Flash Flooding in Florida, March 3, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding in Florida, March 3, 2001
Start: 2001-03-03T12:00
End: 2001-03-03T16:00
Location: Florida

March 3, 2001 · NWS MOB · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Heavy rains fell across the north parts of the area during the early afternoon. Several secondary streets were flooded and had to be closed for several hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 fell across the north parts of the area during the early afternoon. Several secondary streets were flooded and had to be closed for several hours. Most of the roads had been reopened by sunset. Radar estimated three to four inches of rain 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 Mobile radar (KMOB), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Escambia

When: March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Escambia County, North Portion
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 30.614, -87.341 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Santa Rosa

When: March 3, 12:00 PM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Santa Rosa County, North Portion
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 30.693, -87.018 (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

Every storm in Florida in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, 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: 5235815, 5235816.