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000 

WGUS74 KBMX 241055

FFSBHM

ALC007-009-019-033-043-049-055-057-059-063-065-071-073-075-077-079-

083-089-093-095-103-107-115-117-119-125-127-133-242200-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL

443 AM CST THU JAN 24 2002



...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT...



AT 500 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR

SHOWED A LARGE BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO

EXTREME NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF ALABAMA.



RAINFALLS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WERE REPORTED ACROSS THE AREA

YESTERDAY. THUS...MUCH OF THE AREA IS ALREADY SATURATED. ANY

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL RUNOFF INTO ALREADY SWOLLEN RIVERS AND

CREEKS.



THE HEAVIEST RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ACTVITIY IS EXPECTED OCCUR LATE

THIS MORNING AND THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS

OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS WILL BE GENERALLY BETWEEN 1.5 AND 2.5

INCHES. LOCALIZED AMOUNTS MAY BE HIGHER STILL.



A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR

RAPIDLY RISING WATERS AND FLOODING IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.

IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA...CHECK PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS...

KEEP INFORMED...AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF FLASH FLOODING

IS OBSERVED OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.



PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TELEVISION AND

NEWS MEDIA TO GET ACCESS TO THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

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