Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 59, NWS Birmingham, AL

September 5, 2011Etowah County, St. Clair County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Sep 5, 2011, 5:12 PM CDT for Etowah County, St. Clair County, 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: Sep 5, 2011, 5:12 PM CDT (22:12 UTC)
Expired: Sep 5, 2011, 11:00 PM CDT
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Etowah County, AL, St. Clair County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:15 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 5, 5:30 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 Ese Gadsden, AL	SEVERAL INTERSECTIONS EAST AND NORTHEAST OF GADSDEN STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WERE FLOODED.
Sep 5, 5:40 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Gadsden, AL	STREET FLOODING BEING REPORTED IN GADSDEN.
Sep 5, 6:03 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Attalla, AL	A FEW ROADS AND YARDS COVERED WITH A FEW FEET OF WATER.

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, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 93 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: 371 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 471 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 238 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 277 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.4
Supercell composite: 2.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

540 
WGUS54 KBMX 052212
FFWBMX
ALC055-115-060100-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0059.110905T2212Z-110906T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
512 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 511 PM CDT...HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES TO FALL OVER MUCH OF ST.  
  CLAIR AND ETOWAH COUNTIES.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...GADSDEN...
  MOODY...ODENVILLE...RAINBOW CITY...SPRINGVILLE...ALTOONA...
  ANDERSON...ARGO...ASHVILLE...ATTALLA...BALD ROCK...BRANCHVILLE...
  GADSDEN MALL...MARGARET...NOCCALULA FALLS...REECE CITY...SARDIS
  CITY...STEELE...TABOR ROAD AND WALNUT GROVE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3414 8584 3350 8638 3350 8648 3355 8648
      3356 8655 3372 8652 3377 8656 3381 8653
      3382 8643 3388 8634 3394 8633 3394 8637
      3398 8633 3410 8631 3419 8619 3421 8610
      3421 8585 3420 8585

$$

2 follow-up statements

224 
WGUS54 KBMX 060039
FFWBMX
ALC055-115-060400-
/O.EXT.KBMX.FF.W.0059.000000T0000Z-110906T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
739 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT

* AT 737 PM CDT...MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE   
  THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING. ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ONLY   
  ADD TO THE ONGOING FLOODING THAT IS OCCURRING.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...GADSDEN...
  MOODY...ODENVILLE...RAINBOW CITY...SPRINGVILLE...ANDERSON...ARGO...
  ASHVILLE...ATTALLA...BALD ROCK...BRANCHVILLE...GADSDEN MALL...
  MARGARET...NOCCALULA FALLS...REECE CITY...SARDIS CITY...STEELE...
  TABOR ROAD AND WALNUT GROVE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3414 8584 3350 8638 3350 8648 3355 8648
      3356 8655 3372 8652 3377 8656 3381 8653
      3382 8643 3388 8634 3394 8633 3394 8637
      3398 8633 3410 8631 3419 8619 3421 8610
      3421 8585 3420 8585

$$

652 
WGUS74 KBMX 060305
FFSBMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1005 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

ALC115-060318-
/O.CAN.KBMX.FF.W.0059.000000T0000Z-110906T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ST. CLAIR AL-
1005 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR ST. CLAIR COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS
AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO
RECEDE...ENDING THE FLOOD THREAT. IF FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...
PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

LAT...LON 3414 8584 3386 8608 3387 8610 3391 8611
      3390 8614 3399 8619 3397 8625 3399 8628
      3394 8633 3394 8637 3398 8633 3410 8631
      3419 8619 3419 8612 3421 8610 3420 8585

$$

ALC055-060400-
/O.CON.KBMX.FF.W.0059.000000T0000Z-110906T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ETOWAH AL-
1005 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ETOWAH COUNTY UNTIL 1100
PM CDT...

AT 1003 PM CDT...RAINFALL WAS SLOWLY ENDING ACROSS THE AREA. 
HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE SOME RESIDUAL FLOODING AS 
RUNOFF FROM EARLIER STORMS CONTINUES TO DRAIN INTO AREA CREEKS AND 
STREAMS.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING 
INCLUDE...GADSDEN...RAINBOW CITY...ATTALLA...NOCCALULA FALLS...REECE 
CITY...SARDIS CITY...AND WALNUT GROVE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3414 8584 3386 8608 3387 8610 3391 8611
      3390 8614 3399 8619 3397 8625 3399 8628
      3394 8633 3394 8637 3398 8633 3410 8631
      3419 8619 3419 8612 3421 8610 3420 8585

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 5, 4:31 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	26 hr
Sep 5, 5:34 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Montgomery	3 hr
Sep 5, 5:54 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Elmore, Montgomery	2 hr
Sep 5, 6:19 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens	7 hr
Sep 5, 6:20 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	24 min
Sep 5, 6:44 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	4 hr
Sep 5, 6:57 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	7 hr
Sep 5, 7:16 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	8 hr
Sep 5, 8:27 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Sumter	4 hr
Sep 5, 9:01 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	60 hr
Sep 5, 9:29 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	48 hr
Sep 5, 9:40 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens	6 hr
Sep 5, 10:07 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	72 hr
Sep 5, 10:07 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	59 hr
Sep 5, 10:07 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo	5 days
Sep 5, 10:14 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bullock, Pike	13 min
Sep 5, 10:16 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Greene	6 hr
Sep 5, 10:28 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	4 hr
Sep 5, 10:31 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lee, Macon, Russell	29 min
Sep 5, 10:48 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Hale, Perry	27 min
Sep 5, 10:51 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lee	24 min
Sep 5, 11:11 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers	34 min
Sep 5, 11:36 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	7 hr
Sep 5, 11:39 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Perry	36 min
Sep 5, 12:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas	25 min
Sep 5, 12:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bullock, Pike	24 min
Sep 5, 12:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chilton, Dallas, Perry	25 min
Sep 5, 12:40 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens	3 hr
Sep 5, 1:00 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lee, Russell	30 min
Sep 5, 1:09 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Jefferson	6 hr
Sep 5, 1:27 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens	3 hr
Sep 5, 1:47 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens	3 hr
Sep 5, 2:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	48 min
Sep 5, 2:28 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	4 hr
Sep 5, 3:01 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	17 hr
Sep 5, 3:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lee, Macon	27 min
Sep 5, 3:26 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Jefferson	15 hr
Sep 5, 4:06 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens	16 hr
Sep 5, 4:39 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning Emergency	BMX	Jefferson	5 hr
Sep 5, 4:52 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Shelby	3 hr
Sep 5, 5:08 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	67 min
Sep 5, 6:12 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	78 min
Sep 5, 6:18 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	6 hr
Sep 5, 6:38 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Blount	3 hr
Sep 5, 6:41 PM CDT	High Wind Warning	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah and 5 more	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2011 Every flash flood warning in 2011

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.