River Flooding Becoming a Concern

Heavy flooding rains have been falling and continue to fall across the Coosa and Tallapoosa River Basins. Significant river rises are expected but especially along the Tallapoosa river. Areas in the river basin have received up to 10 inches of rain and all that water is running off into the river. The river is under a flood warning and also due to the access water run-off, Alabama Power has decided to begin opening flood gates at Martin Dam. This will also lead to river rises below the dam and precautions need to be taken now.

GATE OPERATIONS HAVE BEGUN…

ALABAMA POWER COMPANY ADVISES THAT GATE OPERATIONS HAVE BEGUN AT
MARTIN DAM. THERE IS NOW ONE GATE OPEN.

INTERESTS DOWNSTREAM OF MARTIN DAM SHOULD STAY INFORMED OF REVISED
RIVER FORECASTS FOR THE LOWER TALLAPOOSA AND ALABAMA RIVERS.

…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM AL HAS ISSUED A FLOOD
WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN ALABAMA…

TALLAPOOSA RIVER AT WADLEY AFFECTING CHAMBERS…ELMORE…MACON…
RANDOLPH AND TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES.

.HEAVY RAINFALL OF UP TO 6 INCHES HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE TALLAPOOA RIVER
BASIN NORTH OF WADLEY. THIS HAS CREATED RISES ALONG THE RIVER…AND A FLOOD
WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER AT WADELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

DO NOT DRIVE CARS THROUGH FLOODED AREAS. TURN AROUND…DON’T DROWN.

ANOTHER STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY SUNDAY MORNING…OR SOONER IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM AL HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR
THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER AT WADLEY.
* UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON…OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 7:00 AM SATURDAY THE STAGE WAS 11 FEET.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 13 FEET.
* MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FORECAST…RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE TO
RISE TO NEAR 21.1 FEET BY THIS EVENING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW
FLOOD STAGE BY AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT .
* IMPACT…AT 20 FEET…SOME FLOODING OCCURS IN THE WADLEY AREA.
BETWEEN 22 AND 25 FEET THE BRIDGE OVER BEAVERDAM CREEK FLOODS.

Tags: flooding

Category: Alabama's Weather