Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 71, NWS Birmingham, AL

September 19, 2009Bibb County, Perry County, Shelby County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Sep 19, 2009, 12:45 PM CDT for Bibb County, Perry County, Shelby County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 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: Sep 19, 2009, 12:45 PM CDT (17:45 UTC)
Expired: Sep 19, 2009, 3:45 PM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Bibb County, AL, Perry County, AL, Shelby County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 34 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:47 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
Sep 19, 1:35 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	1 Ene Brent, AL	WATER REPORTED OVER THE ROADWAY AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF MILL STREET AND MAPLE STREET ON OLD HIGHWAY 82 IN CENTREVILLE.

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 50 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

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 34 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: 786 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 466 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 210 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 191745
FFWBMX
ALC007-105-117-192045-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0071.090919T1745Z-090919T2045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1245 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  BIBB COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...CENTREVILLE...BRENT...
  PERRY COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF MARION...
  WESTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PELHAM...MONTEVALLO...HELENA...
  ALABASTER...

* UNTIL 345 PM CDT

* AT 1242 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETECTED AN AREA OF 
HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS IN A BAND...FROM SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY 
NORTHWARD INTO SHELBY COUNTY.  THIS RAIN WILL FALL ACROSS AN AREA 
WITH SATURATED GROUND...RESULTING IN RAPID RUNOFF AND AN ENHANCED 
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
VERIZON MUSIC CENTER AT OAK MOUNTAIN...SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT... 
RIVERCHASE...OAK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...MAYLENE...AND INDIAN SPRINGS 
VILLAGE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FLOOD WATERS. ONLY A FEW INCHES OF
RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER CAN QUICKLY CARRY AWAY YOUR VEHICLE.

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3257 8749 3323 8711 3325 8698 3333 8689
      3334 8684 3341 8674 3350 8655 3308 8678
      3307 8689 3288 8688 3283 8691 3283 8701
      3260 8703 3257 8708 3251 8710 3247 8752

$$

61

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS74 KBMX 191912
FFSBMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
212 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

ALC117-191920-
/O.CAN.KBMX.FF.W.0071.000000T0000Z-090919T2045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SHELBY AL-
212 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR WESTERN SHELBY
COUNTY...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS REMAINED SOUTH OF SHELBY COUNTY...AND THE 
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING HAS ENDED THERE FOR NOW.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3257 8749 3318 8714 3317 8700 3307 8694
      3305 8689 3287 8688 3283 8691 3283 8701
      3265 8704 3260 8704 3257 8708 3251 8710
      3247 8752

$$

ALC007-105-192045-
/O.CON.KBMX.FF.W.0071.000000T0000Z-090919T2045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PERRY AL-BIBB AL-
212 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM CDT FOR BIBB
AND PERRY COUNTIES...

AT 207 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER CONTINUED TO DETECT 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN FLASH FLOODING OVER PORTIONS OF 
BIBB AND PERRY COUNTIES.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WEST
BLOCTON...EOLINE...CENTREVILLE...BRIERFIELD IRONWORKS PARK AND ASHBY

BIBB COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORTED WATER FLOWING OVER SEVERAL STREETS IN 
AND AROUND CENTREVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...
DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...
EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER
GROUND.

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3257 8749 3318 8714 3317 8700 3307 8694
      3305 8689 3287 8688 3283 8691 3283 8701
      3265 8704 3260 8704 3257 8708 3251 8710
      3247 8752

$$

61

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 Sep 19, 12:28 PM CDT, 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 19, 12:28 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1228 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

.UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

AREA OF HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTH THROUGH CENTRAL
ALABAMA THIS MORNING. SOILS REMAIN SATURATED FOR ALL BUT THE
SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES. WILL GO AHEAD AND EXTEND THE FLASH FLOOD
WATCH FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA THROUGH MIDNIGHT SATURDAY AS
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

BROAD AND WEAK UPPER LOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL LIFT TOWARDS
THE NORTHWEST TODAY WITH ANOTHER SHORT WAVE AXIS PASSING OVER THE
STATE. THIS WILL BE ALONG THE FRONT END OF A DEEPENING LONG WAVE
TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS. POPS WILL REMAIN HIGH THROUGH
MONDAY WITH MULTIPLE SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT
PASSING THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST.

FOR TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...NOT UNEXPECTEDLY, THE MODELS ARE
WAVERING A BIT ON THE PLACEMENT OF ANOTHER CUTOFF LOW THAT WILL
DROP INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS ON TUESDAY. THE LATEST
GFS RETROGRADES THIS FEATURE TOWARDS THE FOUR CORNERS REGION WHILE
THE EURO AND CANADIAN KEEP IT FIRMLY OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAINS
REGION. WILL FOLLOW THE EURO WHICH HAS BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT OVER
THE PAST FEW RUNS. THIS WILL KEEP MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST IN A
FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGH SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS WHEN SOME
INSTABILITY CAN AID IN CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. THIS PATTERN WILL
ALSO KEEP TEMPERATURES STEADY IN THE LOWER TO MID 80S FOR HIGHS
AND MID 60S TO LOWER 70S FOR LOWS.

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

VERY LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST FOR THIS CYCLE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA TAF
SITES.  INITIAL LARGE MASS OF RAIN FROM THIS MORNING HAS MOVED NORTH
AND EAST...BUT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN ITS
WAKE.  BEST CHANCES FOR CEILING AND VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS DUE TO
RAIN AND STORMS INITIALLY WILL BE AT EET AND BHM...A LITTLE LESS AT
TCL AND ANB...AND THE LOWEST AT MGM AND TOI.  TO BE HONEST...AFTER
THE FIRST 2 OR 3 HOURS...THE CHARACTER AND AREAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE
RAIN AND STORMS WILL LIKELY BE SO CHANGED THAT WE MAY BE IN
OBSERVATION/RADAR CHASING MODE.

BEST GUESS IS THAT RAIN COVERAGE WILL DECREASE OVERNIGHT...BUT LOW
CLOUDS AND FOG WILL DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN.

/61/

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 19, 12:34 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1234 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

ALZ011>015-017>050-201200-
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-
1234 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH MIDNIGHT...
...THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING HIGH TODAY...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IS EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR ALL
OF THE AREA...EXCEPT THE SOUTHEAST COUNTIES. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL. THE GROUND IS SATURATED FROM RECENT RAINFALL...AND ANY
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

PERIODS OF RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY...
KEEPING THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING IN THE FORECAST.  RIVER
FLOODING IS ALSO LIKELY TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST ONE OR TWO DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE
NECESSARY IN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 19, 10:34 AM CDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1034 AM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

0930 PM     FLASH FLOOD      2 NE SULLIGENT          33.91N 88.11W
09/18/2009                   LAMAR              AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ALL 4 LANES OF HWY 278 CLOSED NEAR SULLIGENT DUE TO WATER
            OVER THE ROAD.

&&

GOLDEN

Local storm report, Sep 19, 10:46 AM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1046 AM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

1040 AM     HEAVY RAIN       WEDOWEE                 33.31N 85.49W
09/19/2009  E3.50 INCH       RANDOLPH           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            MINOR STREET FLOODING REPORTED ON A FEW STREETS IN THE
            CITY.

&&

GOLDEN

Local storm report, Sep 19, 11:05 AM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1105 AM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

1045 AM     FLASH FLOOD      5 NNE GOLDVILLE         33.15N 85.75W
09/19/2009                   CLAY               AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HWY 49 IS IMPASSABLE NEAR REDS CATFISH CABIN.

1045 AM     FLASH FLOOD      4 N GOODWATER           33.12N 86.05W
09/19/2009                   CLAY               AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            COUNTY ROAD 7 CLOSED IN BROWNSVILLE.

&&

GOLDEN

Local storm report, Sep 19, 11:47 AM CDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1147 AM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

1130 AM     FLOOD            4 SW LEEDS              33.50N 86.61W
09/19/2009                   JEFFERSON          AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            4 FEET OF WATER OVER BRIDGE ON BAILEY RD DUE TO OVERFLOW
            OF THE LITTLE CAHABA RIVER...ROAD IS CLOSED.

&&

GOLDEN

Local storm report, Sep 19, 11:49 AM CDT, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1149 AM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

1130 AM     FLOOD            4 SW LEEDS              33.50N 86.61W
09/19/2009                   JEFFERSON          AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            4 FEET OF WATER OVER BRIDGE ON BAILEY RD DUE TO OVERFLOW
            OF THE LITTLE CAHABA RIVER...ROAD IS CLOSED. THIS IS IN
            RESPONSE TO THE FLOODING AND BACKING UP OF WATER ALONG
            THE CAHABA RIVER.

&&

GOLDEN

Local storm report, Sep 19, 12:28 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1228 PM CDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

1215 PM     FLOOD            1 E GRAHAM              33.46N 85.30W
09/19/2009                   RANDOLPH           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HWY 48 IS CLOSED NEAR THE STATE LINE. WATER IS RUNNING
            OVER THE ROADWAY REPORTEDLY DUE TO A PARTIALLY BLOCKED
            CULVERT.

&&

GOLDEN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 18, 7:01 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	96 min
Sep 18, 7:18 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Lamar	117 min
Sep 18, 7:29 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	2 hr
Sep 18, 7:36 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette, Walker	114 min
Sep 18, 8:01 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette	3 hr
Sep 18, 8:11 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Walker	2 hr
Sep 18, 8:23 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	3 hr
Sep 18, 11:49 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Montgomery	56 min
Sep 19, 12:39 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore	3 hr
Sep 19, 2:54 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Jefferson, St. Clair	111 min
Sep 19, 3:20 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Clay, Coosa, Talladega	115 min
Sep 19, 5:15 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Clay, Coosa	2 hr
Sep 19, 6:33 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Jefferson	3 hr
Sep 19, 8:23 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby	24 hr
Sep 19, 9:21 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Randolph	3 hr
Sep 19, 9:34 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Clay, Coosa, Talladega, Tallapoosa	3 hr
Sep 19, 11:06 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Chambers, Randolph	3 hr
Sep 19, 11:35 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Bibb, Perry	3 hr
Sep 19, 12:18 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Jefferson, Shelby	3 hr
Sep 19, 3:42 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Perry	4 hr
Sep 19, 4:11 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Dallas, Perry	4 days
Sep 19, 6:04 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Chambers, Lee, Russell	3 hr
Sep 19, 6:34 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Bullock, Chambers, Lee, Macon, Russell	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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.