In change of weather, Shoals gets drenched

Nearly 3 inches of rain fell within a two-hour period in parts of the Shoals on Friday night, causing flooding and hazardous driving conditions, officials said.

No serious injuries were reported, although several vehicles were washed off the road in some sections of Florence.

National Weather Service officials said 2.87 inches of rain was recorded at Northwest Alabama Regional Airport in Muscle Shoals between 5 and 7 p.m.

Rain continued into the night, bringing the total Friday night to more than 3 inches in some areas.

"Storms started developing and just sat there over portions of northwest Alabama," said Patrick Gatlin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Huntsville office. "These storms were likely the remnants of the heavy rain that has been falling in Texas and Oklahoma over the past couple of weeks. That system has slowly drifted our way."

Florence police closed a section of road near Coffee Road and Mitchell Boulevard after a Sheffield motorist got stranded in high water. A sheriff's deputy pulled her from the water, according to George Grabryan, director of the Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency.

He said another motorist was pulled from his vehicle by members

of the Florence Elk's Lodge after his vehicle was trapped in rising water near the intersection of Chisholm Road and Gresham Road. The man's vehicle apparently stalled as he drove through standing water.

There were numerous reports of flooding in and near Oak Hills subdivision in north Florence, authorities said.

Weather officials issued an urban flash flood warning in Lauderdale County shortly after 8 p.m. to warn motorists that standing water was a problem on several roads.

Colbert County EMA officials said no serious problems were reported during the storm.

Gatlin said periods of rain was expected to continue overnight, and Shoals residents should expect more rain today. He said it's possible that heavy rain during a short period of time could fall today, just as it did Friday night.

The Shoals, including the rain received through 7 p.m. Friday, has received 15.91 inches of rain this year. That's more than 18 inches below the normal rainfall amounts for this time of the year.

"This system should be out of here by Monday, and next week we'll be back to a typical summer weather pattern with isolated showers in the afternoon," Gatlin said.