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WGUS74 KBMX 231758

FFSBHM

ALZ001-002-005-231900-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL

1155 AM CST WED JAN 23 2002



A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR COLBERT...

LAUDERDALE...AND LIMESTONE COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CST.



AT 1155 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADARS INDICATED

MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUING ACROSS MOST OF LAUDERDALE

COUNTY...EXTREME NORTHERN COLBERT COUNTY...AND NORTHWEST LIMESTONE

COUNTY. REPORTS ACROSS THE AREA ALSO SHOW THAT THE FLOODING THREAT

CONTINUES AND THUS THE FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT.



LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED

CONSIDERABLE FLOODING OVER COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES WITH

NUMEROUS ROADS UNDER WATER AND CLOSED. FLOODING MAY ALREADY BE

OCCURRING...OR MAY BEGIN SOON...OVER NORTHWEST LIMESTONE COUNTY

...ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA BETWEEN UNION HILL AND MT. ROZELL.



THE MAIN THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON

WILL BE LAUDERDALE AND NORTHERN COLBERT COUNTIES...AND NORTHWEST

LIMESTONE COUNTY.  ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF AROUND ONE INCH IS

POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA.



THE RAIN AREA WAS DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTH...AND THE RAIN WILL BEGIN

TO DECREASE FROM THE SOUTH DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON.  HOWEVER...

WATER LEVELS IN CREEKS AND STREAMS WILL CONTINUE HIGH...AND MAY EVEN

RISE SOME MORE BEFORE BEGINNING TO RECEDE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.



DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE

ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS

SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.



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