The remnants of Hurricane Issac brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Central Alabama during the first week of September. Hurricane Issac made landfall along the southeastern Louisiana coast late Tuesday, August 28 and slowly tracked northwestward through Louisiana and Arkansas for several days before turning to the east.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 BMX wrote it up.
The remnants of Hurricane Issac brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Central Alabama during the first week of September. Hurricane Issac made landfall along the southeastern Louisiana coast late Tuesday, August 28 and slowly tracked northwestward through Louisiana and Arkansas for several days before turning to the east. The remnant upper level trough associated with Issac crossed Alabama on Monday and Tuesday, September 3 and 4. Within a moist airmass (precipitable water values over 2.00 inches), clusters of thunderstorms trained across the same areas, resulting in flash flooding and wind damage on September 3. Although storm intensity and rainfall rates weakened overnight, thunderstorms continued to develop along a convergent boundary across west Central Alabama. After sunrise on September 4, storms re-intensified and flash flooding occurred at several locations which had rainfall for much of the night. As the upper level trough axis pushed into the area, the thunderstorm clusters shifted south of the area by midday.
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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 3, 10:47 AM CST, 3 hours 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1147 AM CDT MON SEP 3 2012 .UPDATE... UPDATES ALL AROUND. && .DISCUSSION... WILL ISSUE ANOTHER PUBLIC FORECAST UPDATE BY THE TOP OF THE HOUR TO FRESHEN UP THE FORECAST A BIT FOR THE AFTERNOON. /61/ && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. PRECIP HAS ENDED FOR NOW AT TCL...BHM...AND EET...AND THE BACK EDGE OF THE RAIN SHOULD REACH ANB BY THE 18Z TAF VALID TIME. LOOKS LIKE THE MAIN AREAS OF CONVECTION MAY ACTUALLY MISS BOTH MGM AND TOI... ALTHOUGH WILL HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR STORMS FILLING IN AND EXPANDING IN COVERAGE AS THE AFTERNOON ROLLS ALONG. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE THAT THERE MAY BE SOME RE-DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS/STORMS BACK WEST OF I-65. ALTHOUGH THE MODELS ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS...I GET A SENSE THAT THE RAIN HAS ENDED IN MOST AREAS (ALL BUT THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST) UNTIL AT LEAST TOMORROW AFTERNOON. THERE'S SOME DRY AIR TRYING TO WORK IN FROM THE WEST...IN THE WAKE OF THE MORNING RAIN AREA. THIS WILL PROBABLY HELP TO GET/KEEP TCL...EET...AND BHM IN THE VFR CATEGORY FOR A WHILE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BUT ALL SIGNS POINT TO LOW CLOUD AND FOG DEVELOPMENT ONCE AGAIN LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. /61/ && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1258 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012 ALZ011>015-017>050-041800- AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE- CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE- JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA- TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON- 1258 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES... ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE TIME WITH THE HIGHEST SEVERE STORM THREAT IS FROM FROM 5 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THE AREA WITH GREATEST SEVERE STORM THREAT...INCLUDING A SLIGHTLY ENHANCED TORNADO RISK...IS ROUGHLY FROM THE CITIES OF ONEONTA...SYLACAUGA...AND MONTGOMERY...WESTWARD TO THE MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
243 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012
ALZ045-047-048-032045-
LEE AL-MACON AL-RUSSELL AL-
243 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN RUSSELL...MACON AND
SOUTHERN LEE COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT...
AT 239 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM GRIFFEN MILL TO MILSTEAD...
AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
TUSKEGEE...
SMITHS...
PHENIX CITY...
FRANKLIN...
TUSKEGEE NATIONAL FOREST...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.
&&
LAT...LON 3224 8502 3224 8585 3245 8591 3248 8585
3249 8588 3250 8580 3257 8579 3263 8508
3259 8507 3252 8500 3245 8499 3244 8496
3233 8500 3231 8494 3226 8489
TIME...MOT...LOC 1943Z 286DEG 26KT 3256 8528 3245 8587
61The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:13 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 7 flash flood, 2 heavy rain, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
At least 5 trees were reported down on Highway 69 south of Moundville.
Approximately 5 to 6 inches of standing water was reported over several roads in Smiths Station.
Several trees were reported down at the intersection of Highway 5 and Country Road 16, north of Marion.
Numerous trees and powerlines were reported down in downtown Selma. At least five structures had minor roof damage.
Three inches of flowing water was reported at Avenue U and Five Points West.
Approximately a half dozen trees were reported down near the intersection of Highway 60 and Highway 14.
Several roads north of Greensboro were closed due to over 6 inches of flowing water over the roadways. These roads include Highway 25, County Road 32, and County Road 85.
Trees were reported down across State Road 17, north of Reform.
Trees were reported down along Highway 7, just northeast of Eutaw.
Trees were reported down on County Road 3.
South Sandy Road at Highway 85 was closed due to water flowing over the roadway.
Trees were reported down along Highway 82 in downtown Reform. One structure was also damaged in the area and a small aircraft was overturned inside a hangar in the airport.
Approximately 7 to 10 inches of water was reported covering Highway 82 in downtown Gordo. The bridges at 1st Avenue East and Ben Elmore Road were washed out. Also, twenty-five families had to be evacuated from their homes in the area.
Heavy rainfall fell for several hours in the Elrod community, leading to Park Road being washed out.
Heavy rainfall led to several roads becoming impassable, including County Road 37, County Road 79, and Knights Place Road.
Several roads in the Brent and Centerville area were impassable due to over 6 inches of flowing water completely covering the roadways. These roads included Highway 5 in Brent and Four Points; and Heritage Road, Park Drive and Patrige Drive in Centerville. Bibb Supply and Valley Foods suffered water damage due to the flash flooding.
A measured rainfall total of 9.64 inches fell in a few hours in Selma. Several roadways in Selma were impassable or washed out due to the excessive rainfall. Roadways that were completely washed out were County Road 403, County Road 412, County Road 428 and County Road 4. Estimated damage costs due to the roads being washed out was $728,514. Several structures sustained water damage, including Brantley Elementary School, Sherwin Williams, Rice Bank, and the Victor Nissan. Estimated property damage from structures was $365,000.
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, September 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: 414554, 414555, 414556, 414558, 414559, 414560, 414561, 414562, 414564, 414563, 414567, 414571, 414573, 414579, 414584, 415389, 415390, 415391.