Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Birmingham, AL

September 4, 20124 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Sep 4, 2012, 7:22 AM CDT for 4 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr. 2 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 4, 2012, 7:22 AM CDT (12:22 UTC)
Expired: Sep 4, 2012, 10:30 AM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Autauga County, AL, Dallas County, AL, Lowndes County, AL, Perry County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:24 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 4, 9:40 AM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	1 Sse Selma, AL	SEVERAL STREETS INCLUDING THE INTERSECTION OF CHURCH STREET AND ALABAMA AVENUE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
Sep 4, 10:25 AM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Selma, AL	EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS NUMEROUS STREETS AND SOME BUILDINGS FLOODED IN DOWNTOWN SELMA AREA...WITH FLOWING WATER UP TO THREE FEET DEEP.

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, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 88 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: 1659 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 531 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 26 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.

574 
WGUS54 KBMX 041222
FFWBMX
ALC001-047-085-105-041530-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0038.120904T1222Z-120904T1530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
722 AM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN DALLAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHERN LOWNDES COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY IN ALABAMA...
  WESTERN AUTAUGA COUNTY IN ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1030 AM CDT

* AT 720 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THAT TWO 
TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THE AREA DURING THE PAST TWO 
HOURS. ANOTHER ONE TO TWO INCHES IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT ONE TO 
TWO HOURS.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  MARION...SELMA...SELMONT-WEST SELMONT...VALLEY GRANDE... 
  AUTAUGAVILLE...BENTON......LOWNDESBORO...AND WHITE HALL.

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 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 OR TWEET YOUR REPORT USING HASHTAG ALWX

LAT...LON 3223 8703 3266 8744 3271 8701 3266 8701
      3266 8677 3236 8649 3234 8649 3233 8648
      3231 8649 3228 8648 3227 8645 3225 8641
      3222 8641

$$

1 follow-up statement

436 
WGUS74 KBMX 041514
FFSBMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1014 AM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

ALC001-047-085-105-041530-
/O.CON.KBMX.FF.W.0038.000000T0000Z-120904T1530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DALLAS AL-LOWNDES AL-PERRY AL-AUTAUGA AL-
1014 AM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN AUTAUGA...
SOUTHERN PERRY...NORTHERN LOWNDES AND NORTHEASTERN DALLAS COUNTIES
UNTIL 1030 AM CDT...

AT 1011 AM CDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED FLOODING OF SOME 
STREETS AND ROADWAYS WAS OCCURRING ACROSS THE AREA.  SOME STREETS IN 
DOWNTOWN SELMA...INCLUDING THE INTERSECTION OF CHURCH STREET AND 
ALABAMA AVENUE...WERE REPORTED TO BE FLOODED.  COUNTY ROAD 178 WEST 
OF DOWNTOWN SELMA WAS ALSO REPORTED TO BE CLOSED.

RAIN CONTINUED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA...AND MAY PRODUCE 
ANOTHER ONE TO TWO INCHES IN SOME PLACES DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

RUNOFF FROM THIS RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME 
LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE... 
MARION...SELMA...SELMONT-WEST SELMONT...VALLEY GRANDE... 
AUTAUGAVILLE...LOWNDESBORO...OLD CAHABA PARK...PAUL M GRIST STATE 
PARK...AND WHITE HALL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM 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 ALSO SUBJECT TO 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 3223 8703 3266 8744 3271 8701 3266 8701
      3266 8677 3236 8649 3234 8649 3233 8648
      3231 8649 3228 8648 3227 8645 3225 8641
      3222 8641

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 3, 7:01 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Pike	59 min
Sep 3, 7:06 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Perry	39 min
Sep 3, 7:20 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Jefferson	115 min
Sep 3, 7:23 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Pickens	52 min
Sep 3, 7:24 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Tuscaloosa	51 min
Sep 3, 7:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	52 min
Sep 3, 8:01 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Hale	44 min
Sep 3, 8:03 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Barbour	42 min
Sep 3, 8:09 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Walker	36 min
Sep 3, 8:24 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Greene	66 min
Sep 3, 8:30 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Greene, Pickens	3 hr
Sep 3, 8:36 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Pickens	54 min
Sep 3, 8:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	31 min
Sep 3, 9:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene	42 min
Sep 3, 9:15 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Hale, Perry	3 hr
Sep 3, 9:18 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Pickens	3 hr
Sep 3, 9:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	60 min
Sep 3, 9:49 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Greene	41 min
Sep 3, 9:51 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Cherokee	39 min
Sep 3, 9:56 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Sep 3, 10:40 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Greene	65 min
Sep 3, 10:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Sumter	53 min
Sep 3, 10:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Sumter	11 min
Sep 3, 11:51 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Sumter	39 min
Sep 4, 4:36 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lowndes	24 min
Sep 4, 6:08 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Lowndes	3 hr
Sep 4, 6:19 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Dallas, Lowndes	6 hr
Sep 4, 6:30 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Hale, Perry, Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Sep 4, 6:50 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Perry	3 hr
Sep 4, 7:03 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Sep 4, 9:02 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Dallas, Perry	3 hr
Sep 4, 9:28 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Hale, Perry	3 hr
Sep 4, 9:32 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Dallas	43 min
Sep 4, 10:28 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning Emergency	BMX	Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes, Perry	3 hr
Sep 4, 11:57 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Dallas	3 hr
Sep 4, 12:27 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Dallas, Lowndes	3 hr
Sep 4, 3:14 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Greene	61 min
Sep 4, 3:51 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Greene, Hale	3 hr
Sep 4, 4:42 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Marengo	3 hr
Sep 4, 4:53 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marengo	52 min
Sep 4, 5:41 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marengo	49 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2012 Every 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.