKFULL AND 
FLOODING ROADWAYS. MANY ROADS ARE CLOSED AND THE RUNOFF FROM THE 
HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE FRO A FEW MORE HOURS. 

DURING HEAVY RAINS...KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS...
DITCHES...CREEKS AND STREAMS. SHALLOW...GENTLY FLOWING WATER CAN
BECOME A RAGING TORRENT IN A MATTER OF MINUTES WHEN HEAVY RAINS
OCCUR. KEEP IN MIND THAT...THIS DEEP...FAST MOVING WATER WILL
CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE RAINS HAVE STOPPED.
000 
WGUS74 KBMX 130235 CCA
FFSBHM
ALC073-130330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...CORRECTED ADDITIONAL RAIN AMOUNT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
924 PM CDT FRI JUL 12 2002

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY UNTIL 1015 
PM...

AT 924 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES 
MOST OF THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS DECREASED IN INTENSITY...BUT 
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING IN WESTERN JEFFERSON 
COUNTY...WITH UP TO ANOTHER HALF INCH POSSIBLE THROUGH 1015 PM. 
RADAR ESTIMATES TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN FELL THIS EVENING...WITH 
SOME ISOLATED AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS SIX INCHES. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL 
MAINLY OCCURRED FROM BIRMINGHAM...TO TARRANT...TO PINSON. REPORTS 
INDICATE NUMEROUS LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE ABOVE BANKFULL AND 
FLOODING ROADWAYS. MANY ROADS ARE CLOSED AND THE RUNOFF FROM THE 
HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. 

DURING HEAVY RAINS...KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS...
DITCHES...CREEKS AND STREAMS. SHALLOW...GENTLY FLOWING WATER CAN
BECOME A RAGING TORRENT IN A MATTER OF MINUTES WHEN HEAVY RAINS
OCCUR. KEEP IN MIND THAT...THIS DEEP...FAST MOVING WATER WILL
CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE RAINS HAVE STOPPED.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 12, 7:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga34 min
Jul 12, 10:17 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXJefferson3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2002Every flash flood warning in 2002

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.