It has rained several inches this week throughout the Birmingham metropolitan area — with more likely on the way — but the normally vulnerable Vestavia Bowl wasn’t fazed.

“We are not even close,” said Cinnamon McCulley, assistant city manager for Vestavia Hills. “This isn’t the kind of weather that generally gets my concerns up.”

This week, Vestavia has seen slow and steady rains.

“That’s not usually a concern for us from a city flooding standpoint,” McCulley said. “It’s when four inches of water drops in 27 minutes.”

When flash floods create fast-moving water that carries trees into culverts, it’s time to be concerned, she said.

“A lot of these businesses on lower U.S. 31 were built in the flood plain and the floodway,” McCulley said.

“They were aware of that when they built,” she said. “By today’s building standards, they would not be allowed to build there. But those businesses are grandfathered in because, when they were developed, it was allowed, in the 1970s.”

Vestavia Bowl is a bellwether for flooding, having had to close several times in the past when Patton Creek floodwaters spilled over the banks and into the Vestavia Old Town Center. Patton Creek runs directly behind Chuck E. Cheese, which is on slightly higher ground than the bowling alley in Old Town Center.

“The reason Patton Creek backs up and floods is not just an excessive amount of water, but if the water is rushing very fast, and it picks up debris along the creek banks, and it clogs up the culverts that pass under 31,” McCulley said.

“If there’s some kind of major blockage, then it causes a backup of the creek, which results in the flooding.”

The bowling alley had a caution sign out for people walking on the wet floor near one of the doors, but the 34 lanes were safely above water and dozens of groups were bowling as it steadily rained outside. Patton Creek remained well within its banks with no blockage on Thursday afternoon after a heavy rain.

“So, it’s not just a matter of excessive rain totals, it’s excessive rain and fast-moving water that picks up debris,” McCulley said. “That’s when we have a problem. We work really closely with ALDOT and Jefferson County. They do a great job helping to maintain the cleanliness of those barrel culverts that pass under 31.”

In June of 2022, water flooded the parking lot several feet deep.

In July 2021, the parking lot at Old Town Center reached a four-foot depth of water.

In July 2017, employees and customers were forced to evacuate the building because of flooding.

“The summer of 2017 was a major situation – we got four inches of rain in 27 minutes,” McCulley said.

“It was a very heavy storm and it just stalled out over us. The water coursing the creek just couldn’t help but breach its banks and pick up a lot of debris. It was picking up full, entire, mature trees. They got stuck in the culvert. That’s some pretty fast-moving water. It’s not just consistent water, it’s really fast water.”

Major flooding in 2014 caused major damage at the bowling alley, when a doorframe caved in and a wall collapsed. Flood doors and a retaining wall were added afterwards, which have helped keep water from flooding the interior of the building when the parking lot floods.

Comparatively speaking, this week’s flooding caused no serious concern, but businesses on the flood plain live under the whims of the weather.

“A lot of it is truly Mother Nature,” McCulley said.

“If there’s a lot of fast-moving water and it picks up a lot of debris, we can do everything we can to clean up and clean out. If Mother Nature still picks it up – we try our best to mitigate the issues.”

See also: Why Birmingham flash floods are part of a much bigger problem

Flash flooding in Birmingham creates stunning video