Strong rip currents developed causing a death and an injury.
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.
The episode as NWS MOB wrote it up.
Strong rip currents developed causing a death and an injury.
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 Apr 18, 5:57 AM CST, 5 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...AVIATION UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 657 AM CDT WED APR 18 2012 .AVIATION...(12Z ISSUANCE)...SHOWERS CONTINUE ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. BOUNDARY AND ASSOCIATED PRECIP SHOULD EXIT THE LOCAL AREA BY EARLY AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD IFR CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE TO MVFR BY LATE MORNING AND VFR WITH SCATTERED SKIES BY EARLY AFTERNOON. LITTLE CLOUD COVER EXPECTED DURING THE EVENING HOURS AND DRY...DEEP LAYER NORTHERLY FLOW IS EXPECTED TO KEEP ALL BUT PATCHY FOG IN PROTECTED AREAS FROM DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT. /08 JW .SHORT TERM [TODAY AND TONIGHT]...THE MAIN BAND OF SHOWER ACTIVITY HAS EXITED THE AREA BUT SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUE OVER SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE. SHOWERS ARE A RESULT OF THE MID LEVEL TROUGH AND THE WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHIFTING SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD OVER SOUTH ALABAMA. MODELS AND CURRENT TRENDS SUGGEST THE 700 MB TROUGH WILL EXIT THE FORECAST AREA NEAR 18Z BRINGING AND END TO THE SHOWER ACTIVITY. OTHERWISE WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUDS BLANKETING THE AREA WILL GRADUALLY BREAK UP AS THE SURFACE LOW SOUTHEAST OF MOBILE BAY EXITS THE AREA AND THE LOW LEVEL ISENTROPIC ASCENT SHUTS OFF. DRIER...SUBSIDING AIR IN THE NORTHERLY FLOW WILL THEN ADVECT OVER THE AREA OFFSETTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLOUD COVER THIS AFTERNOON RESULTING FROM SURFACE HEATING AND THE RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM OUR RECENT RAINFALL. SKIES SHOULD SCATTERED OUT BY THIS AFTERNOON...BECOMING MOSTLY CLEAR TONIGHT. TODAYS HIGHS SHOULD CLIMB INTO THE MID 70S TO NEAR 80 WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS DROPPING INTO THE LOW 50S INLAND TO NEAR 60 CLOSE TO THE COAST. /08 JW [THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT]...WE WILL MAINLY SEE ZONAL FLOW ALOFT THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...WITH A FEW EMBEDDED WEAK DISTURBANCES IN THE WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TRAVERSING OVER THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...PLENTY OF DRY AIR WILL HAVE MOVED INTO THE REGION IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING UPPER SHORTWAVE/SURFACE COLD FRONT SO THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE RAIN-FREE FRIDAY EVENING. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL ONCE AGAIN DOMINATE THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEAST CONUS COASTAL AREAS ON FRIDAY. A LIGHT SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL WIND FLOW OFF THE GULF OF MEXICO REDEVELOPS...WITH A DEEP MOIST SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND FLOW IN THE MID/UPPER LEVELS. AN ACTIVE UPPER PATTERN OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL CONUS RESULTS IN MORE UPPER ENERGY MOVING ONSHORE OVER THE FORECAST AREA LATE IN THE WEEK...BRINGING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BACK INTO THE FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT. DAYTIME HIGHS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WILL RANGE FROM 78 TO 83 DEGREES. LOWS BOTH THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT WILL DROP INTO THE MID/UPPER 50S INLAND AREAS...AND 60 TO 65 DEGREES ACROSS THE COASTAL SECTIONS (MAINLY SOUTH OF I-10). /22 && .LONG TERM [SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY]...THE LEADING EDGE OF A POLAR JET STREAK ALONG THE EASTERN PERIPHERY A WESTERN CONUS UPPER RIDGE WILL DIVE SOUTH OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BY SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WIND SPEED MAXIMUM DEEPENS THE CENTRAL PLAINS UPPER TROUGH TO THE POINT WHERE BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS DEVELOP A CLOSED UPPER AT THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. MEANWHILE THE NAM/SREF/DGEX MODELS ALSO DEEPEN THE UPPER TROUGH...BUT KEEP THE WAVE OPEN. THERE HAS BEEN GOOD RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY WITH THE GFS/ECMWF SOLUTION...SO WILL GO WITH THE WORST CASE SCENARIO FOR NOW AND BANK ON A STRONGER AND SLIGHTLY SLOWER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF THE UPPER LOW DEPICTED BY BOTH THE 18.00Z GFS AND ECMWF MODELS ARE EXCELLENT. IN FACT...BY 7 PM SATURDAY (96 HRS OUT)...BOTH MODELS HAVE THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LOW ONLY 30 MILES APART AND OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...WITH AN ATTENDANT SURFACE LOW ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THE SYSTEM THEN BECOMES NEARLY STAKED AS BOTH THE UPPER LOW AND SURFACE LOW MOVE EAST ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SATURDAY NIGHT. THEREFORE...HAVE INCREASED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS (60 PERCENT FOR SATURDAY...WITH SCATTERED COVERAGE SATURDAY NIGHT. MLCAPES ARE ONLY AROUND 100 J/KG AND 0-1KM HELICITY VALUES RANGES FROM 100 TO 150 M2/S2...SO THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS LOW AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER WE WILL EXPERIENCE AN INCREASE IN BOTH ONSHORE WINDS AND RIP CURRENT THREATS ON SATURDAY. WRAP-AROUND PRECIP SHOULD LINGER INTO SUNDAY...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER DRY PERIOD THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST. WE WILL ALSO SEE TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER. /22 && .AVIATION [18.06Z KMOB/KBFM/KPNS TAF ISSUANCES]...BEHIND A BROAD AREA OF RAIN OVER THE EASTERN-MOST SECTION OF THE FA...CIGS HAVE DROPPED INTO IFR/LIFR LEVELS...WITH WINDS STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP FROM DROPPING FURTHER. THESE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT...LIMITING CIGS/VISBYS DROPPING TO LIFR OR LOWER LEVELS OVERNIGHT...AND WITH DRIER AIR MOVING OVER THE FA WEDNESDAY...SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO CLEAR. /16 && .MARINE...A SURFACE LOW SOUTHEAST OF MOBILE BAY HAS HELPED DEVELOP A MODERATE FLOW WHICH HAS BUILT OFFSHORE SEAS OF 4 TO 5 FEET. WIND AND SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE BY NOON AS THE LOW AND ASSOCIATED FRONT EXIT THE AREA. AN OFFSHORE FLOW WILL THEN PREVAIL UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. INCREASING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED AHEAD OF AND ALONG THE FRONT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. A STRONG OFFSHORE FLOW IS EXPECTED TO FOLLOW IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT EARLY SUNDAY. IT IS LOOKING INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT THE STRENGTHENING WIND FLOW AND BUILDING SEAS EXPECTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT./08 JW && .FIRE WEATHER...LIGHT RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST OF THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT OFF THE CENTRAL GULF COAST WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. IN ITS WAKE...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING A LIGHT NORTHERLY FLOW OVER THE INTERIOR ZONES WITH A LIGHT AND VARIABLE FLOW OVER THE SOUTHERN ZONES. DAYTIME HUMIDITY FORECAST TO REMAIN ABOVE CRITICAL LEVELS. FOG POTENTIAL AND OTHER REMARKS...PATCHY LIGHT FOG IN LOW LYING AREAS IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY NIGHT. /22 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MOBILE 77 57 81 60 / 10 05 05 05 PENSACOLA 79 62 81 62 / 30 10 05 05 DESTIN 78 65 79 62 / 40 10 05 05 EVERGREEN 78 54 82 55 / 30 10 05 05 WAYNESBORO 77 50 81 54 / 05 10 05 05 CAMDEN 76 53 81 55 / 20 10 05 05 CRESTVIEW 81 55 82 57 / 40 10 05 05 && .MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. FL...NONE. MS...NONE. GM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 551 AM CDT WED APR 18 2012 ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-191100- CHOCTAW-WASHINGTON-CLARKE-WILCOX-MONROE-CONECUH-BUTLER-CRENSHAW- ESCAMBIA-COVINGTON-UPPER MOBILE-UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE- LOWER BALDWIN-INLAND ESCAMBIA-COASTAL ESCAMBIA-INLAND SANTA ROSA- COASTAL SANTA ROSA-INLAND OKALOOSA-COASTAL OKALOOSA-WAYNE-PERRY- GREENE-STONE-GEORGE- 551 AM CDT WED APR 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION LATE FRIDAY INCREASING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE STRONG CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTING...SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. A STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY FLOW ON SATURDAY WILL CREATE A MODERATE TO HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. GMZ630-650-655-670-675-191100- MOBILE BAY- COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 551 AM CDT WED APR 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION THIS MORNING AS HIGHER WINDS AND WAVES IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WILL CREATE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS. WINDS AND WAVES WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE BY AFTERNOON AS THE SYSTEM EXITS THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE REGION WILL INCREASE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY LATE FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME STRONG AND PRODUCE HAZARDOUS WIND GUSTS WITH LOCALLY HIGHER SEAS AS WELL AS SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTENING. WINDS AND SEAS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN AND BUILD IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT SATURDAY AND IN ITS WAKE SUNDAY AND MONDAY CREATING HAZARDOUS SEA CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT.
2 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
A 16 year old boy was caught in a rip current, listed in critical condition then later died in the hospital.
A 14 year old boy died after being caught in a rip current.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip Current, Lower Baldwin | 2012-04-18 | 16 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Lower Baldwin | 2012-04-18 | 14 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, April 2012
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: 375925, 375926.