Flash Flood — Jefferson, Alabama

2003-05-07 to 2003-05-08 · near Countywide, Jefferson, Alabama

Event narrative

Significant flooding occurred throughout Jefferson County. Doppler radar estimated up to 12 inches of rain fell across the county in a few hours, with 5 to 8 inches of the total occurring in just one hour. Especially hard hit were Leeds, Brookside, Cardiff, Fultondale, Trussville and Birmingham. Numerous homes across the county were flooded. At least 120 roadways were impassable. Several sewage treatment plants were flooded and minor contamination occurred. Several roadways had pavement removed and then washed away. Several bridges were damaged. Two Birmingham schools were damaged from flooding. All the roadways in Leeds and in Brookside were impassable. Seventy four mobile homes were damaged in the Irondale Trailer Park. Trussville reported that many municipal buildings, police cars, fire trucks, utility trucks, and businesses were damaged. YMCA's Camp Coleman in Trussville had a mudslide that blocked the entrance to the camp. Several bridges in the complex were damaged. Brookside reported that the city hall and fire department were heavily damaged from the flood waters. Several area creeks rose to near record levels. These creeks include Village Creek, Five Mile Creek, and Turkey Creek. Fast moving water inundated a private school in Birmingham where children were evacuated. Thirteen semi-trailers were washed downstream as Five Mile Creek overflowed. The water rose higher than the gage itself. In Graysville, 10 people were rescued from their flooded vehicles and 20 homes were evacuated. In Fultondale, almost one million dollars of damage occurred to city services. At least 25 homes and businesses were damaged in Fultondale. Black Creek Park suffered significant damage to walking trails and ball fields. In Leeds, all the roads downtown were temporarily impassable at one point and subsequently closed. Leeds High School was damaged. In Gardendale, several homes were flooded and a bridge was washed out. In Warrior, a few homes were flooded and many roads were temporarily impassable. City Hall suffered minor damage. In Morris, one manufacturing plant was flooded. The Town Hall was struck by lightning which caused significant damage to all the electrical systems in the building. Numerous roads were flooded in Kimberly.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5360713. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.