Alabama, 2001

Flash Flooding in Alabama, March 3, 2001

March 3, 2001 · NWS MOB · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Heavy rains across the area caused secondary roads to washout in many areas. The water slowly drained from the roads after the rain ended, and most were able to be reopened after sunset.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$95,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MOB wrote it up.

Heavy rains across the area caused secondary roads to washout in many areas. The water slowly drained from the roads after the rain ended, and most were able to be reopened after sunset. Radar estimated that four to six inches of rainfall fell across the area.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 3, 4:10 AM CST, 7 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 3, 4:10 AM CST, 7 hours 50 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
410 AM CST SAT MAR 3 2001

4 AM ZONES GOING TO BE A BIT LATE...COORDINATING POSSIBLE NEW SEVERE
TSTM WATCH WITH SPC.  STAY TUNED...

.MOB...
AL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY ALZ039-051>064 THRU 04/06Z.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY BAY AND COASTAL WATERS GMZ630-650-670.
FL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY COASTAL WATERS GMZ655-675.
MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH MSZ067-075-076-078-079 jTHRU 04/06Z.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Conecuh

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Conecuh County, Countywide
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.429, -86.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Mobile

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Mobile County, Countywide
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.685, -88.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Monroe

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Monroe County, Countywide
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.571, -87.365 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Wilcox

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Wilcox County, Countywide
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.989, -87.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Butler

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Butler County, Countywide
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.752, -86.680 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Crenshaw

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Crenshaw County, Countywide
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.732, -86.314 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Covington

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Covington County, Countywide
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.249, -86.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Escambia

When
March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Escambia County, Countywide
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.126, -87.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, March 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5235806, 5235807, 5235808, 5235809, 5235810, 5235811, 5235812, 5235813.