According to NWS Birmingham, the tropical storm conditions warning from NWS Birmingham remains in effect for Thursday. The affected areas are Valley, Lanett and LaFayette. The Hurricane Helene is now at a category 3 with wind speeds of 120 mph. The storm is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Big Bend Thursday evening.
Flash flooding is probably the biggest concern for Alabama east of I-65 at the moment. Some areas in east Central Alabama have already received 2-4 inches of rain and could see an additional 4-8 inches.
The flood watch is still in effect with peak rainfall amounts calling for 3-6 inches with locally higher amounts possible. The potential impact for flooding is extensive at this point.
As of 10:02 CT, the peak wind forecast calls for 10-20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. However, there is a potential for wind gusts of up to 39 to 57 mph. Move to safe shelter and prepare for limited wind damage.
Rain and a thunderstorm are possible before 4 a.m. CT. After that, there is a chance of rain. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall.