Tornado in Alabama, May 7, 2003

Name: Tornado in Alabama, May 7, 2003
Start: 2003-05-07T14:41
End: 2003-05-07T14:43
Location: Alabama

May 7, 2003 · NWS BMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1,000
Crop damage: $3,000
Events: 1

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.

What forecasters said that day

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 7, 1:21 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 1:21 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
221 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

TOO BUSY FOR MUCH OF A DISCUSSION.  ANOTHER IMPULSE WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE AREA TONIGHT.  SEVERAL BOUNDARIES WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE AREA
ON THURSDAY AND WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS FOR MOST SECTIONS.  UPPER
RIDGING WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AND WILL LEAVE POPS
OUT OF THE FORECAST.  NEXT SYSTEM WILL APPROACH ON SUNDAY AND THEN
MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK.

BHM 70/86/70/89/69 53---
MGM 71/89/70/91/69 62---

.BHM...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, May 7, 12:51 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

ALZ011>015-017>050-072045-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
151 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE (THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT)...

SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD LAST INTO THE EVENING HOURS WITH LONG LIVED
TORNADIC SUPERCELLS MARCHING ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA.

DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE ALSO THREATS...ALONG WITH POSSIBLE
FLASH FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)...

AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTH OVER THE
REST OF THE WEEK.  THIS WILL MOVE THE AREA OF POTENTIAL SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS NORTHWARD OUT OF ALABAMA FOR THE END OF THE WEEK.

ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE A SMALL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY
THROUGH TUESDAY...AT THIS TIME NO WIDESPREAD OR ORGANIZED AREAS OF
SEVERE STORMS AREA EXPECTED ON THOSE DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND STORM SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN
ACTIVATED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 7, 1:00 PM CST, 1 hour 41 minutes before

ALZ024-071945-

THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
200 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2003

.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY UNTIL 245 PM
CDT...

.FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORM.

AT 157 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM OVER TRUSSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR TRUSSVILLE...PINSON
AND LEEDS THROUGH 245 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 3376 8656 3354 8653 3349 8670 3370 8675
          3376 8667

Local storm report, May 7, 1:45 PM CST, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
245 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1246 PM    JASPER                    AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   WALKER                         ON HWY 78.  REPORTED BY
                                          WALKER COUNTY 911.

1250 PM    SUMITON                   AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   WALKER                         REPORTED BY THE POLICE
                                          DEPARTMENT.

0132 PM    PINSON                    AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   JEFFERSON                      REPORTED BY THE POLICE
                                          DEPARTMENT.

0200 PM    TRUSSVILLE                AL   0.50 IN HAIL
05/07/03   JEFFERSON                      MARBLE SIZE HAIL.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0210 PM    CALERA                    AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   SHELBY                         AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
                                          SERVICE OFFICE.

0215 PM    CALERA                    AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   SHELBY                         REPORTED BY SHELBY COUNTY
                                          911.

0225 PM    3 N TALLADEGA             AL   0.75 IN HAIL
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      PENNY SIZE HAIL.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0238 PM    KINGDOM                   AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   SHELBY                         PUBLIC REPORT.

0240 PM    WILSONVILLE               AL   0.75 IN HAIL
05/07/03   SHELBY                         PENNY SIZE HAIL.
                                          REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
                                          WEATHER SERVICE
                                          EMPLOYEE.

Local storm report, May 7, 2:24 PM CST, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
324 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0230 PM    TALLADEGA                 AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0232 PM    TALLADEGA                 AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      ON HWY 77.  REPORTED BY
                                          HAM RADIO OPERATOR.

0234 PM    TALLADEGA                 AL   0.75 IN HAIL
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      PENNY SIZE HAIL JUST N OF
                                          INTERSTATE 20 AND HWY 77.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0235 PM    MUNFORD                   AL   1.00 IN HAIL
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      QUARTER SIZE HAIL.
                                          REPORTED BY TALLADEGA
                                          COUNTY EMA.

0236 PM    TALLADEGA                 AL   0.75 IN HAIL
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      PENNY SIZE HAIL ON HWY
                                          34.  REPORTED BY HAM
                                          RADIO OPERATOR.

0237 PM    EASTABOGA                 AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0239 PM    MUNFORD                   AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0240 PM    TALLADEGA                 AL   58 MPH TSTM GUST
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0243 PM    LINCOLN                   AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON
                                          INTERSTATE 20 AT EXIT
                                          169.  TREE ACROSS ROAD.

0244 PM    FAYETTEVILLE              AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/07/03   TALLADEGA                      REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0247 PM    WILSONVILLE               AL   TORNADO
05/07/03   SHELBY                         REPORTED BY SHELBY COUNTY
                                          911.

0250 PM    HARPERSVILLE              AL   TORNADO
05/07/03   SHELBY                         ON COOSA RIVER.  REPORTED
                                          BY SHELBY COUNTY 911.

0252 PM    PELL CITY                 AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/07/03   ST. CLAIR                      NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY TRAINED STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, May 7, 2:29 PM CST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
329 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0250 PM    WILSONVILLE               AL   TORNADO
05/07/03   SHELBY                         ON COUNTY ROAD 103 IN THE
                                          HOMESTEAD COMMUNITY. 5
                                          HOMES WITH ROOF DAMAGED.
                                          1 HOME WITH MINOR
                                          STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. 1
                                          GARAGE DEMOLISHED.
                                          REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY NWS
                                          EMPLOYEE.

Special weather statement, May 7, 2:36 PM CST, 5 minutes before

ALZ012>013-015-017>050-080200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
336 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 288...

  FAYETTE...LAMAR...WALKER...

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES REMAIN IN
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 288
WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM...

  AUTAUGA...BARBOUR...BIBB...BLOUNT...BULLOCK...
  CALHOUN...CHAMBERS...CHEROKEE...CHILTON...CLAY...
  CLEBURNE...COOSA...DALLAS...ELMORE...ETOWAH...
  GREENE...HALE...JEFFERSON...LEE...LOWNDES...
  MACON...MARENGO...MONTGOMERY...PERRY...PICKENS...
  PIKE...RANDOLPH...RUSSELL...SHELBY...ST CLAIR...
  SUMTER...TALLADEGA...TALLAPOOSA...TUSCALOOSA...

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Clay

When: May 7, 2:41 PM CST to 2:43 PM CST
Where: Clay County, 6 mi NW of Millerville
Rating: F0
Path length: 1.2 mi
Path width: 70 yd
Property damage: $1,000
Crop damage: $3,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.250, -86.000

A weak tornado touched down in the western part of Clay County in the Talladega National Forest. One house sustained minor damage to the siding and exterior trim and a number of trees were downed along the path. The path extended from the west side of CR 18 across an isolated area just north of Mcgehee Mountain to just east of Bolton Road.Beg: 33 13.977/86 00.964 End: 33 13.932/85 59.780

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 2003 Warnings in Alabama, May 2003

Sources

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: 5360696.