West Alabama Friday Briefing
Friday, August 4, 2023, is off to a wet and potentially stormy start.
North Alabama has been receiving torrential rainfall and flooding this morning and that mass of heavy precipitation is moving into our area sparking a Flood Watch until 4 this afternoon. The Flood Watch area includes Bibb, Fayette, Lamar and Tuscaloosa Counties in West Alabama. Also, there is a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms with damaging winds until 6:00pm for all of West Alabama.
A Heat Advisory is in effect for areas south of I20/59, but the wet weather could mitigate that.
Conditions won't improve much tonight. There will be lingering showers/storms early, then another mas of rain may slide into the northwest overnight. Lows in the 70s.
For the weekend:
A chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday before 10am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming west in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday night there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday, a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday night, a20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
There will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms each day next week.
Topping the News:
29-year-old Negasi Zuberi (Sakima), also known as Justin Hyche and Justin Kouassi is accused of holding a woman prisoner in a makeshift cell and sexually assaulting her in Oregon. Portland FBI Agent Stephanie Shark told reporters it is believed he may have other victims in other states, including West Alabama where he lived in Tuscaloosa and Northport between 2014 and 2020.
Alabama Sr. U-S Senator Tommy Tuberville is calling yesterday’s indictments of Donald Trump on conspiracy and obstruction charges nothing more than judicial abuse by Democrats. Tuberville will introduce Trump to a sellout crowd of more than 2,000 when the former president addresses the Alabama GOP Summer Dinner in Montgomery tonight. Proceeds go to the Alabama Republican Party, not Trump.
West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell is taking heat from her own party for standing up for her state in Joe Biden’s decision to not move the U-S Space Command to Alabama. Sewell claimed Biden bowed to the whims of politics over merit.
The U.S. Air Force pickets Huntsville as the best choice for the space command. Colorado Springs, Colorado, where it will remain, was the military's third best choice.
Plant Gorgas in Walker County, near Parrish and Plant Greene County, near Demopolis are two of the six coal ash pond sites developed by Alabama Power Company. They are the focus of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plan to revoke Alabama’s coal ash permitting plan, claiming the state’s plan falls significantly short of doing enough to protect rivers and drinking water from toxins.
If revocation is finalized, utilities in Alabama may be forced to excavate and remove millions of tons of wet coal ash slurry from unlined ponds alongside rivers.
A Walker County woman learned the hard way that you can be struck by lightning indoors. Experts warn residents to not stand near glass doors and windows or wash dishes and shower during a lightning storm.
Alabama ranks ninth in the top ten states for lightning strikes.
The Tuscaloosa Tinsel Trail will be back for the 11th consecutive year during the coming Christmas season. Sponsorships for one of the more than 200 Christmas tree spots are available while they last. For registration, event, and shirt order information, visit ttowntinsel.com.
In Sports:
The Crimson Tide Football team hit the pre-season practice field for the first time yesterday and Head Coach Nick Saban is already getting tired of being asked who the starting quarterback will be. He told reporters he will tells them who the number one QB is when someone separates themselves from the others. The Tide takes on Middle Tennessee on September 2nd at Bryant –Denny.
Crimson Tide Wide Receiver Thaiu Jones-Bell, who caught four passes in three seasons, is no longer listed on Alabama's online roster as pre-season camp gets underway. The Fla., native is a former four-star recruit from the class of 2020. He ranked No. 144 nationally, No. 25 in wide receivers, and No. 22 in the state of Fla., according to 247Sports Composite.
The Cleveland Browns kicked off the 2022 NFL preseason with a 21-16 victory over the New York Jets in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
Have a blessed and safe weekend.
More From 95.3 The Bear
