Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 13, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 27, 200920 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 27, 2009, 4:52 PM CST for 20 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 6 hr. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Feb 27, 2009, 4:52 PM CST (22:52 UTC)
Expired: Feb 27, 2009, 10:45 PM CST
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Bibb County, AL, Blount County, AL, Calhoun County, AL, Cherokee County, AL, Clay County, AL, Cleburne County, AL, Etowah County, AL, Fayette County, AL, Greene County, AL, Jefferson County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Marion County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Randolph County, AL, Shelby County, AL, St. Clair County, AL, Talladega County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Walker County, AL, Winston County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:51 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Feb 27, 5:30 PM CST	FLOOD	Tuscaloosa, AL	PARKER ROAD AT SPRING HILL CHURCH ROAD CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
Feb 27, 5:30 PM CST	FLASH FLOOD	Aliceville, AL	THREE TO SIX INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. A FEW ROADS ACROSS PICKENS COUNTY WERE TEMPORARILY IMPASSABLE AND WERE CLOSED.
Feb 27, 5:50 PM CST	FLOOD	Saginaw, AL	WATER OVER THE ROAD AT 665 HWY 31.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 101 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 622 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 398 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 400 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 272252
FFWBMX
ALC007-009-015-019-027-029-055-057-063-073-075-093-107-111-115-117-
121-125-127-133-280445-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0013.090227T2252Z-090228T0445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
452 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL BIBB COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  BLOUNT COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...ONEONTA...CLEVELAND...BLOUNTSVILLE...
  JEFFERSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...VESTAVIA HILLS...TRUSSVILLE...
  MOUNTAIN BROOK...LEEDS...IRONDALE...HUEYTOWN...HOOVER...HOMEWOOD...
  GARDENDALE...FULTONDALE...FAIRFIELD...BIRMINGHAM...BESSEMER...
  SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PELHAM...HELENA...WILSONVILLE...
  COLUMBIANA...CHELSEA...ALABASTER...
  ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SPRINGVILLE...PELL CITY...
  ODENVILLE...MOODY...
  WALKER COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SUMITON...JASPER...DORA...CORDOVA...
  CARBON HILL...
  CALHOUN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SAKS...PIEDMONT...OXFORD...
  JACKSONVILLE...FORT MCCLELLAN...COBB TOWN...ANNISTON...
  CLAY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...LINEVILLE...ASHLAND...
  CLEBURNE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF HEFLIN...
  RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...WEDOWEE...ROANOKE...
  TALLADEGA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...TALLADEGA...SYLACAUGA...
  CHILDERSBURG...
  CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...CENTRE...CEDAR BLUFF...
  ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...RAINBOW CITY...MARKTON...HOKES
  BLUFF...GADSDEN...
  MARION COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...WINFIELD...HAMILTON...
  WINSTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...LYNN...HALEYVILLE...ARLEY...
  FAYETTE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF FAYETTE...
  EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  LAMAR COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...VERNON...SULLIGENT...MILLPORT...
  PICKENS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...REFORM...PICKENSVILLE...GORDO...
  CARROLLTON...ALICEVILLE...
  TUSCALOOSA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...TUSCALOOSA...NORTHPORT...HOLT...

* UNTIL 1045 PM CST

* AT 447 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES   
  THAT 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN OVER THE WARNED 
  AREA. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT  
  6 HOURS.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BYNUM...
  RIVERSIDE...WINSTON FREE STATE BARN...WESTON...WEST JEFFERSON...
  WEISS LAKE...WEAVER...WARRIOR...WALNUT GROVE...TRAFFORD...
  TENNALA...TABOR ROAD...SUSAN MOORE...STRAWBERRY...STEELE...SNEAD...
  SMITH DAM...SLACKLAND...SIPSEY...SARDIS CITY...SAND ROCK...ROSA...
  ROCKY HOLLOW...REECE CITY...RAGLAND...QUINTON...POPLAR SPRINGS...
  PINSON...PARRISH...OXFORD LAKE...OHATCHEE...OAKMAN...NOCCALULA
  FALLS...NESMITH...NEEDMORE...NECTAR...NAUVOO...MUSCADINE...
  MOSHAT...MORRIS...MORELAND...MCLARTY...MCDOWELL CAMP GROUNDS...MARS
  HILLS...MARGARET...LYNNS PARK...LOCUST FORK...LEESBURG...LAMAR
  COUNTY AIRPORT...LAKE SHORE...LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...KIMBERLY...
  KANSAS...INMANFIELD...HOUSTON RECREATIONAL AREA...HOBSON CITY...
  HELICON...HAYDEN...HACKLEBURG...GU-WIN...GUIN...GRAYSVILLE...GORGAS
  STEAM PLANT...GORGAS...GLENCOE...GLEN ALLEN...GAYLESVILLE...GADSDEN
  MALL...FRUITHURST...FALLS CITY...FAIRVIEW...ELDRIDGE...
  EDWARDSVILLE...DOUBLE SPRINGS...DETROIT...DALLAS...CURRY...CREWS...
  COUNTY LINE...CORINTH REC AREA...CLOUDLAND...CLAY...CHEROKEE ROCK
  VILLAGE...CENTER POINT...CARDIFF...BURNWELL...BROOKSVILLE...
  BROOKSIDE...BRINN...BRILLIANT...BRANCHVILLE...BOLEY SPRINGS...
  BLUFF...BLUE MOUNTAIN...BLOUNT SPRINGS...BLOOMING GROVE...BERRY...
  BELOIT...BELK...BEDFORD...BEAVERTON...BANKSTON...BANGOR...
  ATTALLA...ASHVILLE...ASHRIDGE...ASHBANK...ARKADELPHIA...ARGO...
  ANDERSON...ALTOONA...ALLGOOD...ADDISON AND ABERNATHY

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED 
AREA.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 3431 8816 3428 8710 3390 8708 3387 8696
      3392 8692 3398 8678 3427 8651 3428 8645
      3412 8630 3420 8618 3422 8586 3439 8562
      3452 8552 3451 8551 3313 8525 3311 8832

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS74 KBMX 280134
FFSBMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
734 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2009

ALC007-009-015-019-027-029-055-057-063-073-075-093-107-111-115-117-
121-125-127-133-280445-
/O.CON.KBMX.FF.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090228T0445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GREENE AL-BIBB AL-CLAY AL-RANDOLPH AL-PICKENS AL-SHELBY AL-
TUSCALOOSA AL-TALLADEGA AL-JEFFERSON AL-FAYETTE AL-CLEBURNE AL-
CALHOUN AL-ST. CLAIR AL-WALKER AL-LAMAR AL-ETOWAH AL-BLOUNT AL-
WINSTON AL-MARION AL-CHEROKEE AL-
734 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2009

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 PM CST FOR
CHEROKEE...MARION...WINSTON...BLOUNT...ETOWAH...LAMAR...WALKER...ST.
CLAIR...CALHOUN...CLEBURNE...FAYETTE...JEFFERSON...TALLADEGA...
TUSCALOOSA...SHELBY...PICKENS...RANDOLPH...CLAY...NORTH CENTRAL BIBB
AND EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL GREENE COUNTIES...

AT 729 PM CST...WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED TO FALL 
ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.  ANY ONGOING FLOODING WILL ONLY WORSEN WITH 
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AND LOW LYING AREAS.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WALNUT
GROVE...WINSTON FREE STATE BARN...WESTON...WEISS LAKE...TENNALA...
TABOR ROAD...SUSAN MOORE...STRAWBERRY...SNEAD...SLACKLAND...SARDIS
CITY...SAND ROCK...REECE CITY...NESMITH...NEEDMORE...MOSHAT...
MORELAND...MCLARTY...LEESBURG...LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...INMANFIELD...
HOUSTON RECREATIONAL AREA...HELICON...HAMILTON...HALEYVILLE...
HACKLEBURG...GAYLESVILLE...DOUBLE SPRINGS...CORINTH REC AREA...
CLOUDLAND...CHEROKEE ROCK VILLAGE...CENTRE...CEDAR BLUFF...
BROOKSVILLE...BRINN...BLOUNTSVILLE...ASHRIDGE...ARLEY...ANDERSON AND
ADDISON

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST FRIDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3431 8816 3428 8710 3390 8708 3387 8696
      3392 8692 3398 8678 3427 8651 3428 8645
      3412 8630 3420 8618 3422 8586 3439 8562
      3452 8552 3451 8551 3313 8525 3311 8832

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 27, 4:56 AM CST	Flash Flood Watch	BMX	Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee and 25 more	25 hr
Feb 27, 8:21 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	54 min
Feb 27, 8:39 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	51 min
Feb 27, 8:39 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	38 min
Feb 27, 9:11 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	49 min
Feb 27, 10:17 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	28 min
Feb 27, 10:25 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chilton, Clay, Coosa and 10 more	3 hr
Feb 27, 11:26 AM CST	Lake Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	7 hr
Feb 27, 12:21 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas, Marengo, Perry	39 min
Feb 27, 12:22 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Feb 27, 12:50 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas	40 min
Feb 27, 1:00 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas	45 min
Feb 27, 1:16 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton	29 min
Feb 27, 1:28 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes	62 min
Feb 27, 1:38 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Montgomery	67 min
Feb 27, 2:16 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby	3 hr
Feb 27, 2:24 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	66 min
Feb 27, 2:28 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	28 min
Feb 27, 2:32 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bullock, Elmore, Macon, Montgomery, Tallapoosa	58 min
Feb 27, 2:42 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens	63 min
Feb 27, 3:03 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	42 min
Feb 27, 3:14 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Feb 27, 3:17 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	28 min
Feb 27, 3:25 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	65 min
Feb 27, 3:42 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Hale, Perry	18 min
Feb 27, 3:48 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa	57 min
Feb 27, 3:57 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Hale, Perry	63 min
Feb 27, 4:20 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Hale, Perry	40 min
Feb 27, 4:36 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	39 min
Feb 27, 4:51 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	20 min
Feb 27, 4:57 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Perry	53 min
Feb 27, 5:03 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	42 min
Feb 27, 5:19 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Sumter	41 min
Feb 27, 5:29 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Marengo, Sumter	46 min
Feb 27, 5:38 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Elmore, Montgomery	37 min
Feb 27, 5:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	45 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2009 Every flash flood warning in 2009

Sources

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