12 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 9, 3:12 AM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 312 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 .DISCUSSION... THIS FORECAST IS SHAPING UP TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. BUT STILL...THE TWO BIG WEATHER STORIES REMAIN THE BIG FLOOD AND THE BIG CHILL. THE LATEST (AND HOPEFULLY FINAL) ROUND OF HEAVY RAINS ARE NOW MOVING OVER THE AREA. MORE ON THAT IN A BIT. AT PRESENT...TEMPS ARE IN THE 50S AREAWIDE. LOWER 60S ARENT THAT FAR TO THE SOUTH...AND KMEI IS AT 67F AT 08Z. SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... WITH COPIOUS RAINFALL TODAY AND CONSIDERABLE CLOUD COVER...I AM GROWING LESS CONFIDENT IN HOW WARM WE WILL GET TODAY. I MAY COME DOWN ON MY PRELIM NUMBERS...ESPECIALLY IN THE SHOALS...BEFORE ISSUANCE. BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS...I WENT CATEGORICAL ON THUNDER TODAY AND WILL MENTION HEAVY RAIN IN ZONES. WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS...THERE IS A THREAT FOR LARGE HAIL TODAY. HOWEVER...THE REALLY FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR HAIL DO NOT REACH THE AREA UNTIL AFTER MOST OF THE RAIN IS OUT OF THE AREA. WHAT WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR IS IF NEW CONVECTION DEVELOPS LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING...AS DEPICTED IN THE ETA. WE ARE STILL IN THE MOIST AIR AT THAT TIME SO I CANT RULE THIS OUT. OTHERWISE...HEAVY RAIN IS THE MAIN THREAT. MORE ON THIS LATER. AN UPPER LOW IS CURRENTLY IN ALBERTA...AND WILL SWING RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY ON FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH THE UPPER LOW CENTER WILL STAY TO OUR NORTH...WE WILL GET A STRONG VORT LOBE ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER LOW ON FRIDAY. I HAVE ADDED IN A POP FOR FRIDAY BASED ON THIS. I ALSO EXPECT NEARLY STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING TEMPS DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. A WIND ADVISORY MAY ALSO BE REQUIRED. FRIDAY NIGHT IS A CONCERN. WE ARE IN THE UPPER TROF AXIS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND PROBABLY STILL WILL BE SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP...ESPECIALLY IN OUR TENNESSEE COUNTIES. WE HAVE BEEN CARRYING SPRINKLES ALL ALONG AND THAT STILL LOOKS OKAY FOR MOST OF THE AREA. SOUNDINGS AND PARTIAL THICKNESSES YIELD SNOW IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SRN MIDDLE TN. FOR NOW...WILL WORD AS LIGHT RAIN POSSIBLY CHANGING TO LIGHT SNOW IN THE TN COUNTIES. AS FOR NORTH ALABAMA... I WOULDNT RULE OUT A FEW FLURRIES LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...BUT I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT ANOTHER MODEL RUN BEFORE INCLUDING THEM IN GRIDS/ZONES. EXCEPT IN THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS (>1500 FT) TEMPS WILL BE IN THE MID OR UPPER 30S...SO CONCERNS ARE MINIMAL AT THIS TIME. I HAVE EVEN ADDED SPRINKLES ON SATURDAY NOW AS THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPPER TROF FINALLY MOVES THROUGH. AGAIN...I COULDNT RULE OUT FLURRIES EARLY ON...BUT ONLY INCLUDED THEM IN THE TN COUNTIES WITH THIS PACKAGE. EXTENDED (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... AS IF ALL OF THAT WERENT ENOUGH...THEN THE YUKON EXPRESS COMES OUR WAY...BRINGING THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON WITH IT. GIVEN THE UPPER AIR PATTERN AND JUST HOW COLD IT IS UP THERE NOW...I THINK WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ACTUALLY BE BELOW THE LATEST GUIDANCE THROUGH THE PERIOD. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL...THOUGH I CANT RULE OUT ANOTHER ROUND OF SPRINKLES WITH THE FROPA ON SUNDAY NIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT HIGHS TUESDAY WILL STRUGGLE INTO THE 40S...WITH LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT POSSIBLY IN THE LOWER 20S IN OUR COOLER SPOTS. && .HYDROLOGY... JUST A QUICK NOTE ON THE LATEST ROUND OF FLOODING. OVER IN MS...KGWO REPORTED 1.21 INCHES FROM 06Z TO 09Z. THIS IS PPROBABLY A REASONABLE ESTIMATE OF A 3-HOUR RAINFALL IN THIS AREA...AND UNFORTUNATELY IT WILL RAIN FOR MORE THAN 3 HOURS. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED AREAWIDE...ON TOP OF THE 3 TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN WE HAVE ALREADY HAD THIS MONTH. CONSULT OUR HYDROLOGY WEBPAGE FOR ALL THE LATEST WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND STATEMENTS. BUT IF YOU THINK THIS DECEMBER HAS GOTTEN OFF TO A BAD START IN THE RAIN DEPARTMENT...JUST LOOK BACK TO 1991...WHEN 8.70 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN THE FIRST NINE DAYS OF THE MONTH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 64 50 50 38 / 100 30 20 10 SHOALS 64 48 49 37 / 100 30 20 10 CULLMAN 66 51 51 39 / 100 30 20 10 FAYETTEVILLE 63 49 49 35 / 100 30 30 30 FT PAYNE 62 50 51 35 / 100 30 30 10 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY ALL ZONES (ALZ001>010-016). TN...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY ALL ZONES (TNZ076-096-097). && JE/23
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 459 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-092000- COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE- LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN- 459 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PARTS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)... RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TODAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY TODAY...WITH STORM TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. WHEN COMBINED WITH RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 7 INCHES WHICH OCCURRED EARLIER THIS WEEK...FLOODING IS LIKELY THIS FLOODING WILL BE IN THE FORM OF FLASH FLOODING AND URBAN STREET FLOODING TODAY...AND THEN RIVER FLOODING POTENTIALLY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. WITHIN THE LARGE AREA OF RAIN...EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED. THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH. ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT SEVERE...SINCE THE GROUND IS SO SATURATED...A STRONG WIND GUST SUCH AS THIS COULD CAUSE TREES TO FALL. IN ADDITION...LATE THIS AFTERNOON...IF ANY CONVECTION REMAINS IN THE AREA...LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF COLD FRONTS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN STEADY ON FRIDAY...WITH A BRISK WEST WIND. A LAKE WIND ADVISORY...OR POSSIBLY A WIND ADVISORY...MAY BE REQUIRED FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING. SHOWERS ARE IN THE FORECAST ON FRIDAY...AND WILL LINGER INTO FRIDAY NIGHT IN SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. SPRINKLES ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...MAINLY ABOVE 1500 FEET...THE SHOWER ACTIVITY MAY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT... BEFORE TAPERING TO FLURRIES. NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON IS FORECAST TO ARRIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK. LOWS IN THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 20S ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS IS UNLIKELY BUT POSSIBLE TODAY. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FLOODING SITUATION TODAY AND TONIGHT. JE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 303 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 ALZ005>007-091000- LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- 303 AM CST THU DEC 9 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS... THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND A QUICK ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN THROUGH 4 AM. RAPID RUNOFF AND QUICK WATER PONDING WILL PRODUCE MINOR STREET FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN THE HUNTSVILLE METRO AREA. OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTRA CAUTION...AND AVOID ANY WATER COVERED ROADS. IF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP TO THE SOUTHWEST AND MOVE INTO THIS AREA...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED. KULA
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:00 UTC.
12 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several roads throughout the county had several inches of water over them with flash flooding occurring.
Several roads were closed in the county due to flooding resulting in water covering several inches of area roads.
Several roads were barricaded and closed in the county due to flash flooding. Shaw road in the Tuscumbia area was also closed due to several inches of water covering the road.
Numerous roads throughout the county had several inches of water over the roads.
Several roads were flooded with several inches of water covering area roads throughout the county.
Numerous roads throughout the county had several inches of water covering the area roads.
A few roads had several inches of water covering the road with flash flooding reported.
Numerous roads were closed throughout the county due to flash flooding with several inches of water covering the roads.
County road 1140 and bridge at that location was washed out due to flash flooding.
A few roads were flooded with several inches of water reported over area roads.
A few county roads had several inches of water covering the roads, resulting in flash flooding.
Numerous roads were closed throughout the county due to flash flooding. Several inches of water was reported over the roads throughout the county, resulting in several roads being closed.
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: 5432212, 5432213, 5432214, 5432215, 5432298, 5432299, 5432300, 5432301, 5432302, 5432303, 5432305, 5432304.