Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2025

Flash Flood Warning 17, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 18, 2025Jefferson County, Shelby County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at May 18, 2025, 7:06 AM CDT for Jefferson County, Shelby County, Alabama. It was in force for 2 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2025, 7:06 AM CDT (12:06 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2025, 9:30 AM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Jefferson County, AL, Shelby County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:05 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 212 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2025-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 61 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2025-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -13 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
61 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-274 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1547 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
110 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 May 18, 2:56 AM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 251 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2025
  • There is a (Level 1 to 3 out of 5) risk of severe storms on Tuesday evening for portions of Central Alabama. The best chances will be generally along and northwest of the Interstate 85 corridor.
Area forecast discussion, May 18, 2:56 AM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
256 AM CDT Sun May 18 2025

...New KEY MESSAGES, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 251 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2025

- There is a (Level 1 to 3 out of 5) risk of severe storms on
  Tuesday evening for portions of Central Alabama. The best
  chances will be generally along and northwest of the Interstate
  85 corridor.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Monday)
Issued at 251 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2025

Middle May weather continues, with nightly MCS showers and storms.
Current IR indicates some rapid cooling tops as the MCS moves into
northern MS. Right now just a few showers and storms, but consensus
and guidance is that this will increase over the next few hours.
This correlates with the actual trends on going this hour. Went
ahead and increased PoPs toward daybreak and the first part of the
day. Questions for today will be two fold. Will the activity this
morning be strong/severe? And if the MCS does move through, will we
recover for any severe this afternoon? As mentioned, given the
expansive cooling cloud tops would expected some increase in overall
coverage over the next few hours. That would put an increase in rain
chances into the likely and categorical stages this morning. We did
get worked over nicely 24 hours ago, but there is still plenty of
instability to support at least a few stronger storms this morning
with the activity. Will not mention any severe this morning, but
will definitely monitor the radar trends. So if the activity moves
through this morning as expected now, will severe weather be
possible this afternoon. Well I can say that while it can not be
ruled out, the probabilities appear too low after 1 pm to mention
severe weather. Again this is a very conditional threat across
the area. If the MCS does not develop or spread across the area
with widespread coverage then yes a few afternoon storms could
develop, especially in the south.

Tonight we could see a shower or storm early in the south, but then
activity focuses west and north of the ares. We will likely see
another MCS develop overnight. Model trends right now keep the
majority of the rain north of the area, so I have limited rain
chances in the forecast.

The showers and storms should be limited to the north on Tuesday
closer to the MCS north of the area. Best chances of rain Monday
will be in the northeast.

16

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Monday night through next Saturday)
Issued at 251 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2025

A cold front will approach Central Alabama on Tuesday evening, with
a threat of severe thunderstorms across the region. With dew points
in the low 70s, supercell formation is likely during the afternoon
across parts of Mississippi and Tennessee. This is likely to grow
upscale into a more linear storm mode as it passes through Central
Alabama, posing a damaging wind threat. Hail and an isolated tornado
will be possible as well, with a bigger threat of hail initially
with more cellular activity. Current timing is still broad but is
potentially late evening to overnight Tuesday night for much of the
area.

Behind the cold front, the rest of the week will be dry, with
surface high pressure in place. Temperatures will be cooler, with
most areas in the 70s to near 80 Thursday and Friday. Rain chances
will return across the north by the weekend.

12

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1255 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2025

Made some adjustments to the TAFs for this cycle. Going to
concentrate more on the showers and storms developing this morning
and less this afternoon. Conditions should be very similar to last
night but a few hours later and most likely not as strong. Added
in tempo TSRA at the northern sites but not at MGM. Added only
SHRA there. Looks like the afternoon will not be as widespread so
removed the Prob30 from all sites but MGM for now. So morning
flights will need to be monitored for thunderstorms before and
after sunrise.

NOTE: There is a communication issue at ANB, so will include AMD
NOT SKED here until we see any resolve.

16

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

Another batch showers and thunderstorms will move through this
morning, with isolated to scattered this afternoon. Minimum RH
values on this afternoon and Monday will be in mid to upper 40
percent range across portions of the southeast and far southern
counties. Dry conditions return Wednesday after a strong system
moves through on Tuesday, with showers and thunderstorms.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Gadsden     83  66  88  67 /  70  20  30  10
Anniston    83  66  88  69 /  80  20  20   0
Birmingham  84  69  88  70 /  80  20  10   0
Tuscaloosa  87  70  89  72 /  60  20   0   0
Calera      86  69  89  70 /  70  20   0   0
Auburn      84  69  88  69 /  60  10   0   0
Montgomery  88  68  91  69 /  30  10   0   0
Troy        89  68  91  69 /  20  10   0   0

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

SHORT TERM...16
LONG TERM....12
AVIATION...16
Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 5:50 AM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, May 18, 6:51 AM CDT, 15 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 18, 6:53 AM CDT, 13 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 18, 6:55 AM CDT, 11 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 18, 6:55 AM CDT, 11 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 18, 6:58 AM CDT, 8 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 18, 7:01 AM CDT, 5 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 3:11 AM CDTDense Fog AdvisoryBMXCalhoun, Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Elmore and 8 more6 hr
May 18, 5:00 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLamar, Pickens45 min
May 18, 5:03 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWinston42 min
May 18, 5:19 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette, Walker56 min
May 18, 5:29 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXJefferson31 min
May 18, 5:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa42 min
May 18, 5:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Shelby27 min
May 18, 6:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatBMXBibb, Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa52 min
May 18, 6:12 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBlount48 min
May 18, 6:14 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXClay46 min
May 18, 6:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay, Coosa, Talladega39 min
May 18, 6:24 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXSt. Clair, Talladega51 min
May 18, 6:29 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXJefferson, Shelby37 min
May 18, 6:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatBMXClay, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega46 min
May 18, 6:55 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRandolph50 min
May 18, 7:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatBMXChambers, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, St. Clair and 2 more61 min
May 18, 7:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers, Tallapoosa51 min
May 18, 8:53 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRussell82 min
May 18, 11:30 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLamar45 min
May 18, 12:02 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette43 min
May 18, 12:45 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChambers45 min
May 18, 1:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXSt. Clair44 min
May 18, 1:32 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXTuscaloosa43 min
May 18, 1:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXShelby39 min
May 18, 1:48 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXJefferson, Shelby3 hr
May 18, 2:12 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBibb, Shelby, Tuscaloosa108 min
May 18, 2:22 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXClay, Shelby, Talladega3 hr
May 18, 3:37 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChilton38 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2025Every flash flood warning in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.