A stalled frontal boundary combined plenty of moisture led several rounds of heavy rain which caused flooding in southwest Alabama.
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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.
A stalled frontal boundary combined plenty of moisture led several rounds of heavy rain which caused flooding in southwest Alabama.
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 18, 5:45 AM CST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Mobile AL 645 AM CDT Thu Aug 18 2022 .AVIATION... 12Z issuance...Numerous to occasionally widespread showers and storms will affect the area today with scattered to potentially numerous showers and storms tonight. IFR to MVFR conditions will accompany the stronger showers and storms. Winds will typically be westerly to northerly at 5 to 10 knots today then transition to a light southerly flow tonight. /29 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 428 AM CDT Thu Aug 18 2022/ NEAR TERM UPDATE /Now Through Friday/...A broad upper trof pattern over the Eastern CONUS becomes oriented more so over the interior central states as a vigorous Canadian system dives into the northern/central Plains. This results in a northwesterly deep layer steering flow over the region gradually becoming southwesterly through the period, within which a series of active shortwaves continue to move across the forecast area. A frontal boundary which has been meandering over the area will be initially located near the coast and drifts into the coastal counties today. The boundary weakens meanwhile then looks to drift into northern Mississippi/Alabama through Friday morning leaving a light southerly flow over the forecast area. Abundant deep layer moisture remains in place over the area through the period with precipitable water values ranging mostly from 2.0-2.3 inches through tonight then around 2.0 inches on Friday. Shear values generally remain low through tonight, though a modest increase of 0-3 km bulk shear was noted on Friday which may support 30-35 knots over interior areas. An anticipated high coverage of convection through the period will limit daytime heating, and as a consequent MLCAPE values reach 1250- 2000 J/kg today then for Friday look to range from 750-1500 J/kg. Storms will be generally slow moving which when combined with the abundant deep layer moisture indicates the potential for locally heavy rainfall and possibly some flooding concerns. May see some strong storms develop mainly due to precipitation loading each day. The Storm Prediction Center has a marginal risk of severe storms for extreme southeast Mississippi and extreme southwest Alabama today. Highs today and Friday will be mostly in the mid to upper 80s, and lows tonight range from near 70 well inland to the mid 70s closer to the coast. A low risk of rip currents is expected through the period. /29 SHORT TERM /Friday night Through Saturday night/...An upper level ridge builds west over the northern Gulf of Mexico in the weekend, shifting the axis of a mean upper trough centered over the Southeast well west of the region. A surface ridge stretching west over the northern Gulf coast becomes better organized in response, helping to maintain a moist airmass over the Southeast (precipitable h20 values around 2.0"). With the Southeast on the northern periphery of the Gulf upper ridge, an upper level shortwave system is directed over the forecast area Saturday, bringing scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms to the forecast area Saturday, with Friday's convection lasting well into Friday evening and Saturday's into Saturday evening. The building upper ridge does bring a slight uptick in high temperatures from Friday, topping out in the mid 80s to near 90. Low temperatures will also see a bit of an uptick, with low temperatures in the low to mid 70s inland, upper 70s along the coast expected each night. Some strong to severe storms are possible Saturday into Saturday evening, with guidance advertising MLCapes topping out around 2500J/kg and DCapes in the 1000-1200J/kg range. Winds shear remains weak, so pulse severe type storms are expected, with damaging winds and and hail expected in the taller storms. As with any slow moving thunderstorms this time of the year. locally heavy rains can lead to ponding or nuisance flooding in poor drainage areas. With the weak onshore flow becoming a more steady temporally, when combined with a broadening tidal range, a moderate risk of rip currents is possible in the Short Term. /16 EXTENDED TERM /Sunday Through Wednesday/...A strong upper level shortwave trough moves into the mean upper trough well north of the northern Gulf coast early in the coming weak, shifting the upper ridge south of the northern Gulf coast south and returning upper instability to the Southeast. This upper system also moves a weak surface cold front south over the Southeast before stalling along the northern border of the forecast area. The forecast remains wet through the extended, with high temperatures below seasonal norms and low temperatures around to a bit above. /16 MARINE...No concerns are expected through the period outside of higher winds and seas near storms. /29 && .MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. FL...None. MS...None. GM...None. && This product is also available on the web at: www.weather.gov/mob
The Mobile radar (KMOB), 14 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:30 UTC.
4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
An off-duty NWS Employee reported area of standing water over Springhill Avenue and Government Street.
Heavy rain caused water to cover the road on US90 eastbound near exit 30/I-10 in Spanish Fort.
Social media report of water over the roadway on Schillinger Road just south of Cottage Hill.
Multiple reports of street flooding and at least one vehicle stranded in downtown Mobile.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2022
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: 1053849, 1053850, 1053852, 1053853.