Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 19, NWS Birmingham, AL

July 27, 2012Lamar County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jul 27, 2012, 7:39 PM CDT for Lamar County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr. 4 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
Jul 27, 2012, 7:39 PM CDT (00:39 UTC)
Expired
Jul 27, 2012, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Lamar County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 20 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:38 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 27, 7:42 PM CDTFLASH FLOODSulligent, ALHIGHWAY 278 FLOODED IN SULIGENT.
Jul 27, 8:00 PM CDTFLASH FLOODVernon, ALWATER UP TO 18 INCHES DEEP IS COVERING ROADWAYS IN AND AROUND VERNON, INCLUDING HIGHWAY 18. ALSO, ADERBEEN RD AND MCNEES CROSSING RD WEST OF VERNON HAVE BEEN CLOSED.
Jul 27, 8:00 PM CDTHEAVY RAIN 21 Sw Vernon, ALALSO PEA SIZED HAIL AT TIME OF REPORT.
Jul 27, 10:16 PM CDTFLASH FLOODVernon, ALTEN ROADS WERE REPORTED UNDER WATER THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF VERNON...WITH 7 ROADWAYS STILL CLOSED AT THIS TIME. WATER IS FINALLY STARTING TO RECEDE.

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 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 145 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2012-07-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 694 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2012-07-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -37 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
694 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-80 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1061 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
8 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.

826 
WGUS54 KBMX 280039
FFWBMX
ALC075-280330-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0019.120728T0039Z-120728T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
739 PM CDT FRI JUL 27 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  LAMAR COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1030 PM CDT

* AT 733 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED SLOW MOVING   
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS CENTRAL LAMAR COUNTY.  
UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS EXPECTED IN THE NEXT HOUR ACROSS 
CENTRAL LAMAR COUNTY...WITH UP TO AN ADDITIONAL INCH IN THE NEXT 
HOUR. THE PRIMARY FLASH FLOOD CONCERNS WILL BE IN THE CITY OF 
VERNON...AND THE YELLOW CREEK DRAINAGE BASIN...NEAR ALABAMA HIGHWAY 
18 AND ALABAMA HIGHWAY 17. ALSO...FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE 
ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL LAMAR COUNTY.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  SULLIGENT...VERNON...BEAVERTON...BEDFORD...BLOOMING GROVE...
  CREWS...KENNEDY AND LAMAR COUNTY AIRPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. RAINFALL FROM PERSISTENT STORMS
WILL PRODUCE FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS AND ALONG STREETS. MANY 
ROADS COULD BE CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER AND DRIVING IS NOT 
RECOMMENDED DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

TO REPORT FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY 
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN 
BIRMINGHAM.

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758 OR TWEET YOUR REPORT USING HASHTAG ALWX

LAT...LON 3403 8822 3402 8795 3357 8795 3359 8827

$$

56
1 follow-up statement
426 
WGUS74 KBMX 280139
FFSBMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
839 PM CDT FRI JUL 27 2012

ALC075-280330-
/O.CON.KBMX.FF.W.0019.000000T0000Z-120728T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LAMAR AL-
839 PM CDT FRI JUL 27 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR LAMAR COUNTY UNTIL 1030
PM CDT...

AT 834 PM CDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED THAT FLASH FLOODING WAS
OCCURRING IN THE CITY OF VERNON...WITH ALABAMA HIGHWAY 18 COVERED IN 
18 INCHES OF WATER...AND OTHER SECONDARY ROADWAYS WITHIN THE CITY 
FLOODED AND CLOSED OFF TO TRAFFIC.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE ONGOING FLASH FLOODING 
INCLUDE...SULLIGENT...VERNON...BEAVERTON...BEDFORD...BLOOMING 
GROVE...CREWS...DETROIT...KENNEDY AND LAMAR COUNTY AIRPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING FLOODING SITUATION. YOU
SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL. STAY HOME UNLESS YOU ARE FORCED TO 
EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND. BE AWARE OF TRAVELING ACROSS FLOODED 
ROADWAYS AT NIGHT...WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ENCOUNTERING 
FLOODED ROADWAYS. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN!

REPORT FLOODING TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SO THAT THEY 
MAY TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO CLOSE FLOODED ROADWAYS. THEY WILL 
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

&&

LAT...LON 3403 8822 3402 8795 3357 8795 3359 8827

$$

56

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 27, 7:02 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXLamar118 min
Jul 27, 7:12 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXRussell63 min
Jul 27, 7:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar37 min
Jul 27, 7:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Pickens48 min
Jul 27, 8:27 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXPickens48 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2012Every flash flood warning in 2012

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.