Jim Stefkovich of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency said Alabama weather is bringing a Flood Watch for Mobile and Baldwin Counties from late this morning through Sunday evening. Heavy rain is already moving toward southern Alabama, and the watch covers the period when the rain is expected to intensify.
Stefkovich said a tropical wave moving across the Gulf through Sunday will funnel very high amounts of moisture into southern Alabama. He said intermittent bands of heavy rainfall will push inland today, with a 12 to 18 hour window of heavy rainfall and embedded thunderstorms likely between this evening and Sunday afternoon.
Jim Stefkovich and the Gulf
The greatest focus of rainfall is near the coast, where Stefkovich said totals through Monday afternoon could reach 4 to 6 inches. Some locations in the far southern sections of Alabama could see 6+ inches, and near the coast some locations could potentially see 10+ inches.
He also said there could be the potential for a tornado or two near the coast Saturday night into Sunday. A slow moving cold front will move through Alabama from north to south Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon, with the bulk of the rainfall for the northern half of Alabama expected tonight through Sunday evening.
Flood Watch in Mobile and Baldwin Counties
For residents in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, the practical issue is how long the rain lingers. Stefkovich said the rainfall may last into Monday morning, and if it does, the Flood Watch would need to be extended. The watch now runs through Sunday evening, so the timing of the heaviest rain could decide whether the warning period has to stay open longer.
Amounts drop off quickly away from the coast. Stefkovich said totals through Monday afternoon will generally be up to 1 inch north of I-59 and 2 to 4 inches south of I-59.
Drier and cooler Tuesday through Friday
Drier and cooler temperatures will follow Tuesday through Friday. For people in the watch area, the immediate takeaway is to plan around the heaviest rain from this evening through Sunday afternoon, then watch whether the rain stalls into Monday morning and forces the Flood Watch in Mobile and Baldwin to continue.
