Serious Flash Flood Situation in Etowah County

A serious situation is developing tonight in Etowah County, where widespread 2-4 inch rainfall amounts have fallen along and east of I-59. A flash flood warning has been issued for Etowah County.

Click image to enlarge.

The heaviest amounts have fallen from northeast of Reece City to near and North of Hokes Bluff. Radar estimates indicate as much as 5 inches of rain may have fallen near Hokes Bluff.

As you can see from the left panel, moderate to heavy rain continues and has persistently. Kevin Laws of the NWS says the situation is particularly concerning because the rainfall is not subsiding as one would expect with the loss of the heating of the day, so some other atmospheric process is in play.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR…
ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 100 AM CDT

* AT 957 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED SLOW MOVING
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE…
GADSDEN…HOKES BLUFF…RAINBOW CITY…ANDERSON…ATTALLA…
BALLPLAY…GADSDEN MALL…GLENCOE…NOCCALULA FALLS…REECE CITY…
SARDIS CITY AND TABOR ROAD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. RAINFALL FROM PERSISTENT RAINBANDS
WILL PRODUCE FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS AND ALONG STREETS. MANY
ROADS WILL BE CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER AND DRIVING IS NOT RECOMMENDED
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

Category: Alabama's Weather