Dam Fails In St. Clair

November 24, 2004, 5:24 pm
Posted by James Spann in Severe Weather
Rating: 0/5   Votes : 0
A dam on Shoal Creek between Ashville and Odenville has failed... we hope to have some very dramatic footage on our 6:00 news. Here is the text of the warning from the NWS (note the dam failed after the warning was issued):

WGUS54 KBMX 242239 CCA
FFWBMX
ALC115-250215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED...CORRECTION FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
417 PM CST WED NOV 24 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
NORTHEASTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA

* UNTIL 815 PM CST

* AT 410 PM CST...ST CLAIR COUNTY EMA REPORTED A DAM FAILURE
IMMINENT ON A POND ALONG SHOAL CREEK...IN THE VICINITY OF PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD...ABOUT 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF ODENVILLE...OR 4 MILES SOUTH OF ASHVILLE.

IF THE DAM FAILS...FLOOD WATERS ARE MOVING DOWN SHOAL CREEK DOWN THE SHOAL CREEK VALLEY.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE.

Mail this   Printer friendly   
Posted by  
on November 25, 2004, 2:22 pm
I rode through the Bynum area today where my grandfather lives. He had a huge tree come down in his driveway. I don't see that a tornado has been confirmed in that area, but with the confinement of the damage, I find it hard to believe that it was anything else. He described it to me. He said that as it was happening, the pressure became tremendous. He said it felt like his house was about to explode. He also watched out of his patio and describe leaves being picked up and swirled around in the air above him. To me...that sounds like a weak funnel. Possibly F0. And with the way the damage is, it seems like if it was a tornado, it was a skipper. It was incredible seeing the huge trees tossed over like they were never there.

Reply to this comment
Posted by  
on November 25, 2004, 2:35 pm
I live up on Noccalula Mountain and the flooding at the creek is incredible. Coming up the mountain from Gadsden, there was a small mudslide on the side of the road that brought some trees with it across Noccalula Road. Yesterday, the creek itself was flowing above the arched walk bridge that goes over the creek. The view was great, but saddening at the same time. Houses were and still are badly flooded along the creek bank. Also, driving down I59 toward Attalla, the fields on the side of the road are badly flooded with homes flooded also. In some spots, the water was all the way up to the interstate. Also, The small creek/swamp at the bridge just before I759 was filled up within about a foot of the bridge. Water is still draining off the mountain at a pretty good clip.

Reply to this comment