Flash Flood — Lauderdale, Alabama

2008-05-27 · near Threet, Lauderdale, Alabama

Direct deaths

$30K

Property damage

Event narrative

Rounds of thunderstorms producing very heavy rainfall caused several inches of water to cover the roadway on the Natchez Parkway, about a half mile from the Alabama Highway 20 intersection near Central Heights. This caused a 72 year old man to hydroplane off the road at this location into a nearby creek, which was 7 to 8 feet deep. Tragically, he was unable to swim to shore and passed away.

Wider weather episode

On the morning of June 27th, strong to severe thunderstorms formed along multiple pre-frontal boundaries ahead of a slow moving cold front over northern Tennessee. As these rounds of thunderstorm activity moved southeast, several rounds of heavy rainfall occurred west of interstate 65. Several flash flooding ocurrences and heavy rainfall totals were a result across northwestern Alabama before the cold front pushed south of the area on the morning of the 28th. Scattered damaging winds also occured with these severe storms.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.9230, -87.8326)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 106598. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.