Flash Flood Watch for Gadsden Metro Area

(Gadsden, AL - March 10, 2010) The National Weather Service office in Birmingham is warning of potential flooding conditions across two-thirds of the state, including the Etowah County area.

This morning at 4:06 a.m., the NWS issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of the state, and a Flash Flood Warning for five central Alabama counties later this morning, at 6:19 a.m.

The watch extends through late tonight, as several rounds of thunderstorms are expected to cross the state. The storms are expected to bring between two and three inches of rain through noon today. Then following a brief decrease in intensity, to re-strengthen again later this afternoon. Storms later today are expected to bring another two to three inches of rain in a rather short period of time.

The combination of morning rains saturating the ground, followed by heavy afternoon and evening rains could cause flash flooding, according to NWS meteorologists.

You should stay close to an emergency alert radio, and follow local media for any changes in the conditions in your area. And, you are asked to keep children away from storm drains, water catchments, and waterways. Shallow, gently flowing water can become a raging torrent in a matter of minutes when heavy rains occur.

Interestingly, a rapid rush of water as shallow as six inches can pick a grown man up off of his feet and wash him downstream, so do not walk across flooded streams.

A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding.

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
406 AM CST WED MAR 10 2010
... SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...

ALZ011>015- 017>050- 101800-  /O.NEW.KBMX.FF.A.0003.100310T1006Z- 100311T1200Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z. 000000T0000Z.OO/
MARION- LAMAR- FAYETTE- WINSTON- WALKER- BLOUNT- ETOWAH- CALHOUN-  CHEROKEE- CLEBURNE- PICKENS- TUSCALOOSA- JEFFERSON- SHELBY- ST. CLAIR-  TALLADEGA- CLAY- RANDOLPH- SUMTER- GREENE- HALE- PERRY- BIBB- CHILTON-  COOSA- TALLAPOOSA- CHAMBERS- MARENGO- DALLAS- AUTAUGA- LOWNDES- ELMORE-  MONTGOMERY- MACON- BULLOCK- LEE- RUSSELL- PIKE- BARBOUR-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF... HAMILTON... SULLIGENT... VERNON... FAYETTE... DOUBLE SPRINGS... JASPER... ONEONTA... GADSDEN...  ANNISTON... CENTRE... HEFLIN... CARROLLTON... TUSCALOOSA...  BIRMINGHAM... HOOVER... COLUMBIANA... PELHAM... ALABASTER...  PELL CITY... MOODY... TALLADEGA... SYLACAUGA... ASHLAND... ROANOKE...  LIVINGSTON... EUTAW... GREENSBORO... MOUNDVILLE... MARION...  CENTREVILLE... CLANTON... ROCKFORD... ALEXANDER CITY... DADEVILLE...  VALLEY... LANETT... LAFAYETTE... DEMOPOLIS... LINDEN... SELMA...  PRATTVILLE... FORT DEPOSIT... HAYNEVILLE... WETUMPKA... TALLASSEE...  MONTGOMERY... TUSKEGEE... UNION SPRINGS... AUBURN... OPELIKA...  PHENIX CITY... TROY... EUFAULA

406 AM CST WED MAR 10 2010
... FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA... EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA... NORTHEAST ALABAMA... NORTHWEST ALABAMA...  SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA... INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA... AUTAUGA... BIBB...  BLOUNT... CHILTON... COOSA... DALLAS... ELMORE... JEFFERSON...  LOWNDES... MONTGOMERY... PERRY... SHELBY... ST. CLAIR... TALLADEGA AND WALKER. IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA... CALHOUN... CHAMBERS...  CLAY... CLEBURNE... LEE... MACON... RANDOLPH... RUSSELL AND TALLAPOOSA. IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA... CHEROKEE AND ETOWAH. IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA... MARION AND WINSTON. IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...  BARBOUR... BULLOCK AND PIKE. IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...  FAYETTE... GREENE... HALE... LAMAR... MARENGO... PICKENS... SUMTER AND TUSCALOOSA.

* THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
* SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. MANY LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH NOON TODAY BEFORE A BRIEF DECREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE ARE NOTED. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AND EXPAND IN COVERAGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WHEN ANOTHER 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE RAINFALL MAY OCCUR IN A RATHER SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
DURING HEAVY RAINS... KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS... WATER CATCHMENTS... AND WATERWAYS.  SHALLOW... GENTLY FLOWING WATER CAN BECOME A RAGING TORRENT IN A MATTER MINUTES WHEN HEAVY RAINS OCCUR.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.