MOBILE, Ala. — At 3:38 pm Saturday the Mobile office of NOAA/National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch for the entire coastal region of Alabama and western Florida. 

Here's the full NWS statement:

...Flash Flood Watch in effect from midnight CDT tonight through Sunday afternoon...

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a

* Flash Flood Watch for portions of Alabama and northwest Florida...including the following areas...in Alabama... Conecuh...Covington...Escambia...lower Baldwin...lower Mobile...upper Baldwin and upper Mobile. In northwest Florida...coastal Escambia...coastal Okaloosa...coastal Santa Rosa...inland Escambia...inland Okaloosa and inland Santa Rosa.

* From midnight CDT tonight through Sunday afternoon

* rainfall totals averaging 2 to 4 inches are possible with locally higher amounts due mostly to training cells.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.

You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued.

A trough of low pressure located over the central Gulf of Mexico early this (Sat.) morning is expected to move toward the region today as an upper level disturbance meanwhile approaches from the northwestern Gulf. Deep moisture will be drawn northward into southeast Mississippi...southwest and south central Alabama and the northwest Florida Panhandle through Sunday as these features approach our region. Showers and a few thunderstorms will increase in coverage mainly along coastal portions of the area later this afternoon. Numerous to widespread showers and a few embedded thunderstorms are expected to impact most locations tonight into Sunday as deep moisture overspreads the region.

Locally heavy rainfall will impact much of our area...particularly tonight through late Sunday. Total rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible over inland portions of southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama this weekend...while amounts between 2 and 4 inches are possible closer to the coast. Localized rainfall totals of double these amounts will be possible...especially where heavy rains repeatedly move across the same locations.

Locally heavy rains could lead to localized flooding or flash flooding in urban areas...creeks and streams and other low lying areas. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service in Mobile for updates regarding this developing weather situation.