A hydrological forecast was issued for Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties on Monday at 2:27 p.m.
“As we anticipate the arrival of potential Tropical Cyclone Nine in the coming days, significant amounts of rainfall are expected across southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend regions. The current forecast is that the region will likely receive 3 to 6 inches of rain, with the possibility of rainfall amounts reaching up to 10 inches locally.
This could potentially result in flash flooding, some of which could be locally significant. It is worth noting that the ground is already saturated in western areas, particularly along and west of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River system. These areas have received 3 to 7 inches more than normal rain over the past two weeks. In contrast, eastern areas have received rainfall amounts near or below normal. Consequently, western areas are more vulnerable to flash flooding, including urban areas and areas with poor drainage.
The Weather Forecast Centre has identified a moderate risk of excessive precipitation, equivalent to level 3 out of 4, for most of our forecast area. This is quite remarkable considering the event is still 3 to 4 days away, which underscores the severity and likelihood of the heavy precipitation that could occur. We expect to need to issue a Flood Warning for much of the area on Tuesday afternoon or early Wednesday morning.
In terms of river impacts, there is a potential for minor flooding at various forecast points based on the current rainfall forecast. If certain areas receive more than 15 cm of rain, localized moderate flooding may occur.
However, it is important to note that river forecasts only consider rainfall over the next 48 hours and do not yet include possible rainfall from the tropical system. We urge everyone to stay tuned for further updates,” the National Weather Service said.
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