Updated:  12:00 pm Monday Sep. 11th
Impacts
East Alabama

• Tropical Storm Warning continues for east central Alabama to include most of the counties east of Interstate 65.

• Highest impacts mainly this afternoon into early Tuesday

• Winds sustained 30 - 45 mph with gusts up to 55 mph 

• Downed trees and power outages likely

• 3-5 inches of rainfall with locally higher amounts possible along AL/GA line

West Alabama

• Wind Advisory in effect Noon today through 1am Tuesday

• Winds sustained 20 - 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph

• Highest impacts mainly this afternoon into early Tuesday

• Downed trees and power outages possible

• 1-3 inches of rainfall

Timing

• Through Monday evening

  • Have received reports of wind gusts to 40-45mph in Barbour and Russell counties this morning, and localized power outages in northeast Central Alabama. In far southeast Alabama, tree down reports are becoming more widespread as wind speeds increase, in and around the Dothan area. Stronger winds will continue to spread northward today, and begin to diminish by early evening. Adjusted wording in the Wind Impact section of the Hurricane Local Statement: Possible significant wind impacts now includes more of east Central Alabama to highlight counties with higher elevations (east of a line from Gadsden to Clayton).

• Tuesday

  • The center of Irma expected to move north into west Tennessee by Tuesday evening. Strong wind gusts are still possible in the morning hours but below tropical storm strength.

Uncertainty

• Changes to this forecast are possible and will depend heavily on Irma’s exact track. A track farther east will mean lower impacts to Central AL. A track farther west would increase impacts.

• Exact numbers on winds and wind gusts may continue to change as Irma gets closer.

Weather Summary Irma is currently moving into south central Georgia, and will move northwest through southwestern Georgia and eastern Alabama as a tropical storm through tonight. This will increase winds to 30-45 mph sustained with gusts up to 55 mph in the warning area.  Heavy rainfall will also accompany this system with the highest rainfall amounts east of I-65.  Irma is expected to be slowly weakening as it tracks northwestward, weakening to a tropical depression by Tuesday morning, over north central Alabama, with winds greatly diminishing. Irma will continue moving northwestward into western Tennessee by early Wednesday morning.