By Associated Press
Birmingham, AL – Parts of Alabama are flooding during the middle of a drought.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Sumter County near the Mississippi line Friday after heavy rains dumped more than five inches of rain on central Alabama in less than a week.
Forecasters said areas in Livingston could be inundated as the Sucarnoochee River crests about 4 feet above flood level by tomorrow. The stream was not expected to fall below flood stage before Monday.
Northeast Alabama remains in the grip of an exceptional drought, but conditions are improving across much of the state as winter rains refill creeks and rivers, boosting lake levels.
Weather service statistics show the Shelby County city of Calera received 5.53 inches of rain in the last week, including 2.9 inches yesterday and today. Anniston got 4.95 inches in a week, and Tuscaloosa had 3.26 inches.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)