Alabama, 2017

Flash Flooding in Alabama, June 6 to 7, 2017

June 6 to 7, 2017 · NWS MOB · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

Heavy rain developed across southwest Alabama and produced flooding.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
4

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 rain developed across southwest Alabama and produced flooding.

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 Jun 6, 5:27 PM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 6, 5:27 PM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Mobile AL
627 PM CDT Tue Jun 6 2017

.DISCUSSION...Updated for latest aviation discussion below.

&&

.AVIATION...
00Z issuance...An upper low spinning around off the Ms Gulf coast
will meander eastward tonight through Wednesday. This system,
working with a surface boundary along the northern Gulf coast with
bring a slowly eastward shifting area of MVFR/local upper LFR
CIGS to the area overnight into Wednesday. An overall decrease in
precip coverage is expected Wednesday.

/16

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 320 PM CDT Tue Jun 6 2017/

NEAR TERM /Now Through Wednesday/...Weather maps show low
pressure, surface and aloft over southeast Louisiana with abundant
cloud cover in place. Radar has been unusually tranquil thus far
given the presence of the low nearby and high amounts of deep
moisture, but forecasters are beginning to see a resurgence in
development over the central Gulf coast, which should expand in
coverage thru the remainder of the afternoon. The overall movement
of the synoptic scale low has been slow, which could contribute
to localized flooding in lower lying areas that experience poor
drainage of storm water. Weak wave of frontal low pressure is
progged to move very little tonight, positioned from the MS Sound
to the AL/northwest FL coastal waters. Given the very slow
movement, if any at all, of the low into tonight and the
availability of high amounts of deep moisture, there are concerns
that some areas could see localized flooding problems from slow
moving storms which could potentially become fixed in place for
several hours. Given the low confidence in timing and placement of
these areas, will refrain from issuance of a flash flood watch at
this time and will let later shifts assess convective trends.
However, feel it prudent to mention locally heavy rain possible in
gridded forecasts this evening over the southern zones given that
these areas will be closer to the low position and best forcing.
Overnight lows in the mid to upper 60s interior to lower to mid
70s coast.

Frontal zone, attendant waves of low pressure along it, shifts
southeast of the local area Wednesday. As this system departs,
rain chances trend lower from northwest to southeast thru the day
as drier air filters into the deep south. Daytime highs on
Wednesday, 83 to 87. /10

High risk of dangerous to potentially deadly rip currents continues
along area shores thru Wednesday morning due to increased tidal
ranges and modest swell. /10

SHORT TERM /Wednesday night Through Friday night/...An upper trof
over the eastern states slowly weakens through Friday night as an
embedded upper low over the interior eastern states moves into
the New England area then ejects well off to the northeast.  A
surface low located initially over the extreme northeast Gulf
Wednesday evening moves to just off the New England coast through
Thursday night, with a surface ridge meanwhile building into the
region which persists through Friday night. Drier deep layer air
will have already shifted into much of the forecast area at the
beginning of the period, except for generally around the western
Florida panhandle, but drier air shifts into this remaining
portion during Wednesday evening. Have gone with slight chance
pops for a portion of the western Florida panhandle, but dry
conditions otherwise follow through the period. Highs will be in
the mid to upper 80s each day while lows generally range from the
lower 60s inland (except a bit cooler Thursday night) to the mid
to upper 60s near the coast. /29

LONG TERM /Saturday Through Tuesday/...An upper ridge over the
Plains amplifies while shifting into the eastern states through
Sunday, then moves off into the western Atlantic through Tuesday
as an upper trof advances across the western states into the
Plains. A surface ridge over the Gulf coast states shifts slightly
southward to be oriented along the northern Gulf coast but
otherwise maintains a light southerly flow over the forecast area. Deep
layer moisture over the region improves significantly on Sunday
with the departure of the upper ridge, with elevated values
persisting through the remainder of the period. Another dry day
is expected for Saturday, then chance pops follow each day with
daytime heating and a series of generally modest shortwaves
resulting in isolated to scattered convection. Highs will be in
the mid to upper 80s each day. Lows Saturday night will be mostly
in the mid 60s inland ranging to lower 70s at the coast then each
remaining night will be near 70 inland with mid 70s at the coast.
/29

MARINE...Wave of frontal low pressure moves little over the
coastal waters tonight and brings potential of numerous showers
and scattered storms. Winds, waves and seas will be locally higher
in and near storms. Locally heavy, visibility reducing rain is
also possible. Front moves well to the southeast during the day
Wednesday, bringing a lowering trend in rain chances while
maintaining an offshore component of flow. Offshore flow continues
Thursday and into early Friday with high pressure over the Lower MS
River Valley. A light onshore flow sets up over the weekend with a
chance of showers and storms returning to the forecast by Sunday.
/10

&&

.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...High Rip Current Risk through Wednesday morning for ALZ265-266.

FL...High Rip Current Risk through Wednesday morning for FLZ202-204-
     206.

MS...None.
GM...None.
&&

This product is also available on the web at:
http://weather.gov/mob
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 6, 4:48 AM CST, 15 hours 49 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Mobile AL
548 AM CDT Tue Jun 6 2017

ALZ051>060-261>266-FLZ201>206-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-071100-
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-
548 AM CDT Tue Jun 6 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 thunderstorms are expected
across the forecast area today. The stronger thunderstorms will
be capable of producing straight line winds possibly up to 40 mph,
frequent cloud to ground lightning, and locally heavy rainfall,
which could result in ponding of water on area roadways and minor
nuisance flooding of low lying areas.

There is a high risk for rip currents along the gulf beaches of
Alabama and Northwest florida through tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms can be expected
through early Wednesday. Storms will be capable of producing
locally heavy rainfall, which could result in ponding of water on
area roadways and minor nuisance flooding of low lying areas. The
stronger storms that develop will also be capable of producing
gusty winds and frequent lightning strikes.

There is a high risk for rip currents along the gulf beaches of
Alabama and Northwest florida early Wednesday followed a moderate
risk through Wednesday night.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Activation of SkyWarn Severe Storm Spotter networks is not
expected through Monday.

GMZ630>635-650-655-670-675-071100-
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-
548 AM CDT Tue Jun 6 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the coastal
waters of Alabama and northwest Florida.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Winds and seas will be higher near scattered to numerous showers
and thunderstorms through tonight. Periods of very heavy rain with
frequent lightning strikes will be likely with the stronger
thunderstorms. Isolated waterspouts will also be possible.

Hazardous wind and wave conditions can be expected mainly offshore
early today.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

Winds and seas will be higher near scattered to numerous showers
and thunderstorms through early Wednesday. Periods of very heavy
rain with frequent lightning strikes will be likely with the
stronger thunderstorms. Isolated waterspouts will also be
possible.

Hazardous wind and wave conditions can be expected over the marine
area Wednesday night through early Thursday.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 6, 7:40 PM CST, 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
840 PM CDT TUE JUN 06 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0837 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 NW I10 AND MCDONALD R 30.55N 88.25W
06/06/2017                   MOBILE             AL   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            WATER OVER ROADWAY NEAR OLD PASCAGOULA RD JUST WEST OF
            MCDONALD ROAD VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

&&

DJOHNSON
Local storm report, Jun 6, 7:50 PM CST, 47 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
850 PM CDT TUE JUN 06 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0837 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WNW HOLLINGERS ISLAND   30.55N 88.12W
06/06/2017                   MOBILE             AL   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            WATER OVER ROADWAY ON ISLAND ROAD JUST EAST OF RANGELINE
            ROAD. VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

&&

DJOHNSON
Local storm report, Jun 6, 8:21 PM CST, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
921 PM CDT TUE JUN 06 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0910 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 S ST ELMO             30.48N 88.26W
06/06/2017                   MOBILE             AL   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            VEHICLE STALLED IN HIGH WATER ON ARGYLE RD JUST SOUTH OF
            TOM WALLER RD. VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

&&

DJOHNSON
Local storm report, Jun 6, 8:28 PM CST, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
928 PM CDT TUE JUN 06 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0920 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 WNW MILTON            30.65N 87.10W
06/06/2017                   SANTA ROSA         FL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            WATER OVER THE ROAD ALONG AND ON ANDERSON RD NEAR
            BERRYHILL RD IN MILTON.

&&

DJOHNSON

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 19 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:36 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Mobile

When
June 6, 8:37 PM CST to June 7, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Mobile County, 2.28 mi SSE of Tillmans Corner to 5.42 mi SSW of Delchamps
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
30.548, -88.120

Water over the roadway near Old Pascagoula Road just west of McDonald Road.

Flash Flood, Mobile

When
June 6, 8:37 PM CST to June 7, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Mobile County, 2.28 mi SSE of Tillmans Corner to 5.42 mi SSW of Delchamps
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
30.548, -88.120

Water over the roadway on Island Road just east of Rangeline Road.

Flash Flood, Mobile

When
June 6, 8:37 PM CST to June 7, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Mobile County, 4.27 mi N of Grand Bay to 3.09 mi N of St Elmo
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
30.532, -88.355

A vehicle stalled in high water on Argyle Road just south of Tom Waller Road.

Flash Flood, Baldwin

When
June 7, 12:00 AM CST to 2:00 AM CST
Where
Baldwin County, 5 mi N of Elsanor to 1.51 mi SSE of Taylors Camp
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.622, -87.580

Minor flooding reported at the Riverside RV resort.

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

More

Every storm in Alabama in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, June 2017

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: 708542, 708549, 708550, 709792.