After
unending rains since June 7, 2012, many areas along the Florida Panhandle and
Alabama coast are submerged in flood waters. The NOAA Hydrometeorological
Prediction Center estimates that Pensacola received up to 27" of rain
since Thursday. Similar rain amounts were also recorded in Mobile. This image
sums all of the rainfall data from June 7-11, 2012 from NOAA's Advanced
Hydrologic Prediction Service.
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| Observed rainfall for June 7-11. Click on image for a larger version. Image Credit: NOAA\AHPS. |
The
surge of moisture began to ride over a stationary front along the central Gulf
coast. Waves of storms pounded the area
which moved to the northeast over the weekend.
This brought some much needed rain to drought-stricken areas of the
Southeast, but left parts of Pensacola and Mobile flooded.
It
is interesting that this extreme rain event was not the result of a tropical
storm, but rather a stationary front with an approaching weak upper-level
disturbance. It was simply able to tap
copious amounts of moisture south of the stationary front.
Dry
weather is returning to the area for the moment. This will give residents time for any
clean-up that is necessary. However,
computer models hint that more rain will hit the area toward the end of next
week.
Meanwhile,
the U.S. Drought Monitor will be updated Thursday morning. This will have new information on the status
of the drought in the Southeast. There
will be a more extensive post after its release. Stay tuned!
