Birmingham inundated by heavy rainfall, flash flooding
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Heavy rainfall in Birmingham, Alabama triggered a flash flood emergency, and a series of water rescues that began late Wednesday night are still in progress across the city early Thursday morning.
"We've had numerous water rescues, people trapped in cars and rescued by fire departments and police departments, and we've had damage reports of trees on houses and trees on roadways, and it's really across the entire Birmingham metro area," Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker told CNN.
Police and other first responders have reportedly made multiple rescues amid the 4-7 inches of rainfall that fell in a matter of hours.
Here's a general look at radar-estimated rainfall totals this evening. There are numerous backyard weather stations showing 5-10 inches of rain in parts of Shelby County and Jefferson County. Radar shows additional rainfall developing. Yes, again x4! #alwx pic.twitter.com/aeQvN6C7OU
— NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) October 7, 2021
Birmingham typically sees an average of 3.34 inches in October, meaning portions of the area received up to double the rainfall they normally receive in an entire month.
A number of flooded cars have been spotted in Birmingham's Riverchase Galleria area as well as Highway 119 and 31 in Pelham to the south.
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At this time no deaths or injuries have been reported.
The impact of the flooding is expected to continue throughout the next several days.
A major concern is the condition of the roadways, as officials want to ensure there aren't any washed-out areas that could cause traffic problems.