Birmingham area streets remain flooded as rainfall weakens

A Birmingham firefighter help two people in a stalled vehicle on Tallapoosa Street that had driven in to deep water as the remnants of tropical storm Lee made its way through the metro area bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Several people had to be rescued after driving their cars into deep water today in Birmingham. (The Birmingham News, Hal Yeager)

 

 

 

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama 
Heavy rainfall across the Birmingham area caused by Tropical Storm Lee will slow in the next few hours, but streets will likely remain flooded, the National Weather service reported at 8:30 p.m.
Between midnight and 8 p.m., the Birmingham Shuttlesworth-International Airport today received 6.69 inches of rain, washing away a record of 2.1 inches that was set on this day in 1949, according to the National Weather Service.

The Shelby County Airport in Calera, meanwhile, received 2.9 inches of rain today.

The auditorium of Pinson Valley High School collapsed tonight and three to five feet of rain is standing in the building, said Jefferson County schools spokeswoman Nez Calhoun. No one was injured.

Classes at the school have been canceled for Tuesday at all Jefferson County schools, Calhoun said. 12 month employees are to report at 9 a.m., except at Pinson Valley High School, she added.

The 7.85 inches of rain that fell today in Pinson shattered the 24 hour rainfall total record for the city, set back on March 19, 1970, said weather service meteorologist Jessica Talley.

While the rain may be slowing, the weather service urges people to stay off the road as flooded streets will likely not be clear anytime soon.

"All of the drainage ditches have maxed out their capacity," Talley said.

There have been numerous reports of flooded roads and firefighters having to rescue people from cars stuck in washed out streets.

As of 10 p.m., there were 213,000 power outages reported statewide, including 162,000 in the Birmingham area, according to Alabama Power.

Tuesday is expected to bring sunny skies to the metro area and could clear the roads, Talley said. "Any water left on the road in the morning will evaporate when the sun comes out," she said.