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Storm remnants bring relief
Published September 14, 2007
Jackson County and the rest of North Alabama may get some much needed relief today from the remnants of Hurricane Humberto.
Friday night high school football fans might not like the outlook as National Weather Service forecasters say the area can expect rainfall and possibly a thunderstorm today as the system that struck along the Texas Gulf Coast early Thursday slowly makes its way northeastward into the state. The chance of rain is 70 percent today and 30 percent tonight.
Areas south of the Tennessee Valley are expected to receive one to two inches of beneficial rainfall. Some isolated spots may receive up to three inches, according to the NWS.
Many parts of Mississippi were under flash flood and flood watches Thursday afternoon into the overnight hours as the storm dumped large amounts of rainfall in some areas. The dying system, which is forecast to move just south of Birmingham, should provide nothing more than a brief respite from dry weather that has plagued the entire state throughout the summer months. It is unlikely flooding conditions will occur anywhere in Alabama unless the system slows considerably.
Forecasters say Humberto's remnants will not change the long-term drought situation. Most parts of North Alabama are approximately 21 inches below normal expected rainfall totals for the year and 53 inches below normal since Jan. 1, 2005.
Jackson County, like all of North Alabama, remains in the exceptional drought category, the worst of a five-level classification system established and used by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The situation is indicative of a once-in-50-year drought.
All of Alabama's 67 counties have been declared as natural disaster areas by the federal government due to persistent drought conditions. The declaration makes farmers eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the USDA.
Soybean and cotton crop yields are termed as poor to very poor, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and local extension agents. Pastureland conditions are also deemed as poor.
After today below normal precipitation is expected through the beginning of the last week of Sept. Limited improvement in drought conditions is expected through Nov.
Saturday's forecast is for pleasant conditions with partly cloudy skies, light northerly winds and a high near 78. After a low Sunday morning near 55 degrees daytime highs will reach into the middle 80's under sunny skies.
The forecast for the first part of the week calls for daytime highs in the upper 80's with overnight lows dropping into the low 60's. No chance of rain is in the forecast through mid week.
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