Franklin dodges harm in storms

FRANKLIN COUNTY – Franklin County, like many of the counties in northern Alabama, dodged a bullet from Friday night into Saturday night as two lines of storms moved to the east dumping several inches of rain.

The National Weather Service in Huntsville registered rainfall totals from 2.5 inches to 6 inches.

Two teams from the Huntsville office were out evaluating some damage in northeast Lauderdale County near Lexington and the southeast corner of Cullman County.

“The storms that moved into northwest Alabama from northern Mississippi were less organized,” said weather service Meteorologist Ashley Ravenscraft. “That was one factor. The other factor was that this particular area of the state received a good bit of rain that lessened the intensity of the thunderstorms. There was some rotation to the storms, but it just wasn’t making it to the surface.”

So, for the most part, flooding was the issue for Franklin County.

Areas of Phil Campbell and Hodges received 2½ inches of rain. Russellville had 3½ inches and areas northeast of Vina received 4½ to 6 inches.

“We were certainly fortunate that we didn’t have it as bad as our neighbors to the south,” Ravenscraft said. “The flooding was bad here, but we ended up on the better side of the [storm] system.”

Mary Hallman-Glass, who is Franklin County Emergency Management Agency director, said there were reports of some roads covered with water because some of the culverts were covered.

“We did have reports of a few trees down toward the Red Bay and Vina area, but nothing major,” she said. “The good Lord dodged that bullet for us. I don’t know why, but I’m glad He did.”

Areas north of Franklin County also saw varied rainfall totals.