9TH HIGHEST EVER CREST FOR MURDER CREEK; FLOODING IN BREWTON CONTINUES… Murder Creek, the storied stream that runs between Brewton and East Brewton, is currently having a significant flood. The Alabama Highway 41 bridge over Murder Creek is currently closed and will likely remain closed throughout the day and into tonight. The U.S. Highway 31/29 bridge over Burnt Corn Creek in Downtown Brewton is open and is expected to remain open throughout the day as water levels on Burnt Corn Creek are now falling. Many other local roads in eastern Escambia (AL) County are closed or impassable due to flooding.
MURDER CREEK – CREST IS IMMINENT… As of 10:45AM, the water levels of Murder Creek continue to rise. Flood stage is 22 feet. The current water level of Murder Creek at the AL41 bridge is 26.74 feet. Murder Creek is forecast to crest imminently, in the next 3-4 hours, meaning this is the 9th highest water level ever recorded, surpassing the previous #9 ranking of 26.7 feet set on August 1, 1975 by heavy rainfall from that year’s Tropical Depression Six. We note the #8 highest crest happened just last year due to Hurricane Sally on September 17, 2020 when the creek crested at 27.64 feet.
BURNT CORN CREEK – WATER LEVEL FALLING… Burnt Corn Creek, the other stream that runs southward along the western side of Brewton, has crested and the water level is now dropping. Burnt Corn Creek crested at 16.18 feet this morning around midnight. The current water level of Burnt Corn Creek at the AL41 bridge near Brewton is 14.29 feet. Flood stage is 14 feet. Burnt Corn Creek will drop below flood stage in the coming hours, although flooding in low-lying areas near the creek (like in Jennings Park in Downtown Brewton) will continue due to saturated soil.
UPDATE ON OTHER LOCAL RIVERS & CREEKS… The Conecuh River at Riverview will enter into minor flood stage later today. The Escambia River at Century will enter into minor flood stage and will remain in minor flood stage for the next several days. Blackwater River near Baker, FL is entering into minor flood stage now and will remain in the minor flood stage over the next few days. Big Coldwater Creek near Milton (FL), the Yellow River at Milligan (FL), and the Shoal River near Crestview (FL) are all currently in the “action stage” and are currently forecast to remain below flood stage. This could change, depending on where new rain bands set up this afternoon into this evening. No flooding is currently forecast for Big Escambia Creek near Flomaton, the Conecuh River near River Falls, the Perdido River near Barrineau Park, Styx River, or Fish River.
MORE SHOWERS & STORMS IN HOURS AHEAD… Right now, the local radar is quiet (as of 10:15AM). We are expecting scattered showers and storms to pop up in the hours ahead. While the overall coverage of rain and storms should be less than previous days, I cannot completely rule out a few storms that train over the same areas, thus creating the potential for more flash flooding. Widespread severe weather is not expected locally today and the tornado risk remains very low, if not near zero, in most spots.
APP… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the large, yellow Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
I will have more updates posted over the next several hours in the RedZone Weather app. Have a nice Wednesday afternoon!
