birminghamal.gov
The City of Birmingham will close Sixth Avenue South at the CSX viaduct (700 block of Sixth Avenue South) and the viaduct at Messer Airport Highway (32nd Street) immediately following the evening rush hour today due to the potential for heavy rains as Hurricane Zeta moves inland. The city is part of an area currently under a Tropical Storm Watch and a Flash Flood Watch due to Hurricane Zeta.
The closures are to provide safeguards to motorists and city employees due to the potential for flooding during heavy rains. The section of Sixth Avenue South at the CSX viaduct is currently undergoing a $2.4 million construction project to remediate flooding.
The city will provide an update when these two locations will reopen, based on weather conditions.
In addition to the closures, Department of Public Works (DPW) employees continue to be proactive in cleaning storm drain inlets and clearing debris from ditches. This is a daily effort by DPW, but during periods of heavy rains, crews are dispatched to areas prone to flooding.
Residents and visitors to the city are encouraged to monitor weather reports tonight through tomorrow morning as Hurricane Zeta moves inland. The current forecast for Birmingham due to Hurricane Zeta is sustained winds of 20 mph to 40 mph and wind gusts near 50 mph. Rainfall in Birmingham could be 1.5 to 2 inches in a very short period of time. The current timeline is for the high wind and rains to pass through the area in the overnight hours.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to:
- Secure outdoor furniture and other objects
- Don’t drive during peak hours of the storm
- Never drive into flooded roadways
- Avoid downed power lines
Anyone wanting to report flooding or downed trees or limbs, should call 311.
Text the keyword BHMINFO to 888-777 to receive important updates and information from the City of Birmingham.
You can access video of City of Birmingham Department of Public Works crews as they cleaned drains today in preparation for tonight’s heavy rain. The work in the video was conducted in the 5900 block of Warner Street near Roosevelt City Community Center.
Video Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ij51mtnas2ancjv/Public%20Works%20BRoll%2010-28-2020.mp4?dl=0
