Dangerous rip current conditions over the Alabama coastal waters resulted in 2 deaths.
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.
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.
Dangerous rip current conditions over the Alabama coastal waters resulted in 2 deaths.
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 Aug 11, 5:30 PM CST, 1 hour earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Mobile AL
630 PM CDT Fri Aug 11 2017
.DISCUSSION...Updated for latest aviation discussion below.
&&
.AVIATION...
00Z issuance...Mostly VFR conditions expected to prevail into
tonight as lingering shower and thunderstorm activity tapers off
after sunset. Some patchy fog will be possible late tonight,
limiting visibilities to below 3SM at times, especially in wetter
areas that see rain this evening. Scattered thunderstorms develop
once again Saturday, with locally lower cigs/vis and gusty winds
possible in and around heavier storms. Outside of storms, expect
VFR conditions and light winds generally out of the southwest. /49
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 346 PM CDT Fri Aug 11 2017/
NEAR TERM /Now Through Saturday/...11.12Z weather map analysis
shows a mid level ridge axis extending from New Mexico to off the
Texas coast. A subtle break in the deep layer ridge is noted
across the Lower Mississippi River Valley where lower geo-potential
heights exist at base of broad upper trof. At the surface, a quasi-
stationary frontal boundary was draped from the southern Plains to
the Great Lakes. Instability also reflects little change, remaining
high with surface based convective potential energy (SBCAPE) ranging
between 2000 to 3500 J/KG. Deep layer moisture is very plentiful
with pwat values ranging from 1.90 to 2.20 inches or 100 to 120% of
climatological normal. As noted from Thursday, a persistent
environment populated with the presence of high CAPE, low shear, and
deep moisture profiles, supports the potential for some storms to
become locally strong thru the remainder of the afternoon.
Note: Some areas could see very heavy rain, while others not as
much, which is very typical for the summer months with little to
no confidence on where these set up. This will be driven by the
progression of thunderstorm rain cooled mesoscale boundaries and
their interactions. With storms tracking steadily eastward at 10 to
15 MPH, the threat for widespread flash flooding is low, but
localized nuisance type flooding remains just about anywhere. The
overall severe weather potential remains very low. Will carry
isolated to scattered coverages of showers/storms into the evening
before lessening to 10% or less north of I-10 late in the night. To
the south, potential exists for the re-development of late night
scattered storms over the coastal waters. To also maintain a
persistence approach, will also mention the development of late
night patchy fog, which could become dense in a few spots shortly
before daybreak Saturday. Overnight lows near 73 interior and mid to
upper 70s closer to the coast.
The upper air pattern, environmental moisture profiles and daytime
instability looks to mostly remain unchanged going into Saturday.
Scattered to potentially numerous showers and storms redevelop over
the land zones thru the course of the day. Frequent lightning,
brief strong wind gusts and locally heavy rains will continue to
be the main threats in the stronger storms. Away from storms,
highs for Saturday range from 88 to 91. /10
SHORT TERM /Saturday night Through Monday night/...An upper
trough over the northeastern Gulf coast washes out, connecting an
upper ridge over the western Atlantic with an upper ridge
centered over the Southern Plains by Sunday. The shortwave energy
keeps flowing east over the Conus, eventually flattening the ridge
over the Southern Plains, but leaving a ridgeline stretching west
over the northern Gulf coast. The first rounds of this energy
pushes a weak surface front south across the Southeast before
stalling it around the I20 corridor, where it forms a shall
surface trough over the Southeast lasting into Sunday, and
pushing a weakly organized surface ridge over the northern Gulf a
bit farther south. With a very moist airmass remaining over the
Southeast (precip h20 values 2" or greater) due to the onshore
flow, albeit weak, the chance of rain remains at or above seasonal
levels through the short term. With respect to temps, the upper
ridge brings increased subsidence, but due to the relatively weak
nature of the upper ridge, any temperature increasing subsidence
is counter-balanced by the above seasonal rain chances, especially
Monday on. For temps, highs ranging from the upper 80s to low 90s
Sunday, upper 80s to around 90 Monday. With the high moisture
levels through the period limiting overnight cooling due to
increased cloud cover and expected fog development, have generally
went above seasonal with respect to lows (ranging from the low
70s inland to mid 70s along the immediate coast).
/16
LONG TERM /Tuesday Through Friday/...All the passing shortwave
energy digs a shallow upper trough over the East Coast, with a
upper high building over the Lower Mississippi River Valley in
response. A surface ridge continues to stretch west over the Gulf,
keeping the forecast area under a general southwest flow, re-
enforcing the soupy airmass over the area. With above seasonal
chances of rain continuing to counterbalance subsidence from the
upper high, daytime highs around to a bit below seasonal continue,
with overnight lows around to a bit above seasonal.
/16
MARINE...A weak surface ridge of high pressure will continue to
nose westward over the eastern and central Gulf through the middle
of next week. A west to southwest component looks to be the most
dominant wind direction over the next several days with little
overall change in seas, at near 2 feet. Winds, waves and seas though
will be locally higher in and around scattered to numerous
thunderstorms. Frequent lightning and limited visibility from heavy
rain will also be possible with the stronger storms. /10
&&
.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...High Rip Current Risk through Saturday morning for ALZ265-266.
FL...High Rip Current Risk through Saturday morning for FLZ202-204-
206.
MS...None.
GM...None.
&&
This product is also available on the web at:
http://weather.gov/mobHazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Mobile AL 915 AM CDT Fri Aug 11 2017 ALZ051>060-261>266-FLZ201>206-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-121400- Choctaw-Washington-Clarke-Wilcox-Monroe-Conecuh-Butler-Crenshaw- Escambia-Covington-Mobile Inland-Baldwin Inland-Mobile Central- Baldwin Central-Mobile Coastal-Baldwin Coastal-Escambia Inland- Escambia Coastal-Santa Rosa Inland-Santa Rosa Coastal- Okaloosa Inland-Okaloosa Coastal-Wayne-Perry-Greene-Stone-George- 915 AM CDT Fri Aug 11 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of south central Alabama...southwest Alabama...northwest Florida and southeast Mississippi. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered to numerous showers and storms have the potential of producing locally heavy rain which may lead to localized flooding for some areas through early tonight. Frequent lightning and brief strong wind gusts in excess of 40 mph will also be possible in any of the stronger storms. Patchy areas of dense fog, reducing visibilities to a quarter mile or less, can be expected late tonight and early Saturday morning especially in those areas that receive heavier rains today. A high risk for rip currents can be expected along the Gulf beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida through tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Patchy areas of dense fog, reducing visibilities to a quarter mile or less, will be possible each morning through Thursday. Scattered to numerous daily showers and storms have the potential of producing locally heavy rain which may lead to localized flooding for some areas during the outlook. Frequent lightning and brief strong wind gusts in excess of 40 mph will also be possible in any of the stronger storms. A moderate risk for rip currents can be expected along the Gulf beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of SkyWarn Severe Storm Spotter networks is not expected through Thursday. GMZ630>635-650-655-670-675-121400- Northern Mobile Bay-Southern Mobile Bay-Mississippi Sound- Perdido Bay-Pensacola Bay System-Choctawhatchee 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- 915 AM CDT Fri Aug 11 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the coastal waters of Alabama and northwest Florida. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Winds, waves and seas will be locally higher in and near scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms through tonight. Limited visibility and frequent lightning activity will also be common in stronger storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Winds, waves and seas will be locally higher in and near scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms through tonight. Limited visibility and frequent lightning activity will also be common in stronger storms.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
Dangerous rip current conditions over the Alabama coastal waters resulted in 2 deaths.
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, Baldwin Coastal | 2017-08-11 | 19 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Baldwin Coastal | 2017-08-11 | 12 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2017
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: 719442.