Be prepared: National Weather Service predicts up to 8 inches of rain in Birmingham this week

Coinciding with “Severe Weather Awareness Week” in Alabama (February 17-23), Birmingham is expected to accumulate between 6 to 8 inches of rain  within the week of February 15 to February 21.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Birmingham Office the heaviest rains  may occur on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Of course, the forecast on amount of rainfall may change over the week.  For example, already since Friday February 15, the rainfall totals forecasted for North Alabama , particularly the Shoals has increased from 4-6 inches to now 9-10 inches. See the changes below from the maps published by NWS Birmingham and NWS Huntsville Offices.

Be prepared for flooding

The 2nd leading cause of weather related deaths over the past 30 years were not hurricanes or tornadoes, but flooding.  Many of those tragic events happen while people are driving their car through flooded areas. Below are some helpful graphics/tips how to avoid getting caught in a bad situation concerning floods.

FEMA’s Flood Mapping Tool

In preparation for potential flooding the NWS Huntsville Office published on Facebook a useful mapping tool produced by FEMA to help people identify areas at risk for flooding. Just input your address and up comes a map identifying your home and describing flooding risk factors.

Watch locally

We encourage folks to keep an eye on all these week long weather developments.  Along with the National Weather Service Birmingham Facebook page here are links to the local weather forecasts:

WBRC Fox 6
WVTM NBC 13
ABC 33/40
WIAT CBS 42