Flash Flooding in Alabama, March 8, 1998

A slow moving complex weather system moved through southwest Alabama on March 8, bringing with it copious amounts of rainfall. The Mobile WSR-88D estimated rainfall totals of six to ten inches across the area on March 8 with Brewton recording 9.54 inches. Some areas in north Baldwin county estimated up to fifteen inches of rain with Covington county estimating up to twelve inches of rain. The heavy rains began on the evening of March 7 and continued through the night before tapering off on the afternoon of March 8. The heaviest rainfall fell from midnight until around noon on March 8. The heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding across the area. The flooding began in Mobile county and then spread east across Baldwin, Escambia, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw and Butler counties . Most secondary roads were completely washed out in these counties. Following are highlights of some of the damages in the affected counties:Mobile... Flooding began in the west part of the county then spread east . The flooding generally took place along and north of I-10. The University of South Alabama measured a one hour rainfall of 3.06 inches ending at 1221 am, a two hour total of 5.12 inches ending at 1223 am and a three hour total of 6.54 inches ending at 122 am. Many streets were closed due to high water through most of the day on March 8. Many secondary dirt roads in the north part of the county were completely washed out. A male drowned near USA around 1230 am when he jumped in to rescue a stranded motorist. The motorist got to safety but the rescuer was swept away by the swift water and drowned. This is the third person to drown at this spot since May of 1997.Baldwin...Most of the flooding took place north of I-10. Most of the secondary roads were washed out by the heavy rain. Many of the paved roads in the north part of the county remained closed until the evening of March 8, when the water finally receded.Conecuh...Most of the secondary roads throughout the county suffered damage. Most were closed from early Sunday morning until the evening of March 8. Part of I-65 was covered with water for a few hours during the morning of March 8 and traffic had to be rerouted.Escambia...Almost every road in the county had standing water in them. Many of the secondary dirt roads were washed out by the flooding. U S Highway 29 from Flomaton to Brewton was closed from the early morning until evening of March 8. Traffic had to be rerouted during this time. Residents in the area said this flood was worse than the flood of 1990. After the flash flooding subsided, river flooding continued for the next several days. On the Big Escambia Creek near Flomaton, the river reached an elevation of 19.7 feet which was second to the highest reading on the river of 25.9 feet in 1929. On Murder Creek in Brewton, flood waters rose to a depth of more than two feet inside an industrial plant and caused four million dollars in damage. The business was not on the river during the 1990 flood.Covington...Radar estimated that this county received the most rainfall. Most of the dirt roads throughout the county suffered major damage. Many of the primary roads had to be closed from early Sunday morning until the evening of March 8. The schools throughout the county were closed the next day because of the many washed out dirt roads. A trailer park had to be evacuated near Opp because of high water. A motorist had to be rescued when he drove his car into a flooded street and his automobile was washed away, also near Opp. A male drowned near Point A Dam around noon on March 8, when he drove his vehicle along a road around the lake. The road caved in and his vehicle was carried into the lake. Like Escambia county, residents say this was the worst flood they have seen.Crenshaw...Most of the dirt roads in the county were washed out. Many of the primary roads also suffered major damage. U S Highway 29 near Dozier was closed on Sunday morning as a dam broke on a pond and caused part of the highway to be washed away. Schools across the county were closed on Monday because of the many dirt roads that were washed out.Butler...Most of the dirt roads in the south part of the county were washed out by the heavy rain. Many paved roads in the same part of the county, generally south of Greenville, suffered major damage. Some were closed throughout the day on Sunday.