Tropical Depression 13 could dump up to 15 inches of rain in Alabama

ORANGE BEACH, Alabama — A tropical depression meandering through the Gulf of Mexico threatened to wash out the Labor Day weekend on Alabama's beaches while also bringing badly needed precipitation to the state, which forecasters said could receive as much as 15 inches of rain on the coast.The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch through Monday evening for Mobile and Baldwin counties, and the area could expand as the system moves closer to the state. Despite the rain threat, rental companies said many condominium buildings in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores were nearly full of tourists for the three-day weekend.
Forecasters said heavy rains and winds up to 30 mph were possible through the weekend. Skies were overcast with spotty rain on the Alabama coast on Friday, but workers were still putting boats in the water for the Labor Day weekend at Sportsman Marina in Orange Beach.
"A lot of people go into a panic, but it's mainly just going to be a rainmaker," said marina manager Ricky Garrett. "We're really not taking any precautions. They're talking 5 to 15 inches of rain over a five-day period depending on who you listen to."
About 70 miles north of the coast, Geneva residents hoped levees and pumps would prevent a flood in the town of 4,000 people, which sits in a bowl at the confluence of the Choctawhatchee and Pea rivers.
"As long as we can keep our pumps going, 10 inches of rain shouldn't hurt us too much," said Ray Wuest, an employee at Geneva Hardware Co. "We're inside the levee, and the last time they checked the pumps were working."
The storm shouldn't affect the Alabama and Auburn football games on Saturday, but it could help relieve drought conditions that are worsening across the state after a dry August. Climate officials said 80 percent of Alabama is either abnormally dry or in a drought, and conditions are bad in southern counties that forecasters said could receive some of the heaviest rains.
Gov. Robert Bentley ordered state agencies to be ready to respond if needed, and the American Red Cross urged residents to get ready ahead of the potential deluge.
"It's important for individuals and families to create a flood preparedness plan now, before our community is threatened by excessive rainfall," said Leisle Mims, district executive for the South Alabama Red Cross.