Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Mobile, AL

May 18, 2003Baldwin County, Mobile County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at May 18, 2003, 6:38 AM CDT for Baldwin County, Mobile County, Alabama. It was in force for 112 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2003, 6:38 AM CDT (11:38 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2003, 8:30 AM CDT
In force
112 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Baldwin County, AL, Mobile County, AL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:41 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 177 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2003-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2667 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2003-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 107 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2667 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1028 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
107 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
139 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
7.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KMOB 181141
FFWMOB
ALC003-097-181330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
638 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL BALDWIN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BAY MINETTE
  CENTRAL MOBILE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA

* UNTIL 830 AM CDT

* AT 636 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY 
HEAVY   RAIN FROM JUST SOUTH OF BAY MINETTE TO JUST WEST OF MOBILE 
REGIONAL AIRPORT.  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK 
SLOWLY ACROSS THE WARNED AREA THIS MORNING. RADAR INDICATES THAT 3 
TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FELL SINCE MIDNIGHT WITH ANOTHER 1 TO 2 
INCHES POSSIBLE. 

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS AND OTHER
LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

LAT...LON 3086 8767 3056 8852 3081 8836 3102 8767
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS74 KMOB 181242
FFSMOB
ALC003-097-181330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
740 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 AM CDT FOR 
THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...BALDWIN AND MOBILE COUNTIES.

SOME PLACES IN THE WARNED AREA SUBJECT TO FLOOD PROBLEMS ARE...I65 
AND MOFFETT ROAD...DEES...SPRING HILL COLLEGE...CRICHTON... 
PHILLIPSVILLE...HUTCHENS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND COTTAGE HILL PARK.

AT 736 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH 
HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING TO MOVE ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. SOME 
OF THESE STORMS ARE CAPABABLE OF PRODUCING 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN PER 
HOUR OVER AN ALREADY SATURATED GROUND. 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AT MOBILE REGIONAL AIRPORT HAS 
MEASURED 4.25 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE 2 AM.  

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL FLOODING OF
SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES...AND OTHER LOW
LYING FLOOD PRONE AREAS. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED SEVERAL ROADS INUNDATED AND IMPASSABLE.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. 
RESIDENTS LIVING IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. IF FLASH FLOODING IS 
OBSERVED...MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGHER GROUND AND NEVER DRIVE INTO AN AREA
WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 7:36 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB24 min
May 17, 9:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBWashington37 min
May 17, 10:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke35 min
May 18, 8:25 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin, Mobile2 hr
May 18, 10:25 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin2 hr
May 18, 10:51 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBMobile84 min
May 18, 12:04 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB3 hr
May 18, 12:28 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin6 hr
May 18, 2:58 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB2 hr
May 18, 4:58 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003

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.