1 lightning, 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 5, 2:26 AM CST, 8 hours 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL 326 AM CDT MON MAY 5 2003 VERY ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN EXPECTED NEXT 48 HOURS WITH FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES. MCS OVER TENNESSEE TRACKING EASTWARD WILL NOT AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA COUNTIES. NEXT THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IN THE DEVELOPMENT STAGES OVER ARKANSAS WITH MESOSCALE PARAMETERS INDICATING DEEP MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ALONG MISSISSIPPI RIVER. COLD TOP CLOUDS OVER TEXAS IN ADVANCE OF JET MAX FORECAST TO MOVE INTO MIDDLE TENNESSEE BY 18Z TODAY. THIS JET MAX SHOULD ENHANCE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING...WITH ACTIVITY MOVING OR DEVELOPING INTO NORTH ALABAMA AS MORNING PROGRESSES. SPC HAS AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 OUTLOOKED FOR MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS. SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THIS OFFICE LATER THIS MORNING HIGHLIGHTING SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. ETA/GFS IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN QPF FIELDS THRU 24 HOURS...WITH BOTH MODELS ALSO SHOWING A RAINFALL BULLS-EYE IN THE 24 TO 36 HOUR TIME FRAME...BUT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILES APART. ETA SEEMS TO BE TO FAR NORTH WITH PCPN MAX TONIGHT...AS OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM EARLIER CONVECTION WOULD FAVOR A MORE SOUTHERN TRACK. BEYOND TUESDAY... CONVECTIVE TRENDS SHIFT NORTHWARD ALONG BAROCLINIC ZONE FROM OKLAHOMA TO KENTUCKY. THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALABAMA SHOULD BECOME MORE DIURNAL AND SCATTERED. IT LOOKS LIKE RAIN CHANCES HANG AROUND NEXT 7 DAYS...BUT CHANCES A LITTLE BETTER FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS SHORT WAVE TROF BRUSHES NORTH ALABAMA. BHM 83 69 84 69/ 70 70 40 30 MGM 86 70 87 69/ 40 40 40 20 .BHM...NONE.
ALZ011>015-017>050-052000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1158 AM CDT MON MAY 5 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE (THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT)... ALABAMA CONTINUES TO REMAIN IN A VERY WARM AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THUNDERSTORMS MOVING WEST TO EAST GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20. AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF A LAFAYETTE...TO SELMA...TO LINDEN LINE ARE UNDER A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. ALL OTHER COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM ARE UNDER A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS ALSO. LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS THE AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN VERY UNSTABLE DUE TO DAYTIME HEATING INFLUENCES. KEEP TUNED TO LOCAL TELEVISION...RADIO...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR UPDATES ON THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)... MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY THROUGH SUNDAY...AS ALABAMA REMAINS IN A WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS. THE COVERAGE AND SEVERITY OF EACH DAYS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGELY INFLUENCED BY WHAT HAPPENS THE DAY BEFORE. SO THERE REMAINS A RELATIVELY LOW DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE ON THE DETAILS OF WHICH DAYS ARE MORE FAVORED TO RECEIVE SEVERE WEATHER THAN OTHERS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
ALZ011>015-017>050-051700- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 654 AM CDT MON MAY 05 2003 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED NORTH ALABAMA UNDER A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY DURING THE DAY WITH THE SEVERE THREAT LINGERING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. LARGE HAIL WAS REPORTED WITH THIS SYSTEM ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION EARLY THIS MORNING. THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS ALONG AND GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM CARROLLTON...TO BIRMINGHAM...TO ANNISTON. A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS TO THE SOUTH OF THE MODERATE RISK AREA. AT THIS TIME...DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL APPEAR TO BE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THESE STORMS AS THE MOVE THROUGH NORTH ALABAMA. HOWEVER...WINDS FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE INDICATE A POTENTIAL OF ISOLATED TORNADOES. IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA...THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE AIRMASS IN THIS AREA WILL BE VERY UNSTABLE AND ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS HAS THE CHANCE TO BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. NOW IS THE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY PLAN. REMIND YOURSELF OF WHERE YOU NEED TO GO IF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. PLEASE CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS...AND BE READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU.
ALZ013-015-051245-
THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
710 AM CDT MON MAY 5 2003
.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR FAYETTE AND WALKER COUNTIES
UNTIL 745 AM CDT...
.SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM.
AT 709 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM OVER ELDRIDGE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR STUDDARDS
CROSSROADS...ELDRIDGE...CARBON HILL...NAUVOO AND CURRY THROUGH 745 AM
CDT.
THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE
HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE
VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW.
LAT...LON 3392 8770 3392 8764 3397 8764 3400 8753
3400 8712 3388 8709 3379 8767ALZ022-051315- THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 737 AM CDT MON MAY 5 2003 .A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PICKENS COUNTY UNTIL 815 AM CDT... .SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM. AT 734 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF PICKENSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR PICKENSVILLE... CARROLLTON...REFORM...HARPERS MILL AND GORDO THROUGH 815 AM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. LAT...LON 3324 8832 3339 8830 3343 8784 3321 8784
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning apparently struck a vent duct at a vacant apartment at Royal Oak located off Pounders Sims Road. Fire department reported moderate damage to the attic area.
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: 5361487.