WEST ALABAMA MONDAY BRIEFING
It is Monday, June 19, 2023, Juneteenth. Today is a federal, state and in some places like Tuscaloosa, a local holiday.
A couple of tornado watches and a few severe thunderstorm warnings overnight are giving way to some sunshine today. But don’t get too excited. There are still rain and thunderstorm probabilities in the forecast all the way into next week.
The best chance for severe weather today will be this afternoon southeast of a Demopolis to Gadsden line. For most of West Alabama the forecast calls for a 20% chance of precipitation today and this evening, with a high of 85 and low of 68.
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Topping the News:
Citizens opposed to the sale of the Park Street Northport Community Center to property developers held up signs and tried to speak when the city council tentatively approved sale to Beeker Properties Group earlier this month. Former Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon told Tuscaloosa Thread the council handled the issue poorly and should have had a plan for a new center ready to present. Two Northport residents, Paige Spencer and Sandra Barnidge, are on the agenda to address the council about the issue at tonight’s meeting.
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A survey team from the National Weather Service in Birmingham will be in the southwest Tuscaloosa County community of Ralph later today. They will be attempting to determine if at least one tornado was embedded in that line of 70 to 80 mph winds that left so much damage behind overnight Friday.
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Tuscaloosa County EMA is inviting Ralph residents to meet with them between 10 and 2 today at Robertson’s BBQ in Ralph. They are asking residents to help them document damage in the area.
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In 1865 the last remaining slaves in Texas were informed that they were free, it is a moment that has become known as Juneteenth. The annual celebration is a Federal, state and in Tuscaloosa a local holiday. During a noon luncheon at Shelton State Community College today, the Tuscaloosa N-Double-A-CP chapter will recognize Mrs. Willie Mae Wells as a “Living Legend” for her activities in the civil rights movement that significantly contributed to enhancing freedom.
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It’s not enough that we have dealt with days of severe weather, now there is rare multiple mid-June tropical activity. (1) A tropical low is in the Central Atlantic and has become better organized overnight and could become a tropical depression later today. (2) A tropical wave is located in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic and a tropical depression could form within the next few days. Both systems are still too far out to determine if they will make it into the Gulf of Mexico.
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In Sports:
The University of West Alabama’s Women’s Rodeo Team has won their first ever College Rodeo National Championship in competition at Casper, Wyoming over the weekend. The team beat out Montana State, Southwest Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
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Both Florida and LSU are still undefeated in the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, NB. Tennessee will fight to remain in the double elimination baseball tournament in an win or go home game against Stanford at 1:00 (CDT) this afternoon.
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Have a great beginning to your work week!!
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