Flood — Etowah, Alabama

2024-03-01 · near Markton, Etowah, Alabama

Event narrative

Flooding was observed in parts of Etowah County after 2 to 3 inches of rainfall fell during the morning of March 1. Some roadways such as Tidmore Bend Rd, Cedar Bend Rd, and Lumley Rd were covered by standing water. Attalla City Park had standing water up to 6 inches deep in some places.

Wider weather episode

A shortwave trough approaching the Mississippi Valley from the central Great Plains, along with a surface low in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and stationary boundary along the Gulf Coast, contributed to widespread showers moving across Central Alabama during the morning hours of March 1. A ridge located over the East Coast promoted easterly surface winds across the area, with temperatures in the upper 40s to lower 50s. A particularly heavy band of rain, oriented from southern Lamar County to northern Jefferson County to Cherokee County, dropped as much as 3-4 inches of rain, locally up to 5 inches, across a narrow swath. This resulted in numerous flooded roadways, mainly along waterways and in low lying areas, where drainage was slower to occur.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.8520, -86.0532)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1154725. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.