Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 26, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 7, 20096 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at May 7, 2009, 9:40 AM CDT for 6 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 4 hr. 1 report 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: May 7, 2009, 9:40 AM CDT (14:40 UTC)
Expired: May 7, 2009, 1:30 PM CDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Barbour County, AL, Bullock County, AL, Macon County, AL, Montgomery County, AL, Pike County, AL, Russell County, AL

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 7, 11:00 AM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Union Springs, AL	STATE HIGHWAY 110 AND COUNTY ROAD 23 WERE CLOSED DUE TO FLASH FLOODING. PARTS OF COUNTY ROAD 133 WERE WASHED AWAY.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 80 minutes after it went out.

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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 166 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: 468 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -42 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 739 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 109 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 110 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 2.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KBMX 071440
FFWBMX
ALC005-011-087-101-109-113-071830-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0026.090507T1440Z-090507T1830Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
940 AM CDT THU MAY 7 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHERN BARBOUR COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF EUFAULA...
  BULLOCK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...UNION SPRINGS...MIDWAY...
  SOUTHERN MACON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  NORTH CENTRAL PIKE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  SOUTHERN RUSSELL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF HURTSBORO...

* UNTIL 130 PM CDT

* AT 934 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
HEAVY RAIN SPREADING INTO THE AREA. RAINFALL OF ONE TO THREE INCHES 
CAN BE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT THREE HOURS...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER 
TOTALS POSSIBLE.  THIS WILL PRODUCE FLOODING OF SOME ROADS AND 
STREETS ACROSS THE AREA AS WELL AS LOW LYING FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  VICTORYLAND...SHORTER...LIVERPOOL...HARDAWAY...GUERRYTON...FRANKLIN
  FIELD AND DAVISVILLE

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS 
FLOODED ROADWAYS.  TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 3213 8505 3210 8503 3207 8505 3199 8505
      3191 8511 3186 8513 3179 8512 3177 8516
      3175 8519 3205 8609 3242 8597 3220 8498

$$

REM

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS74 KBMX 071607
FFSBMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1107 AM CDT THU MAY 7 2009

ALC005-011-087-101-109-113-071830-
/O.CON.KBMX.FF.W.0026.000000T0000Z-090507T1830Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIKE AL-BARBOUR AL-BULLOCK AL-MONTGOMERY AL-RUSSELL AL-MACON AL-
1107 AM CDT THU MAY 7 2009

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHERN MACON...SOUTHERN RUSSELL...EAST CENTRAL MONTGOMERY...
BULLOCK...NORTHERN BARBOUR AND NORTH CENTRAL PIKE COUNTIES...

AT 1102 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE HEAVY RAINFALL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING MOVING 
ACROSS THE AREA.  RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY 
GREATER AMOUNTS...HAS FALLEN OVER THE AREA.  AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 
INCHES OF RAIN IS LIKELY DURING THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS. THIS WILL 
PRODUCE FLOODING OF ROADS AND STREETS...AS WELL AS LOW LYING FLOOD 
PRONE AREAS.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
VICTORYLAND...UNION SPRINGS...SPRING HILL...SHORTER...SHOPTON...PINE
LEVEL...MIDWAY...LIVERPOOL...INVERNESS...HURTSBORO...HAWKINSVILLE...
HARDAWAY...GUERRYTON...FRANKLIN FIELD...DAVISVILLE...COMER...BEANS
CROSSROADS AND ABERFOIL

LAT...LON 3213 8505 3210 8503 3207 8505 3199 8505
      3191 8511 3186 8513 3179 8512 3177 8516
      3175 8519 3205 8609 3242 8597 3220 8498

$$

REM

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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 7, 7:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 7:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
700 AM CDT THU MAY 7 2009

.UPDATE...FOR 12Z AVIATION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

THIS MORNINGS ACTIVITY WILL PROVIDE A NICE FOCUSING MECH FOR
STRONGER AND ISOLATED SEVERE ACTIVITY AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON.
LOOKING AT PROGS...AREAS SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY WILL BE ABLE TO
GENERATE SUMMER-LIKE INSTABILITY PARAMETERS GRANTED THEY SEE SOME
MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON SUNSHINE. OBVIOUSLY...THE MORE SURFACE
HEATING THE STEEPER THE LOW LEVEL LAPSE WILL BECOME BY MID
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL DEFINITELY GET STORMS GOING AFTER LUNCH...AND
THEY COULD BE QUITE NUMEROUS AS WE GO TOWARDS THE EVENING. IM NOT
TOO IMPRESSED BY THE UPPER LAPSE RATES AT THIS JUNCTURE...BUT WITH
MID LEVEL DRY AIR IN PLACE...THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SKINNIER CAPE
VALUES ALOFT TO BECOME MUCH FATTER...ALLOWING FOR A MORE ROBUST
HAIL THREAT. OUTSIDE OF AN EXITING JET ALOFT...THE SHEAR
PARAMETERS ARE NOT IMPRESSIVE...ESPECIALLY IN THE LOW LEVELS. THIS
WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE STORMS MAY HAVE TROUBLE GETTING
ORGANIZED. HOWEVER...CLEARLY SEEING THE BOUNDARY IN PLACE...WOULD
TEND TO THINK THAT STORM ORGANIZATION WILL BE IN THE CARDS. MODELS
REALLY SEEM TO STRUGGLE WITH LOW LEVEL HELICITY VALUES AROUND A
BOUNDARY...SO I WOULD NOT TAKE ANY SEVERE THREAT OFF THE TABLE AT
THIS JUNCTURE...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE LAST WEEK WORTH OF ACTIVITY.
THE STORMS WILL GENERALLY FORM ALONG THE FOCUS BOUNDARY AND DRIFT
SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST. GIVEN THAT THE SHEAR VECTORS ARE ON THE
WEAK SIDE AND THE UPPER LAPSE RATES ARE FAIRLY MOIST
ADIABATIC...WILL TEND TO STICK TO THE THEORY THAT THE STORMS WILL
BE A BIT MORE DIURNALLY DRIVEN THAN IN PREVIOUS OVERNIGHT PERIODS.

LOOKS LIKE WE WILL CATCH A MUCH NEEDED REST ON FRIDAY AND PERHAPS
FOR A GOOD PART OF THE WEEKEND AS DRIER AIR PUSHES IN FROM THE
SOUTHWEST. IT WILL WARM SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE WEAK RIDGING NOSING
IN SO HIGHS IN THE 90S WILL BE THE FORECAST...ESPECIALLY SOUTH.

THE BREAK COMES TO AN END QUICK BY MONDAY AS YET ANOTHER SAGGING
BOUNDARY AND JET STREAK SLOWLY PUSHES OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA. FOR
NOW...I AM NOT SEEING ANYTHING ORGANIZED AS FAR AS A WIDESPREAD SEVERE
THREAT...BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY HAVE TO WATCH CAREFULLY AS IT IS
THAT TIME OF YEAR. MODELS SEEM TO BE IN DECENT AGREEMENT THAT THE
FRONT WILL CLEAR THE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AND DRY AIR WILL
MOVE INTO THE AREA...BUT DONT WANT TO BITE TOO EARLY.

&&

.AVIATION...12Z TAF DISCUSSION.

LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SLOWLY SHIFT SOUTHWARD
THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY. IFR CONDITIONS WILL START OFF THE
TAF PERIOD WITH A SLOW RISE ON THE CEILINGS AND VIS THROUGH 18Z.
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MAINLY SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 20 THIS AFTERNOON. SOME MVFR CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO
RETURN AFTER 06Z.

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

17/88

Hazardous weather outlook, May 7, 5:32 AM CDT, 4 hours 8 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
532 AM CDT THU MAY 7 2009

ALZ011>015-017>050-081032-
AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-
CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-
JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA-
TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON-
532 AM CDT THU MAY 7 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ON THURSDAY
FROM AROUND NOON UNTIL 10 PM.  THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS
WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL.  THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR
DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED TO BE GENERALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20
DURING THE EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON AND ALONG THE HIGHWAY 80 AND
INTERSTATE 85 CORRIDORS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING
HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NEEDED
ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

17/KLAWS

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 7, 8:42 AM CDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
842 AM CDT THU MAY 07 2009

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

0835 AM     FLASH FLOOD      4 N PRATTVILLE          32.52N 86.45W
05/07/2009                   AUTAUGA            AL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED ON SHELIA BLVD., COUNTY ROAD
            40 AND COUNTY ROAD 3.

&&

LINHARES

Local storm report, May 7, 8:44 AM CDT, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
844 AM CDT THU MAY 07 2009

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

0839 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WETUMPKA                32.54N 86.20W
05/07/2009                   ELMORE             AL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            US HIGHWAY 231 BETWEEN MONTGOMERY AND WETUMPKA HAS WATER
            OVER THE ROAD AND PARTS OF THE ROAD ARE IMPASSABLE.

&&

LINHARES

Local storm report, May 7, 8:50 AM CDT, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
850 AM CDT THU MAY 07 2009

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

0650 AM     TSTM WND DMG     TUSKEGEE                32.44N 85.71W
05/07/2009                   MACON              AL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            A LARGE TREE HAS FALLEN ON A HOME ON HIGHWAY 80 WEST NEAR
            TUSKEGEE. THERE MAY BE OCCUPANTS TRAPPED IN THE HOME.

&&

LINHARES

Local storm report, May 7, 8:54 AM CDT, 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
854 AM CDT THU MAY 07 2009

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

0850 AM     FLASH FLOOD      MONTGOMERY              32.35N 86.28W
05/07/2009                   MONTGOMERY         AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            COLLISEUM ROAD NEAR WINN DIXIE IMPASSABLE. CAR STALLED
            OUT IN ROAD

&&

STEFKOVICH

Local storm report, May 7, 8:56 AM CDT, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
856 AM CDT THU MAY 07 2009

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

0835 AM     FLASH FLOOD      4 N PRATTVILLE          32.52N 86.45W
05/07/2009                   AUTAUGA            AL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED ON SHELIA BLVD.,COUNTY ROAD
            40, COUNTY ROAD 3, COBBS FORD ROAD, UPPER KINGSTON,
            COUNTY ROAD 31, AND A FEW CREEKS IN PRATTVILLE NEAR
            CHESTNUT STREET.

&&

LINHARES

Local storm report, May 7, 8:59 AM CDT, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
859 AM CDT THU MAY 07 2009

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

0650 AM     TSTM WND DMG     TUSKEGEE                32.44N 85.71W
05/07/2009                   MACON              AL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            A LARGE TREE HAS FALLEN ON A HOME ON HIGHWAY 80 WEST NEAR
            TUSKEGEE. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOME WERE TRAPPED INSIDE
            BUT HAVE BEEN RESCUED WITHOUT INJURY.

&&

LINHARES

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 7, 5:48 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Macon, Tallapoosa	27 min
May 7, 6:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Macon, Montgomery, Tallapoosa	29 min
May 7, 6:43 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bullock, Macon, Russell	47 min
May 7, 7:11 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Chilton	3 hr
May 7, 7:19 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Macon, Russell	34 min
May 7, 7:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Macon, Montgomery	33 min
May 7, 7:32 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Macon and 2 more	4 hr
May 7, 8:07 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Montgomery	4 hr
May 7, 8:35 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Macon, Montgomery	40 min
May 7, 9:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Macon	34 min
May 7, 10:43 AM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Chambers, Chilton and 15 more	13 hr
May 7, 11:24 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Elmore, Lee, Macon and 3 more	4 hr
May 7, 12:21 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Elmore, Montgomery	22 hr
May 7, 1:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	37 min
May 7, 1:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour	48 min
May 7, 1:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour	39 min
May 7, 2:14 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Montgomery	6 hr
May 7, 3:14 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Elmore, Macon, Montgomery and 2 more	3 hr
May 7, 3:14 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Elmore, Macon, Montgomery and 2 more	3 hr

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.