Christmas Flooding and Tornadoes in Alabama - Pea River in Elba could reach historic flood level
The Dale County Sheriff's Office conducted rescue Christmas morning of a family trapped in a home along the Pea River. (Photo: Rickey Stokes)
Every Alabama county has roads closed after Christmas Day storms, tornadoes: Gov. Bentley
By Howard Koplowitz | hkoplowitz@al.com
Nearly 200 roads in Alabama are closed Saturday morning -- impacting every county in the state -- following severe Christmas Day storms that produced tornadoes in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa County, Gov. Robert Bentley said.
The 190 road closures come a day after the governor issued a state of emergency in Alabama for flooding as the state was hammered with heavy rains, thunderstorms, tornadoes and flash floods.
Bentley warned state residents to not attempt to navigate impassable roads.
"As conditions improve today, I encourage Alabamians to stay away from flooded areas and do not drive through the water," he tweeted.
Flooding could reach historic records in Elba
COFFEE CO., AL (WSFA) -
The Pea River in Elba is rising quickly and could reach a higher water mark than ever before.
National Weather Service officials predict the Pea River in Elba to crest at 41.3 ft.
The levee built to protect Elba is 44 to 45 feet tall, but it only protects part of the city.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a survey done on the levee in Friday shows that it is in excellent condition and is performing as it should. The Corps of Engineers is continuing to monitor the levee and the Pea River.
Many residential areas are experiencing substantial flooding. Many roadways in and out of the city of Elba have been closed or deemed impassible due to flooding. To find a current listing of road closures across south Alabama, click here.
The Coffee County Emergency Management Agency says at this time all emergency preparations have been made for any required response. Citizens in historically affected areas have been informed of the flooding potential and most have evacuated under the voluntary evacuation criteria.
The Red Cross has opened a shelter for those displaced from their homes. The shelter is located at Elba Elementary and currently has 12 residences. If a citizen has an emergency they should call 911, even those emergencies requesting rescues. For general information or other assistance, please call 211.
The Red Cross urges anyone in need of assistance or shelter to call 334-714-2073.
Elba has a long history of bad floods. The catastrophic 1929 flood occurred when the Pea River reached the record height of 43.5 ft. Another flood in 1990 flood almost destroyed the town and caused tens of millions in damage. The city also flooded in 1994 and 1998.
Governor Robert Bentley has issued a state of Emergency for Alabama following the excessive rains and flooding across the state.
Worst of Alabama's Christmas storms may be over, but flooding persists
By Jeremy Gray | jgray@al.com
A highly unusual weather system that brought tornadoes, flooding and summer like temperatures to Alabama this Christmas appears to be headed out of the state, according to the National Weather Service.
There is a chance of scattered storms and rain today, but not nearly as bad as we have seen in recent days, said meteorologist Matt Grantham.
"The rain chances will decrease as the system moves back north and northwest," Grantham said.
Although the chance of rain is decreasing, many roads are still impassable:
Here is the latest on road conditions statewide, from the Alabama Department of Transportation
Christmas Day's heaviest rainfalls came in Marion and Winston counties, which received more than 8 inches of rain. In Birmingham, 4.4 inches of rain fell Friday.
As rain dries up, central Alabama can expect colder temperatures later this week, Grantham said.
Grantham said it was strange for Alabama to see a combination of flash flooding and severe weather, especially in December.
"It's more like something you would see in May," Grantham said. "It was extremely anomalous."
The forecast comes after days of storms flooded many roads and destroyed some southwest Birmingham houses and a church.
Pastor Melvin Howard of the Mount Olive Full Gospel Church said he came rushing to the area of Jefferson Avenue and 50th Street in Birmingham when he heard the storm hit. Several houses on the block had been destroyed and partially blown into the street. Police and fire crews canvassed the area Friday night as lightning illuminated the scope of the damage.
Howard said his church's building had collapsed but no one was inside at the time.
"We're just there to salvage what we can salvage," Howard said. "Mikes and p.a. systems of that magnitude that we know someone would go in and take," he said.
Lt. Sean Edwards, a Birmingham police spokesman, said several people were taken to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries, but further details were not immediately available.
In Birmingham, Ruthie Green went door-to-door in a coat and a bicycle helmet to check on neighbors after the storm and swept debris from her front porch as more emergency responders arrived in the neighborhood.
"I been listening to the news all day so I was kind of preparing," Green said. When the tornado warning came up on her iPad, Green said she ran to a closet.
"Then I heard the big roaring, it didn't last more than three minutes," Green said. "I just laid down and just kept praying."
Green said she was unsure of whether any neighbors had been injured or killed down the block where several homes were destroyed.
"We probably won't know anything until daylight comes," she said. "I'm hoping that everybody got out all right."
As of 5:20 a.m., the power was out for about 2,800 Alabama Power customers, including 1,900 in the Birmingham area.
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Birmingham tornado may have packed 130 mph winds: National Weather Service
By Howard Koplowitz | hkoplowitz@al.com
Birmingham, AL
The Christmas Day tornado that touched down in Birmingham was preliminarily ruled to be an EF-2 twister, indicating it had strong winds reaching up to 130 mph, the National Weather Service said Saturday.
Meanwhile, a weak EF-0 tornado, classified as having winds between 65 to 85 mph, was confirmed by the NWS in Tuscaloosa County near Coaling.
"It appears that a significant tornado moved through Jefferson County and impacted portions of southwest Birmingham" in Midfield, the NWS said. The weather service is surveying the damage and is expected to give updates after it goes through its findings.
Jefferson Avenue Southwest near 50th Street in Birmingham was leveled by the twister, which destroyed several structures, including a church.
An EF-2 tornado packs winds ranging from 111 mph to 135 mph. It is the fourth-strongest tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is used to classify tornadoes.
The Coaling tornado, with estimated peak winds of 75 mph, led to "minor damage," the NWS said. It touched down along Clements Road near Leeman Lane around 3:31 p.m. Friday and dissipated around 10 minutes later. The area suffered "minor tree damage," with about a dozen trees either being snapped or uprooted.
The Tuscaloosa County tornado did not lead to any deaths or injuries, according to the NWS.