Widespread Flooding & Tornadoes of December 23-25, 2015

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Historic Flooding of December 23-25, 2015

Surface/Upper Air

Rainfall Totals

Videos & Other Links

Beginning Monday, December 21st, an evolving and days-long, large-scale pattern featured a broad 500mb trough across the western U.S. and a western Atlantic surface ridge. This setup placed Alabama within a steady fetch of deep-layer moisture and warm surface air, which included near-record to record high temperatures and persistent wind shear. A surface boundary pushed southward into Central Alabama by Thursday, December 24th. Several bands of moderate to heavy rainfall and embedded storms developed south of this boundary and led to widespread flash flooding across the southeast sections of Central Alabama. From December 23rd to December 24th, many locations received 6-10 inches of rain, with localized higher amounts.

The surface boundary lifted back to the north late on Thursday, December 24th, and stalled over north Alabama on Christmas Day. With storm motions parallel to the boundary, a band of heavy rain moved over the same areas for several hours. Rainfall totals of 4-8 inches occurred over a large area. This resulted in widespread and significant flooding for locations in the northern third of Alabama. Farther south, rain rates within heavy thunderstorms, plus slow storm motions, resulted in flash flooding as well. The excessive runoff caused by the heavy rainfall led to flooding along almost every main stem river in Central Alabama, as well as numerous small creeks and streams.

In addition to the flooding, the combination of instability and shear was conducive for a limited risk of severe thunderstorms south of the boundary during the period of December 23-25. A couple of weak tornadoes touched down in Barbour County on the morning of December 24th. Two additional tornadoes touched down along the I-20 corridor in the late afternoon hours of December 25th...one in Tuscaloosa County and one in Jefferson County. Thunderstorm wind damage was also confirmed in Bibb County on Christmas Day.

December 24th, 2015 Tornadoes

Location/Clickable Detailed Summary Link	Damage Rating/Estimated Maximum Wind Speeds	Injuries/Fatalities	Damage Path Length/Width	Starting Point/Time	Ending Point/Time
Comer Tornado (Barbour County)	EF-0 70 mph	None	3.6 miles 100 yards	32.0270/-85.3390 341 am	32.0636/-85.2953 348 am
Hurricane Creek Tornado (Barbour County)	EF-0 70 mph	None	3.2 miles 125 yards	31.8829/-85.5918 434 am	31.9082/-85.5469 440 am

December 25th, 2015 Tornadoes

Location/Clickable Detailed Summary Link	Damage Rating/Estimated Maximum Wind Speeds	Injuries/Fatalities	Damage Path Length/Width	Starting Point/Time	Ending Point/Time
Coaling Tornado (Tuscaloosa County)	EF-0 75 mph	None	5.00 miles 185 yards	33.1063/-87.3473 329 pm	33.1624/-87.2933 342 pm
Midfield Tornado (Jefferson County)	EF-2 130 mph	2 Injuries	0.92 miles 280 yards	33.4433/-86.9137 455 pm	33.4454/-86.8987 459 pm

Pertinent Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data from this Event

Surface/Upper Air

Surface Charts

6pm Dec 22nd	6am Dec 23rd	6pm Dec 23rd
6am Dec 24th	6pm Dec 24th	6am Dec 25th
6pm Dec 25th

KBMX Upper Air Soundings

6pm Dec 23rd	9pm Dec 23rd	6pm Dec 24th
6am Dec 25th

Upper Air Charts

250mb Chart at 6am Dec 23rd	500mb Chart at 6am Dec 23rd	850mb Chart at 6am Dec 23rd
250mb Chart at 6pm Dec 23rd	500mb Chart at 6pm Dec 23rd	850mb Chart at 6pm Dec 23rd
250mb Chart at 6am Dec 24th	500mb Chart at 6am Dec 24th	850mb Chart at 6am Dec 24th
250mb Chart at 6pm Dec 24th	500mb Chart at 6pm Dec 24th	850mb Chart at 6pm Dec 24th
250mb Chart at 6am Dec 25th	500mb Chart at 6am Dec 25th	850mb Chart at 6am Dec 25th
250mb Chart at 6pm Dec 25th	500mb Chart at 6pm Dec 25th	850mb Chart at 6pm Dec 25th

Rainfall Totals

Preliminary Snowfall Totals

For an interactive map, click here.

Flooding Photos (River & Flash Flood)

Northwest Flooding

Macedonia Courtesy of @WalkerCoALWX	Guin Courtesy of Derick Stidham	Pratt City Courtesy of WBRC Fox 6	North Lamar County Courtesy of @jkhankins
Black Warrior River - Tuscaloosa Courtesy of Michael Shaw	Hamilton Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Haleyville Courtesy of Karl Stern	Crooked Creek - Smith Lake Courtesy of Samuel Dodd
Hackleburg Courtesy of Tyler Norton	Black Warrior River - Tuscaloosa Courtesy of Jennifer Parker	Tuscaloosa River Walk Courtesy of Chris Miller	Winston County Courtesy of Hal Jones
Sipsey Courtesy of Crystal Willingham	Hamilton Courtesy of Donielle Taylor	Hackleburg Courtesy of Tyler Norton	Black Warrior River - Walker Co Courtesy of Ashley Kornegay
Smith Laek Duncan Bridge Courtesy of @WalkerCoALWX	Black Pond - Winston Co Courtesy of Patrick Rice	Hamilton Courtesy of Donielle Taylor	Black Warrior River - Birmingport Courtesy of Clay Burton
Haleyville Courtesy of Kim Hulsey	Curry Courtesy of WBRC viewer

Northeast Flooding

Locust Fork Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Noccalula Falls Courtesy of Pat Bentley	Irondale Courtesy of WBRC Fox 6	Wilsonville Courtesy of Jason ingram
Eastaboga Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Coosa River - Childersburg Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Trafford Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Shades Creek Courtesy of @DStignani
Ashville Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Cold Branch - Blount County Courtesy of @Lindsey_Arlene1	Columbiana Courtesy of Lance Brown	Blount Springs Courtesy of Allen Armstrong
Blountsville Courtesy of Christian Mejia	Columbiana Courtesy of Jane McDaniel	Oneonta Courtesy of Jeff Griffin	Little River Canyon Falls Courtesy of Dana Grimes Brewis
Nectar Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Clear Creek - Logan Martin Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Lakeside Landing - Logan Martin Courtesy of Pam Owens Knight	Kymulga Grist Mill Courtesy of @ATLBravesAddict
Noccalula Falls Courtesy of Jake Evans	Ohatchee Courtesy of @MastaBlastya	Springville Courtesy of WBRC viewer	Summit (Blountsville) Courtesy of WBRC viewer
Noccalula Falls Courtesy of Joey Amberson	Cedar Bluff Courtesy of Mitzi Eaker	Attalla Courtesy of WBRC viewer

Southwest Flooding

Selma Courtesy of Justin Averette	Lake Mitchell Dam Courtesy of Charla Harris	Moundville Courtesy of Temekia Beard	Cahaba River - West Blocton Courtesy of Dave Jones
Selma Courtesy of Justin Averette	Selma Courtesy of Justin Averette	Yellow Leaf Creek - Chilton Co Courtesy of Michael Ray

Southeast Flooding

Lakepoint State Park - Eufaula Courtesy of Eufaula Tribune	Eclectic Courtesy of anonymous	Fort Mitchell Courtesy of Candy Muncy Poole	Bear Creek (Barbour Co) Courtesy of David Logan
Macon County Courtesy of Adam Broach	Lay Dam Courtesy of Michael Ray	Lanett Courtesy of East AL Skywarn	Tanyard (Bullock Co) Courtesy of Bullock Co EMA
Gold Star Park - Wetumpka Courtesy of WAKA	Auburn Courtesy of Auburn Plainsman	Auburn Courtesy of WSFA	Bear Creek (Barbour Co) Courtesy of Bear Creek Police Dept
Eufaula Courtesy of Eufaula Tribune	Bullock County Courtesy of Leslie Adams	Brundidge Courtesy of WSFA viewer	Bear Creek Courtesy of Shane Whitten
Lanett Courtesy of Shawn Reynolds	Lanett Courtesy of Valerie Gray	Montgomery Courtesy of al.com	Auburn Courtesy of Cheryl Gainer McCall
Pike Road (Montgomery) Courtesy of WAKA viewer	Montgomery Courtesy of WSFA viewer

Aerial View of Flooding in Blount County. Courtesy of Corey Scogin.

Aerial View of Midfield Tornado Damage. Courtesy of Kevin Henderson.

Other Links

NWS Huntsville
NWS Jackson, MS
NWS Nashville

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