From Wednesday into Thursday, torrential rain prompted severe flash flooding in portions of Alabama which killed a child in the state's northern part, leading to immediate rescues from cars and homes in the Birmingham region, officials revealed.
Flash Floods in Alabama
On Wednesday evening, floodwater rapidly flowed into roads, yards, and parking spaces especially in the most impacted city of Pelham, about 20 miles south of Birmingham. So many residents and motorists were unexpectedly trapped, the city fire chief said.
On Thursday morning, Chief Michael Reid from Pelham Fire told reporters that in only Pelham, responders got over 280 calls and succeeded in making over 80 rescues from homes and not less than 15 from cars with the use of boats and other means.
In Pelham, the flood injured at least one person, Reid said without giving details.
By Thursday morning, the water was gradually reducing but footage from CNN officials still display water lapping at the doors of some cars and homes in the Birmingham region prior to sunrise.
The flooding in the town of Arab which is around 60 miles north of Birmingham claimed the life of a child, the coroner's office in Marshall County revealed. More information about that unfortunate incident wasn't disclosed immediately.
Also Read: Central States to Experience Flash Flood Risk After Days of Torrential Rainfall
Torrential Rainfall
For several days, places across central Alabama have witnessed torrential rainfall and some regions have received 6 to 13 inches, the National Weather Service said.
The weather service also said in just a few hours only on Wednesday, portions of the Birmingham area got 4-7 inches, with radar hinting that more rain may have taken place in some parts Wednesday.
3.34 inches is the October average for Birmingham and this means that portions of the region got remarkably more than they usually get in a whole month. Police Chief Pat Cheatwood told reporters that Thursday the homes and vehicles of many residents in Pelham were affected by the flood.
Cheatwood said: "Our city was just affected back in March by a tornado, so we still have residents recovering from that. So this has been a tough year for Pelham."
The weather service said the region could possibly witness a few more inches of rain Thursday which could trigger more flooding.
Flood Watch
As of Thursday morning, flood watches were in effect in portions of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, as well as the Florida Panhandle.
Jim Coker, the Emergency management director for Jefferson County, including Birmingham said impacts from the flooding that has already taken place will still be noticed over some number of days.
On the phone, he told CNN: "Crews will be out tomorrow checking damage and checking infrastructure, which is everything from roadways to pipelines to power lines."
Coker said a major concern is the condition in which the flood has left roadways, as workers will like to make sure there are no washed-out areas that could prompt traffic issues.
Related Article: Heavy Rainfall Persist in Southeastern US, Increasing Risks of Flash Flood
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