As South Alabama heads into its rainy summer and hurricane season, residents are already coming off one of the wettest Mays ever recorded.

According to the National Weather Service in Mobile, the city received 17.99 inches of rain during May, making it the rainiest May on record and breaking the previous mark of 15.08 inches set in 1980. In a typical year, Mobile receives about 5.4 inches of rain during the month, meaning this May delivered more than three months' worth of normal rainfall in just 31 days.

The heavy rainfall was widespread across South Alabama. Data compiled largely through the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, or CoCoRaHS, showed much of Baldwin County received well above-normal rainfall. County averages exceeded 11 inches, while parts of northern Baldwin County picked up between 15 and 20 inches during the month.

Mobile is typically already one of the wettest cities in the United States.

Joe Maniscalco, an NWS-Mobile meteorologist, told GCM last fall why Baldwin County's rainfall can be so intense and unpredictable.

"In the summertime, with the [Mobile] bay and the Gulf, we have temperature differences between the water and the land," he said. "When the land heats up, you're going to get what we call a sea and bay breeze. And those are boundaries, and when they develop, they can be a source for thunderstorm development over Baldwin County."

The exceptionally wet May comes as the Gulf Coast enters its summer rainy season, when frequent afternoon thunderstorms can bring localized flooding even outside of tropical systems.

Following prolonged or intense rainfall, Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency officials said they typically see "localized flooding in low-lying areas, oversaturated soils leading to standing water and occasional erosion along ditches or driveways."

Properties in established flood zones, older subdivisions with limited drainage infrastructure and neighborhoods with a history of flash flooding tend to be the most vulnerable, according to EMA.

As summer storms become more frequent, the agency is encouraging residents to take preventative steps now.

"We encourage residents to clear debris from gutters, drains and culverts before storms," EMA officials said.Residents should also walk their property to identify low spots, pooling water or blocked flow paths, elevate outdoor equipment and valuables where possible and review their flood insurance coverage.

The agency warned that homeowners can unintentionally increase their risk by failing to maintain private ditches and driveway culverts, blocking natural drainage with landscaping or fencing, or assuming a property is safe because it has not flooded before.

For residents whose homes are affected by flooding, EMA's top advice is to thoroughly document damage and contact insurance providers immediately. Officials also recommend evaluating whether long-term mitigation measures could help prevent future damage.

Looking ahead to the rest of the summer, EMA emphasized that flood risks are not limited to hurricanes.

"Stay proactive and prepared," the agency said. "Heavy rain doesn't have to fall during a hurricane to cause damaging flooding."

Residents can sign up for emergency notifications at AlertBaldwin.com and are encouraged to have multiple ways of receiving weather information throughout the summer rainy season.

GCM reporting intern Emma Parvin contributed to this story.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.