Drowning Victim Identified After Flooding In Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue has confirmed to Patch that the body of a 40-year-old man has been recovered after his submerged vehicle was found in flood waters Saturday afternoon.

The search began Saturday afternoon when the SUV was found in a drainage ditch at the intersection of Greensboro Avenue and 24th Street following heavy rain and flash flooding across much of west Alabama.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department identified the drowning victim as Kelvin Watford, who was found roughly a quarter mile downstream from where his SUV was discovered. He was a Tuscaloosa resident, but originally from Greensboro in Hale County.

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Patch previously reported the Watford was not with the vehicle when it was discovered and had was reported missing, which prompted a search in the 2400 block of Greensboro Avenue.

TPD said officers were called to Bonita Terrace at 2:11 p.m after the vehicle was swept into a drainage ditch that runs west alongside 14th Avenue, behind Fitts Industries and under Greensboro Avenue.

A witness reportedly told TPD officers that he saw the vehicle became stuck in the drainage tunnel where the ditch flows downstream under Greensboro. The witness also said they saw the occupant disappear underwater and not resurface.

TPD dispatchers received 105 calls between 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, with nearly all of them relating to flooding

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