Northern Alabama Not Yet in the Clear Concerning Remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy / UPDATED – Cherokee County Under Tornado Watch Until 8:00pm Friday

Northern Alabama isn’t in the clear yet when it comes to Tropical Storm Cindy.

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has placed parts of both north and central Alabama under a slight risk of severe weather for Friday, meaning scattered severe storms will be possible, as well as tornadoes. The National Weather Service warned that quick-forming and short-lived tornadoes will possible Friday a day after an EF-2 tornado struck the western suburbs of Birmingham and caused several injures.

A reported funnel cloud was spotted in the Fairfield area, where an Express Oil Change, KFC and ABC Store were severely damaged or destroyed. The weather service offices in Birmingham and Mobile plan to send out storm survey teams today to look at damage in several areas in Alabama. As of Friday morning the center of what’s left of Cindy was located about 25 miles southeast of Little Rock, Ark., and was moving north-northeast at 14 mph. Rain and storms continued to rotate around that center in bands, and some of those bands are expected to affect Alabama today as the center tracks closer to the state.

Here’s a look at how the weather service thinks today could play out across the state:

North Alabama

Widespread rain and storms are expected to develop starting later this morning, but the main window for severe weather will be from 12-6 p.m. A few tornadoes will be possible through late afternoon as well as strong straight-line winds, which can sometimes be just as damaging. The weather service said 1 to 1.5 inches of additional rain will be possible, and it could be heavy at times.

Central Alabama

The weather service in Birmingham said numerous showers and storms are expected to develop later today, mainly along and northwest of Interstate 59. A lesser threat will stretch all the way to Interstate 85, however. The main window for the strongest storms will be 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. Forecasters said the environment will be ripe for supercell storms to again develop, with a few tornadoes possible as well as the threat of damaging wind gusts in stronger storms.

Those winds combined with soaked soil could combine to bring down a few trees. A flash flood watch will remain in effect until 7 p.m. for parts of central Alabama. The weather service said Cindy has produced 2-4 inches of rain across the area, and an additional 1-3 inches will be possible today. Forecasters said there’s a chance the watch could be extended.

 

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