Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 21, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 4, 2021Bibb County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 2021, 4:05 PM CDT for Bibb County, Tuscaloosa 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
May 4, 2021, 4:05 PM CDT (21:05 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2021, 7:06 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Bibb County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:09 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
May 4, 5:30 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD1 Ese Marvel, ALA SECTION OF EDDINGS TOWN ROAD WASHED OUT.

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, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 54 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 12:00Z on 2021-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2158 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 12:00Z on 2021-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 145 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2158 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
145 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
195 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
7.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

165 
WGUS54 KBMX 042105
FFWBMX
ALC007-125-050100-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0021.210504T2105Z-210505T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
405 PM CDT Tue May 4 2021

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Bibb County in central Alabama...
  Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama...

* Until 800 PM CDT.

* At 405 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain 
  have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Doppler radar.

  IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
           highways, streets and underpasses as well as other
           drainage and low lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Tuscaloosa, Northport, Brent, Centreville, Holt, Lake View, 
  Brookwood, Coaling, Vance, Woodstock, West Blocton, Coker, 
  Deerlick Creek Campgrounds, Lake Wildwood, University Mall, Bryant 
  Denny Stadium, McFarland Mall, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa 
  Regional Airport and Mercedes Benz Of Alabama.

Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the 
warned area.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

&&

LAT...LON 3309 8731 3310 8784 3352 8784 3352 8767
      3358 8767 3358 8763 3361 8763 3358 8732
      3351 8732 3350 8726 3349 8733 3346 8734
      3342 8725 3331 8716 3325 8703 3317 8703
      3315 8697 3310 8697 3303 8688 3290 8731

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

40/Sizemore
1 follow-up statement
582 
WGUS74 KBMX 050006
FFSBMX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
706 PM CDT Tue May 4 2021

ALC007-125-050016-
/O.CAN.KBMX.FF.W.0021.000000T0000Z-210505T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Bibb AL-Tuscaloosa AL-
706 PM CDT Tue May 4 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL BIBB AND CENTRAL TUSCALOOSA 
COUNTIES HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A FLOOD WARNING...

The heavy rain has ended, but flooding continues across the warned 
area. Please continue to heed remaining road closures.

LAT...LON 3311 8781 3326 8780 3346 8734 3342 8725
      3340 8725 3340 8723 3336 8723 3336 8720
      3331 8716 3327 8707 3325 8707 3325 8703
      3317 8703 3315 8697 3310 8697 3303 8688
      3290 8731 3309 8731

$$

40/Sizemore

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 7:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore, Montgomery43 min
May 3, 7:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Perry32 min
May 3, 7:25 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXAutauga, Elmore, Macon, Montgomery5 hr
May 3, 7:29 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXChambers, Lee, Macon, Tallapoosa2 hr
May 3, 7:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore, Macon, Montgomery47 min
May 3, 7:46 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChilton44 min
May 3, 8:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLee, Macon45 min
May 3, 8:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChilton39 min
May 3, 8:51 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBibb, Chilton, Perry3 hr
May 3, 8:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRussell46 min
May 3, 9:31 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXShelby59 min
May 4, 7:27 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarion48 min
May 4, 7:57 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLamar, Marion48 min
May 4, 9:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston38 min
May 4, 10:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount23 min
May 4, 10:59 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWalker31 min
May 4, 11:00 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXFayette, Lamar, Walker3 hr
May 4, 11:06 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBlount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair3 hr
May 4, 11:12 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Tuscaloosa21 min
May 4, 11:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Walker50 min
May 4, 11:45 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXJefferson2 hr
May 4, 11:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Jefferson, St. Clair26 min
May 4, 12:03 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXBlount, Etowah, St. Clair117 min
May 4, 12:10 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXJefferson7 hr
May 4, 12:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, St. Clair, Talladega46 min
May 4, 12:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, St. Clair, Shelby28 min
May 4, 12:35 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXCalhoun, Etowah, St. Clair, Talladega3 hr
May 4, 12:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Talladega64 min
May 4, 1:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Shelby30 min
May 4, 1:25 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCleburne24 min
May 4, 1:39 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXJefferson, St. Clair, Shelby5 hr
May 4, 2:07 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningBMXBlount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair6 hr
May 4, 2:54 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXClay, Cleburne, Randolph, Shelby, Talladega3 hr
May 4, 3:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSumter55 min
May 4, 4:01 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXShelby, Talladega3 hr
May 4, 4:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa29 min
May 4, 4:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene55 min
May 4, 4:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale, Marengo63 min
May 4, 4:45 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWalker, Winston30 min
May 4, 5:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Dallas, Perry75 min
May 4, 5:17 PM CDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyCatastrophic damage threatBMXJefferson, Shelby3 hr
May 4, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Lowndes76 min
May 4, 5:30 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXChilton, Perry30 min
May 4, 5:38 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXShelby12 min
May 4, 5:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCoosa50 min
May 4, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore61 min
May 4, 6:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMontgomery68 min
May 4, 6:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTallapoosa56 min
May 4, 6:24 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXElmore, Montgomery13 min
May 4, 6:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBullock, Macon, Pike83 min
May 4, 6:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers, Lee61 min
May 4, 6:48 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningBMXBibb, Jefferson, Shelby22 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2021Every flash flood warning in 2021

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.