Flooding, hail worst of weekend storms

Published 2:29 pm Monday, March 27, 2023

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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

Chilton County spent most of March 26 under a tornado and severe thunderstorm watch. Fortunately, the weather never escalated to a tornado warning being issued.

Flood warnings and flash flood warnings were issued throughout the weekend with standing water visible in low lying areas on March 27.

Airport Road and County Road 455 were impassable the evening of March 26, according to information from the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office.

Damage in the county seems to be limited to hail damage from the morning of March 26 with large-sized hail falling in Verbena and Thorsby.

“We were awakened around 6:15 yesterday morning to the absolutely deafening sound of those large balls of ice slamming into the roof, and we knew there was absolutely nothing we could do but wait it out,” Kim Bowen, who lives on County Road 511 in Verbena said. “There were so many cars damaged in the Verbena area, and I’ve heard people talking about windows being busted out in their houses as well. We’ve had to file insurance claims on all our vehicles as well as our house because the size of the hail beat up the roof and siding.”

Weather was clear by midday on March 27 with a chance of rain in the evening hours.

A Hazardous Weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service remains in place for Chilton County to warn about river flooding.

“Minor to moderate river flooding will continue through Friday for portions of the Alabama, Tallapoosa, Coosa, and Cahaba river basins,” the outlook stated.