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 Dec 9, 6:27 AM CST, 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 627 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 .DISCUSSION... TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM. SORRY FOR THE DELAY. I HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT PESKY TORNADO WATCH STUFF. THOUGHTS ON HOW THINGS WILL PLAY OUT TODAY...THINKING AS THE LINE CROSSES THE STATE WELL OF COURSE CONTINUE TO SEE THE TORNADO THREAT. WITH THE TORNADO THREAT...WE SHOULD BEGIN TO SEE SOME LARGE HAIL WITH THESE STORMS AS IT MOVES INTO NORTHEASTERN AL LATER THIS MORNING. AFTER THE LINE MOVES THROUGH...SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME WRAP- AROUND WITH COOLER TEMPS...ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO TEMPS OCCURRING RIGHT NOW. IS IT ENOUGH FOR SNOW FLURRIES? I DONT THINK SO. IT WILL BE CHILLY THOUGH. DIDNT MAKE ANY REAL CHANGES TO THE EXTENDED. LOOKING LIKE STRONGEST COLD SHOT OF THE SEASON MAKES IT DOWN HERE ON MONDAY NIGHT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 68 51 52 43 48 / 99 40 30 20 ANNISTON 67 53 53 42 48 / 99 50 30 10 BIRMINGHAM 67 51 53 43 48 / 99 40 30 10 TUSCALOOSA 69 50 53 43 49 / 99 30 30 00 CALERA 68 52 54 42 49 / 99 40 30 00 AUBURN 70 54 56 42 50 / 99 50 30 00 MONTGOMERY 71 54 57 42 51 / 99 40 20 00 TROY 72 55 57 42 51 / 99 40 10 00 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TORNADO WATCH FOR A LINE FROM ST. CLAIR TO TALLADEGA TO COOSA TO ELMORE AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES...WESTWARD UNTIL 10 AM. FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING NORTH OF A CARROLLTON TO A CLANTON TO A WEDOWEE LINE. && JONES/90
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 621 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 ALZ011>015-017>050-091930- AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE- CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE- JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA- TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON- 621 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE TODAY AND PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. WIND PROFILES WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES. NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE FLOODING...ESPECIALLY ALONG CREEKS...STREAMS...AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) RIVER FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BE ONGOING ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF ALABAMA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. PLEASE REFER TO THE INDIVIDUAL RIVER STATEMENTS FOR SPECIFICS ON THE LATEST STAGE AND CREST FORECASTS. ...SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WILL BE NECESSARY TODAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 530 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 ALZ030-091215- SUMTER- 530 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR SUMTER COUNTY UNTIL 615 AM CST... ...WINDS UP TO 40 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 529 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF YORK TO 18 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CUBA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR EMELLE...GAINESVILLE...CUBA...YORK...LIVINGSTON...BELLAMY AND EPES THROUGH 615 AM CST. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA THROUGH 10 AM. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TORNADOES CAN QUICKLY DEVELOP WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:42 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several inches of rain fell in a short period of time across Walker County. Several roads were barricaded and were temporarily impassable due to high water. At least three motorists had to be rescued from the high water. A few trees fell down due to the saturated conditions.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, December 2004
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: 5429714.