Flash Flood in Alabama, February 25, 2004

Name: Flash Flood in Alabama, February 25, 2004
Start: 2004-02-25T19:10
End: 2004-02-25T19:50
Location: Alabama

February 25, 2004 · NWS MOB · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 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 Feb 25, 5:40 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 5:40 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
535 PM CST WED 25 FEB 2004

.SHORT TERM...WE ARE GOING TO LET THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH EXPIRE AT
6 PM AND NOT EXTEND IT ANY FURTHER.  UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER
WESTERN MISSISSIPPI WITH WRAP AROUND DEEP MOISTURE AND HEAVIER RAINS
NOTED GENERALLY NORTH OF THE AREA ATTM.  ANY FLOODING WE DO GET WITH
RESIDUAL RAIN/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT IS EXPECTED TO BE VERY
LOCALIZED.

WE ARE NOTING SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING SOUTHWEST OF
THE FORECAST AREA IN THE -22C COLD POOL AROUND THE UPPER LOW.  AFTER
THE MAIN BATCH OF RAIN/THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN
ZONES MOVES OUT TO THE NORTHEAST LATER THIS EVENING...WE STILL
WOULDNT RULE OUT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE UNDER
THE COLD POOL ALOFT.  WE WILL MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE ZONE
FORECAST PACKAGE TO REFLECT THIS THINKING.

&&

.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GMZ670.
FL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GMZ675.
MS...NONE.

&&

05

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 25, 6:15 AM CST, 12 hours 55 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
615 AM CST WED FEB 25 2004

ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-251800-
BALDWIN COASTAL-BALDWIN INLAND-BUTLER-CHOCTAW-CLARKE-CONECUH-
COVINGTON-CRENSHAW-ESCAMBIA-ESCAMBIA COASTAL-ESCAMBIA INLAND-GEORGE-
GREENE-MOBILE COASTAL-MOBILE INLAND-MONROE-OKALOOSA COASTAL-
OKALOOSA INLAND-PERRY-SANTA ROSA COASTAL-SANTA ROSA INLAND-STONE-
WASHINGTON-WAYNE-WILCOX-
615 AM CST WED FEB 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI AND THE EXTREME WESTERN PORTION OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

.DAY ONE...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)

TONIGHT...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK EASTWARD ALONG A
STATIONARY BOUNDARY JUST OFF THE ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA
COASTLINE THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH A STRONG
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVING OVER THE REGION. AS A RESULT...THE
STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS PLACED STONE AND
GEORGE COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...AND THE COASTAL COUNTIES
OF ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA IN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS FOR TODAY. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE
LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY GUSTY WINDS. ADDITIONALLY...THE STRONGER
STORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AT TIMES. SOME LOCATIONS
COULD SEE AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN. THESE RAIN AMOUNTS
OVER AN ALREADY SATURATED GROUND COULD RESULT IN THE THREAT OF FLASH
FLOODING TODAY...THEREFORE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS MAY BE REQUIRED
TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)

ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WILL LIKELY SEND SOME AREA RIVERS BACK ABOVE
FLOOD STAGE LATER THIS WEEK. IF YOU HAVE PROPERTY ALONG A RIVER OR
IN THE FLOOD PLAIN...YOU SHOULD STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST RIVER
FORECAST.

THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW THURSDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 25, 6:18 PM CST, 52 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
618 PM CST WED FEB 25 2004

ALZ061>063-260100-
UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE-UPPER MOBILE-
618 PM CST WED FEB 25 2004

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS BEING DETECTED OVER WESTERN MOBILE
COUNTY...

AT 610 PM CST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR SNOW ROAD WEST OF THE MOBILE
REGIONAL AIRPORT...TO AROUND THE SEMMES AREA. THE STORMS ARE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

RADR INDICATES HAIL TO THE SIZE OF MARBLES WITH THIS STORM.  SHOULD
STRENGTHENING OCCUR AND THE HAILSIZE INCREASE...A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING MAY BECOME NECESSARY.

OTHER THREATS FROM THIS STORM INCLUDE GUSTY WINDS AROUND 35
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. SUDDEN WIND GUSTS OF 35 MPH
COULD DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED
SMALL OBJECTS.

MOVE AUTOMOBILES INTO GARAGED AREAS IF POSSIBLE. SEEK SHELTER IN A
SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

Special weather statement, Feb 25, 6:18 PM CST, 52 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
618 PM CST WED FEB 25 2004

ALZ061>063-260100-
UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE-UPPER MOBILE-
618 PM CST WED FEB 25 2004

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS BEING DETECTED OVER WESTERN MOBILE
COUNTY...

AT 615 PM CST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR SNOW ROAD WEST OF THE MOBILE
REGIONAL AIRPORT...TO AROUND THE SEMMES AREA. THE STORMS ARE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

RADAR INDICATES HAIL TO THE SIZE OF MARBLES WITH THIS STORM.  SHOULD
STRENGTHENING OCCUR AND THE HAILSIZE INCREASE...A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING MAY BECOME NECESSARY.

OTHER THREATS FROM THIS STORM INCLUDE GUSTY WINDS AROUND 35
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. SUDDEN WIND GUSTS OF 35 MPH
COULD DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED
SMALL OBJECTS.

MOVE AUTOMOBILES INTO GARAGED AREAS IF POSSIBLE. SEEK SHELTER IN A
SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Mobile

When: February 25, 7:10 PM CST to 7:50 PM CST
Where: Mobile County, Semmes
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 30.685, -88.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rain along with pea to small marble size hail caused several streets to flood between Semmes and Spring Hill. Radar estimated three to five inches of rain fell across the area. Several of the streets had to be closed for about an hour to allow the water to drain. The small hail accumulated three to four inches deep, with some drifts as high as eight to ten inches against buildings. The combined weight of the hail and rain caused a wall at a Burger King to collapse. No one was injured. Some of the hail was still on the ground along shaded areas of buildings the next day.

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 Alabama in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Alabama, February 2004

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: 5385410.