Two brothers drowned in rip currents in Gulf Shores.
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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.
Two brothers drowned in rip currents in Gulf Shores.
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 17, 1:06 PM CST, 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Mobile AL 206 PM CDT Tue Aug 17 2021 .NEAR TERM /Now Through Wednesday/...Tropical Depression Fred continues to move northeast over the Appalachians this afternoon. Meanwhile, an upper ridge will build in over the region from the Atlantic. This feature will stretch into the central Gulf of Mexico by Wednesday afternoon. At the same time, a shortwave will slowly move over the Mississippi Valley region up towards the Great Lakes today and over the Great Lakes region on Wednesday. As for the local area, most will be under the influence of the upper ridge. However, the northwestern portion of our area could be influenced somewhat by the passing upper shortwave trough. With west to northwest flow, the region is a bit drier this afternoon. In fact, dew points are in the upper 60s to lower 70s at present. Current radar shows very little across the region except for a few showers/storms over Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Only isolated showers and a few storms are anticipated through the rest of the afternoon and into this evening. Chances will then decrease into late tonight. However, southerly flow will return tonight, increasing moisture over the northern Gulf coast through Wednesday afternoon. Model PWATs range between 1.8-2.0 inches (locally higher around 2.2 inches in some spots) over the local area. In addition, guidance suggests MLCAPE between 1000-2500 J/kg and DCAPE over 1000 J/kg. Model soundings also indicate the presence of dry air in the midlevels, so wet microbursts will also be possible. This will be monitored. Overall, expecting our typical diurnal pattern of showers and thunderstorms to become the norm once again on Wednesday. Activity will begin over the Gulf waters and immediate coast late tonight and translate onto land through the morning. Current temperatures are in the upper 80s to lower 90 and could warm a few more degrees before the afternoon is over. Therefore, forecast highs (in the lower 90s inland and upper 80s at the coast) remain on track. Lows tonight will be warm, in the lower to mid 70s inland and in the mid to upper 70s near the coast. Highs Wednesday afternoon are expected to be in the lower 90s, with a few spots over inland areas inching towards the mid 90s. These temperatures, combined with dew points in the 70s, will lead to heat indices in the 100-106 degree range. Although these values are below Heat Advisory criteria, make sure to stay hydrated and limit strenuous activity outdoors. Lastly, the HIGH RISK of rip currents will continue through tonight. However, this will be monitored this evening to see if conditions have improved. At this time, a MODERATE RISK will follow for Wednesday. /26 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 123 PM CDT Tue Aug 17 2021/ .AVIATION... 18Z issuance...VFR conditions were present at issuance and will likely persist through the rest of the period. A few showers and storms are possible across the region this afternoon, but confidence is low whether these will affect the TAF sites. Brief periods of lower CIGs and VIS are possible in any heavy showers. Chances will diminish this evening, with no activity anticipated for most areas overnight. The exception will be over the Gulf waters and at the immediate coast where shower/storm chances will begin to increase late tonight into early Wednesday morning. Scattered showers and storms will then translate from the marine zones over the land areas through Wednesday morning. West to northwest winds today will shift to be southerly tonight. Winds will generally be light, except near the coast with sea breeze formation this afternoon and Wednesday afternoon. /26 && .MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...High Rip Current Risk through late tonight for ALZ265-266. FL...High Rip Current Risk through late tonight for FLZ202-204-206. MS...None. GM...None. && This product is also available on the web at: http://weather.gov/mob
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
Two brothers, one from TN and one from GA, drowned in rip currents in Gulf Shores.
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 | 2021-08-17 | Male | In Water | Direct | |
| Rip Current, Baldwin Coastal | 2021-08-17 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2021
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: 971940.