Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Huntsville, AL

February 21, 2005Colbert County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 21, 2005, 4:35 PM CST for Colbert County, Alabama. It was in force for 115 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: Feb 21, 2005, 4:35 PM CST (22:35 UTC)
Expired: Feb 21, 2005, 6:30 PM CST
In force: 115 min
Issued by: NWS Huntsville, AL
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Colbert County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:37 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 189 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 65 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -286 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1002 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 94 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 129 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KHUN 212235
FFWHUN
ALC033-220030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
435 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  COLBERT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA

* UNTIL 630 PM CST

* AT 435 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS MOVING REPEATEDLY OVER 
THE SAME AREAS...MAINLY IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY. 
RAINFALL UP TO AN INCH HAS ALREADY OCCURRED IN THE GEORGETOWN AREA 
ALONG NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...
  CHEROKEE...LEIGHTON...LITTLEVILLE...MUSCLE SHOALS...SHEFFIELD AND
  TUSCUMBIA

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

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.

LAT...LON 3486 8794 3483 8793 3474 8783 3473 8779
      3481 8761 3480 8745 3460 8752 3460 8811
      3477 8811 3487 8808

$$

JE/23

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Feb 21, 2:50 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:50 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
250 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

.DISCUSSION...
SFC COLD FRONT HAS MADE IT TO NR MEMPHIS AREA WITH LINE OF STORMS
OUT AHEAD OF IT.  NUMEROUS REPORTS OF PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL WITH
THE LINE...WITH ONE GOLFBALL REPORT AS OF 20Z.  LINE IS MOVING EAST
AT APPROX 40-45 KTS AND VERY SLOWLY SINKING SOUTH.  AIRMASS AHEAD OF
BOUNDARY HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE WITH DAYTIME HEATING.
CAPES ON THE ORDER OF 1000-2000 JOULES WITH LI/S BELOW -2C WILL KEEP
SVR THREAT GOING INTO THE EVENING HOURS.  CURRENT SVR WATCH EXPIRES
AT 00Z THIS EVENING.  IN ADDITION TO SVR WX...FLOODING HAS BECOME
BIG ISSUE WITH RADAR ESTIMATES OF NEARLY 2 INCHES PER HOUR WITH
TRAINING CELLS.  TEMPS TODAY WERE ABLE TO WARM INTO THE LOWER 70S
AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH DEWPTS INTO THE 60S.  QUESTION FOR THIS
UPDATE WILL REVOLVE AROUND THUNDER CHANCES CONTINUING THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT AND ANY ADDITIONAL FLOODING ISSUES.

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT-THUR)...
COLD FRONT WILL SINK SOUTH OVERNIGHT BUT SVR THREAT WILL CONTINUE
UNTIL APPROX 02Z PER INSTABILITY PARAMATERS FROM LATEST RUC.
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL PUSH THRU MAJORITY OF FA BY 03Z.  STORMS
CONTINUE DEVELOPING BACK TO THE WEST ACROSS LAUDERDALE COUNTY AND
THREAT FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN THIS AREA.  RUC HAS
GOOD HANDLE ON PCPN AXIS AND INDICATES MAIN QPF BAND SHOULD SHIFT
SOUTH OF THIS AREA BY 23Z.  POPS WILL BE DECIDED BASED ON RADAR
TRENDS AT ISSUANCE TIME...BUT CATEGORICAL POPS LIKELY ACROSS PARTS
OF AREA TONIGHT.

IN ADDITION...RIVER FLOODING WILL BECOME AN INCREASING CONCERN AS
SEVERAL RIVERS ARE ALREADY OUT OF BANKS AND SEVERAL MORE FCST TO BE
IN FLOOD OVERNIGHT/EARLY TUESDAY MORNING.  SEE HUNFLWHUN/HUNFLSHUN
FOR MORE DETAILS.  PCPN SHOULD COME TO AN END AFTER MIDNIGHT
ALTHOUGH LINGERING MOISTURE MAY KEEP SOME SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN
AROUND UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER 06Z.  WITH LINGERING MOISTURE AND DRIER
AIR REMAINING NORTH...LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WILL LIKELY BE A FACTOR BY
DAYBREAK AND WILL KEEP ZONES AS IS.

REMAINDER OF SHORT TERM UNCHANGED AS SFC LOW AND INVERTED TROF FCST
TO DEVELOP MID-WEEK WILL STAY TO OUR SOUTH.  MAINLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT
MAY BRING OCCASIONAL S/WAVE TO AREA BUT NO REAL THREAT FOR PCPN
DURING THE PERIOD.

LONG TERM (FRI-MON)...
NO CHANGES MADE TO EXTENDED PORTION OF FCST AS AREA REMAINS BETWEEN
SYSTEMS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
HUNTSVILLE    50  63  43  57 /  80  10   0   0
SHOALS        49  62  42  56 /  80  10   0   0
CULLMAN       52  63  44  58 /  70  10   0   0
FAYETTEVILLE  49  62  41  55 /  80  10   0   0
FT PAYNE      52  63  42  56 /  70  10   0   0

&&

.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

PB

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 3:55 PM CST, 40 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
355 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-220330-
COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE-
LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN-
355 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PARTS OF
SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...(THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT)...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT PARTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH THE
MAIN THREAT BEING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES. IN ADDITION LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. GIVEN AN ALREADY SATURATED GROUND...SOME
ISOLATED RUNOFF PROBLEMS ARE POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...WIDESPREAD FLOODING
IS NOT EXPECTED.

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING.
SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY END OVERNIGHT AS DRIER AIR NORTH OF THE FRONT
INFILTRATES THE REGION. A WET GROUND AND LIGHT WINDS WILL CREATE
FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOG.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...

THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

AREAS OF FOG WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY.
OTHERWISE...DRIER WEATHER WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
WORK WEEK AS THE COLD FRONT SHIFTS SOUTH OF THE AREA.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS
NOT LIKELY TODAY.  HOWEVER...ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD CONTINUE
TO MONITOR FUTURE UPDATES.

RSB

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 21, 3:03 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
303 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0223 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SW HARVEST            34.84N 86.77W
02/21/2005                   MADISON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            15 TO 20 HOUSES WITH TREES ON TOP OF THEM OR THROUGH THEM

&&

DL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 3:14 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
314 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0215 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CAPSHAW                 34.77N 86.79W
02/21/2005                   LIMESTONE          AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN JUST WEST OF LIMESTONE PRISON

0255 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CAPSHAW                 34.77N 86.79W
02/21/2005                   LIMESTONE          AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN ON A HOUSE IN BELMONT ESTATES

0255 PM     HAIL             MADISON                 34.70N 86.75W
02/21/2005  0.75 INCH        MADISON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            DIME SIZE HAIL IN THE CITY OF MADISON

&&

DL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 3:36 PM CST, 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
336 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0251 PM     HAIL             3 S HARVEST             34.81N 86.75W
02/21/2005  0.75 INCH        MADISON            AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PENNY SIZE HAIL AT ORVIL SMITH ROAD

0251 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 S HARVEST             34.81N 86.75W
02/21/2005                   MADISON            AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            WATER OVER ORVIL SMITH ROAD

0302 PM     HAIL             MADISON                 34.70N 86.75W
02/21/2005  0.25 INCH        MADISON            AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PEA SIZE HAIL AT INTERGRAPH

0305 PM     HAIL             HUNTSVILLE              34.73N 86.59W
02/21/2005  0.75 INCH        MADISON            AL   PUBLIC

            DIME SIZE HAIL AT THE INTERSECTION OF UNIVERSITY DRIVE
            AND MEMORIAL PARKWAY

0310 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MOORESVILLE             34.63N 86.88W
02/21/2005                   LIMESTONE          AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PONDING OF WATER ON I-565 IN LIMESTONE COUNTY

0315 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MADISON                 34.70N 86.75W
02/21/2005                   MADISON            AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            INDIAN CREEK AT BANKFULL

0315 PM     HAIL             HUNTSVILLE              34.73N 86.59W
02/21/2005  0.25 INCH        MADISON            AL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            PEA SIZE HAIL AT WHNT-TV

0317 PM     HAIL             HUNTSVILLE              34.73N 86.59W
02/21/2005  0.25 INCH        MADISON            AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PEA SIZE HAIL COVERING THE ROAD AT THE INTERSECTION OF
            WEATHERLY ROAD AND MOUNTAIN GAP ROAD

0317 PM     HAIL             HUNTSVILLE              34.73N 86.59W
02/21/2005  0.88 INCH        MADISON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL AT MOUNTAIN GAP SCHOOL

0320 PM     HAIL             HUNTSVILLE              34.73N 86.59W
02/21/2005  1.00 INCH        MADISON            AL   PUBLIC

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT THE INTERSECTION OF BAILEY COVE ROAD
            AND MOUNTAIN GAP ROAD

&&

DL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 3:58 PM CST, 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
358 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0335 PM     HAIL             VALLEY HEAD             34.55N 85.63W
02/21/2005  1.50 INCH        DEKALB             AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL IN VALLEY HEAD

0340 PM     HAIL             5 SE GRANT              34.47N 86.19W
02/21/2005  0.25 INCH        MARSHALL           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            PEA SIZE HAIL AT PINE ISLAND

&&

DL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:22 PM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
422 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0405 PM     HAIL             FORT PAYNE              34.44N 85.72W
02/21/2005  0.75 INCH        DEKALB             AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            DIME SIZE HAIL IN FORT PAYNE AND RAINSVILLE

0406 PM     HAIL             FORT PAYNE              34.44N 85.72W
02/21/2005  0.25 INCH        DEKALB             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            PEA SIZE HAIL IN FORT PAYNE AND HENAGAR

0410 PM     HAIL             5 S HARVEST             34.78N 86.75W
02/21/2005  0.75 INCH        MADISON            AL   PUBLIC

            DIME SIZE HAIL AT THE INTERSECTION OF OLD RAILROAD BED
            ROAD AND CAPSHAW ROAD ON THE MADISON/LIMESTONE COUNTY
            LINE

0415 PM     HAIL             SHEFFIELD               34.76N 87.70W
02/21/2005  0.88 INCH        COLBERT            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL AT SHEFFIELD

0415 PM     HAIL             1 W FLORENCE            34.83N 87.68W
02/21/2005  1.00 INCH        LAUDERDALE         AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND WEST OF FLORENCE

0420 PM     HAIL             FLORENCE                34.83N 87.67W
02/21/2005  1.00 INCH        LAUDERDALE         AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN FLORENCE

&&

DL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:32 PM CST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
432 PM CST MON FEB 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0223 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SW HARVEST            34.84N 86.77W
02/21/2005                   MADISON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            13 STRUCTURES DAMAGED BY FALLEN TREES

&&

DL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 21, 12:40 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Lauderdale	3 hr
Feb 21, 2:14 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lauderdale, Limestone	46 min
Feb 21, 2:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Jackson, Madison	50 min
Feb 21, 2:39 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Limestone	3 hr
Feb 21, 2:57 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Madison	3 hr
Feb 21, 2:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Limestone, Madison	46 min
Feb 21, 3:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	DeKalb, Jackson	44 min
Feb 21, 3:15 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Marshall	45 min
Feb 21, 3:42 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	DeKalb, Jackson	49 min
Feb 21, 3:45 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Lauderdale	3 hr
Feb 21, 4:06 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale	24 min
Feb 21, 4:26 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Jackson, Madison	34 min
Feb 21, 4:29 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence	31 min
Feb 21, 4:40 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Jackson	3 hr
Feb 21, 5:00 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence	45 min
Feb 21, 5:02 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Jackson	43 min
Feb 21, 5:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Limestone, Morgan	20 min
Feb 21, 5:17 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	DeKalb	28 min
Feb 21, 5:29 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Limestone, Madison, Morgan	31 min
Feb 21, 5:38 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Limestone	3 hr
Feb 21, 5:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lawrence	30 min
Feb 21, 5:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Franklin	29 min
Feb 21, 5:48 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	DeKalb	3 hr
Feb 21, 5:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Marshall, Morgan	46 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2005 Every flash flood warning in 2005

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.