Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 27, NWS Birmingham, AL

July 24, 2026Cherokee County, Etowah County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jul 24, 2026, 4:49 PM CDT for Cherokee County, Etowah 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
Jul 24, 2026, 4:49 PM CDT (21:49 UTC)
Expired
Jul 24, 2026, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Cherokee County, AL, Etowah County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:49 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 24, 5:20 PM CDTFLASH FLOODLeesburg, ALSeveral pictures on social media of water more than a foot deep near the intersection of Hwy 411 and Industrial Blvd.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 31 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 137 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 2026-07-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1090 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2026-07-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -22 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
1090 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
605 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-18 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

959 
WGUS54 KBMX 242149
FFWBMX
ALC019-055-250100-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FF.W.0027.260724T2149Z-260725T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
449 PM CDT Fri Jul 24 2026

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southern Cherokee County in northeastern Alabama...
  Etowah County in northeastern Alabama...

* Until 800 PM CDT.

* At 449 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or 
  expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Gadsden, Attalla, Hokes Bluff, Centre, Cedar Bluff, Centre 
  Municipal Airport, Glencoe, Sardis City, Leesburg, Altoona, Walnut 
  Grove, Reece City, Sand Rock, Gaylesville, Slackland, Tabor Road, 
  Cherokee Rock Village, Ballplay, Ball Flat and Noccalula Falls.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3424 8584 3425 8581 3427 8546 3424 8545
      3416 8544 3413 8555 3395 8578 3400 8584
      3401 8605 3398 8631 3417 8621 3418 8619
      3419 8611 3420 8611 3420 8584

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

25/Owen

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 Jul 24, 1:27 PM CDT, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Issued at 124 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2026
  • Heavy Rain: A stalled cold front combined with Gulf moisture will bring potential for heavy rainfall through the weekend. A Flood Watch remains in effect through Saturday morning.
  • Heat: Intense heat returns early next week. Expect temperatures in the upper 90s to near 100 from Monday through mid-week, with heat indices reaching or exceeding 105 degrees.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 24, 1:27 PM CDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
127 PM CDT Fri Jul 24 2026

...New DISCUSSION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 124 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2026

- Heavy Rain: A stalled cold front combined with Gulf moisture
  will bring potential for heavy rainfall through the weekend. A
  Flood Watch remains in effect through Saturday morning.

- Heat: Intense heat returns early next week. Expect temperatures
  in the upper 90s to near 100 from Monday through mid-week, with
  heat indices reaching or exceeding 105 degrees.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
(This afternoon through Thursday)
Issued at 124 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2026

The stalled cold front is still anticipated to ebb and flow
across the region through the weekend, keeping rain chances in
the forecast through Sunday. Given plenty of Gulf moisture still
working into the region, heavy rainfall is likely over the next
48-hours as storms slowly move along the stalled front. Given the
increased risk for Flash Flooding, the Flood Watch remains in
effect until Saturday for a handful of our northeast counties,
where the highest rainfall amounts are expected.

A significant pattern shift is still expected to take place by
the start of next week, as a stout upper-level ridge over the
Plains begins to shift southeast. Afternoon high temperatures
will quickly climb into the mid and upper-90s by Monday,
lingering through the middle of next week. Some guidance even has
a large swath of triple-digit afternoon highs on Tuesday. Given
recent rainfall, these temperatures are likely a bit overdone,
but confidence is already high that heat index values will surpass
105 degrees. Because of this, heat headlines already appear
likely come the start of the new workweek.

16

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1256 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2026

Shower and thunderstorm activity has increased across the area,
though clearing is noted at TCL and EET. Periodic showers and
occasional storms are expected at BHM this afternoon and evening,
with lower coverage at EET and TCL. TAFs have been adjusted to
include a TEMPO for TSRA at BHM, with VCSH for EET and TCL.
Showers and storms are anticipated at AUO between 18Z and 19Z,
followed by isolated activity through 02Z. Activity is expected
to increase over MGM by 20Z, continuing through 01Z-02Z. Given
the stalled cold front, additional showers and thunderstorms are
expected Saturday morning through the afternoon for most
terminals, with PROB30 added after 15Z.

Note: AMD NOT SKED for KAUO due to a weather observation outage.

16

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

Fire weather concerns remain minimal through the weekend,
supported by a warm, humid air mass and persistent rain chances.
MinRH values are expected to remain above 50 percent through
Monday.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Gadsden     72  87  72  90 /  40  70  60  50
Anniston    72  86  72  88 /  40  70  60  60
Birmingham  73  88  74  90 /  30  70  50  50
Tuscaloosa  74  91  74  92 /  20  50  40  30
Calera      73  92  73  93 /  20  60  50  50
Auburn      74  88  74  89 /  30  60  40  60
Montgomery  74  92  75  93 /  20  50  30  40
Troy        73  91  73  92 /  20  50  30  40

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Flood Watch through Saturday morning for the following counties:
Blount-Calhoun-Cherokee-Cleburne-Etowah-Jefferson-St. Clair-
Walker-Winston.

&&

DISCUSSION...16
AVIATION...16

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 24, 1:37 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXJefferson, Shelby3 hr
Jul 24, 2:03 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXJefferson3 hr
Jul 24, 2:32 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXWinston3 hr
Jul 24, 3:07 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXSt. Clair3 hr
Jul 24, 3:33 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBlount, Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair3 hr
Jul 24, 3:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXCalhoun, Etowah, St. Clair3 hr
Jul 24, 4:37 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXCherokee3 hr
Jul 24, 5:49 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXCherokee3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026

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.