1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 8:54 PM CST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL 954 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003 WILL SEND OUT UPDATE SHORTLY TO REMOVE TORNADO WATCH. THERE COULD STILL BE ISOLATED SEVERE REST OF TONIGHT BUT THE TREND HAS BEEN FOR THE STORMS TO WEAKEN. ANOTHER WATCH NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WITH THE THREAT FOR RAIN CONTINUING OVERNIGHT, I WILL CONTINUE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. .BHM...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT ALZ011>015-017>028-030>036
ALZ011>015-017>050-172000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 100 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE (THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT)... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY MOVE EASTWARD TOWARD THE AREA. WITH WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR IN PLACE...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AS THE UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED FOR THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
824 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0809 PM PIEDMONT AL 1.75 IN HAIL
05/17/03 CALHOUN PUBLIC REPORT.
0812 PM PIEDMONT AL 0.88 IN HAIL
05/17/03 CALHOUN PUBLIC REPORT.ALZ026-180200- THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 831 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003 .A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR ST. CLAIR COUNTY UNTIL 900 PM CDT... .FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS. AT 827 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MARGARET TO 11 MILES EAST OF ODENVILLE... MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR BRANCHVILLE...ODENVILLE...MARGARET AND SPRINGVILLE THROUGH 900 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING STRIKE BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. LAT...LON 3358 8650 3362 8621 3384 8614 3379 8652
ALZ024-180230-
THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
847 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003
.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY
UNTIL 930 PM CDT...
.FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORMS.
AT 842 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 10 MILES SOUTH OF LIPSCOMB TO CARDIFF...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR
LIPSCOMB...FORESTDALE...CARDIFF...BROOKSIDE...FULTONDALE...TARRANT...
HOMEWOOD AND GARDENDALE THROUGH 930 PM CDT.
LAT...LON 3328 8698 3355 8690 3370 8702 3387 8684
3371 8657 3352 8657ALZ018-019-180245-
THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
911 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003
.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR CALHOUN AND ETOWAH COUNTIES
UNTIL 945 PM CDT...
.FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORMS.
AT 908 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 5 MILES NORTH OF RIDGEVILLE TO 8 MILES
SOUTH OF SOUTHSIDE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR
SOUTHSIDE...RIDGEVILLE...RAINBOW CITY...ATTALLA...REECE CITY...
GADSDEN...WEAVER AND GLENCOE THROUGH 945 PM CDT.
THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE
STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST
30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING STRIKE BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES.
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME
...PRODUCING LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND DRAINAGE AREAS.
LAT...LON 3412 8624 3386 8606 3363 8596 3381 8565
3419 8594ALZ017>021-023>045-047-180300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA 917 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003 THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 407... GREENE...HALE...JEFFERSON...SUMTER...TUSCALOOSA... THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES REMAIN IN TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 407 WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM... AUTAUGA...BIBB...BLOUNT...CALHOUN...CHAMBERS... CHEROKEE...CHILTON...CLAY...CLEBURNE...COOSA... DALLAS...ELMORE...ETOWAH...LEE...LOWNDES... MACON...MARENGO...MONTGOMERY...PERRY...RANDOLPH... SHELBY...ST CLAIR...TALLADEGA...TALLAPOOSA...
ALZ020-180415- THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1012 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003 .A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY UNTIL 1115 PM CDT... .FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM. AT 1010 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER CENTRE...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR LEESBURG...CENTRE... SAND ROCK...CEDAR BLUFF AND GAYLESVILLE THROUGH 1115 PM CDT. LAT...LON 3422 8584 3397 8571 3411 8543 3447 8556
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:40 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
US 411 was flooded and temporarily impassable near Centre.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, May 2003
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5360554.