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 Jul 14, 2:43 PM CST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 343 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004 .SYNOPSIS... MCS SEEM TO HAVE OUR AREA IN THEIR SIGHTS. EXPECT A REPEAT OF LAST NIGHT BUT EXPECT THE STORMS TO MOVE FURTHER SOUTH THROUGH THE EVENING AND EARLY NIGHT HOURS. ONCE THIS STUFF PASSES AND THE LOWER LEVEL FRONT MOVES THROUGH EXPECT NORMAL SUMMER TIME WEATHER INTO THE WEEKEND...WHEN THE NEXT FRONT COULD COME THROUGH ON SATURDAY. && .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) THE NEXT MCS IS ON OUR DOOR STEPS. EXPECT AN ACTIVE WEATHER EVENING TONIGHT. FOR TOMORROW THE FORECAST AREA STILL UNDER A SLIGHT RISK MAIN AREA OF CONCERN IS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. EXPECT DAYTIME HEATING TO INTERACT WITH SOME LEFT OVER BOUNDARIES. IT WILL STILL BE HOT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS BUT NOT HOTTER THAN REGULAR JULY TEMPS. && .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO ENTER ON SATURDAY AND MOVE THROUGH. NOT TYPICAL JULY WEATHER WITH ALL THIS FRONT POTENTIAL. OTHER THAN THE FRONT DON/T EXPECT ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. && SORRY ABOUT THE LATE DELIVERY FOR THE DISCUSSION...WILL BLAME IT ON THE WEATHER. .PRELIMINARY NUMBERS... GADSDEN 71 90 70 88 71 / 60 20 20 20 ANNISTON 71 90 69 88 70 / 60 20 20 20 BIRMINGHAM 72 92 70 89 71 / 60 20 20 20 TUSCALOOSA 73 92 72 92 72 / 60 30 20 30 CALERA 72 92 70 90 71 / 60 20 20 20 AUBURN 73 92 70 91 71 / 60 30 20 20 MONTGOMERY 74 93 72 92 72 / 50 40 30 50 TROY 74 93 71 92 71 / 50 50 40 50 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && 80
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1256 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004 ALZ011>015-017>050-151200- MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-CHEROKEE- CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR-TALLADEGA- CLAY-RANDOLPH-SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON-COOSA-TALLAPOOSA- CHAMBERS-MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE-MONTGOMERY-MACON- BULLOCK-LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR- 1256 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004 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 ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. INTENSE DAYTIME HEATING WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE. WET MICROBURST POTENTIAL FOR THIS AFTERNOON... BIRMINGHAM...HIGH MONTGOMERY...HIGH IN ADDITION TO NORMAL AFTERNOON CONVECTION, A COLD FRONT WILL DRIFT SOUTHWARD INTO NORTH ALABAMA LATER THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. THE FRONT, COMBINED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL ACROSS THE AREA TOMORROW. THIS FRONT, COMBINED WITH AFTERNOON HEATING, WILL ALLOW FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
553 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0502 PM TSTM WND DMG KEENER 34.16N 85.95W
07/14/2004 ETOWAH AL EMERGENCY MNGR
A FEW TREES DOWN IN THE NORTHERN PART OF TOWN.
0515 PM TSTM WND DMG SUSAN MOORE 34.07N 86.43W
07/14/2004 BLOUNT AL AMATEUR RADIO
A FEW TREES DOWN.
0532 PM TSTM WND DMG ANNISTON 33.66N 85.81W
07/14/2004 CALHOUN AL TRAINED SPOTTER
50 TO 60 MPH WIND GUST.
&&
AWIPSUSRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
600 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM TSTM WND DMG GADSDEN 34.01N 86.01W
07/14/2004 ETOWAH AL LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES AND POWER POLES DOWN COUNTY WIDE.
&&
12PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
606 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM HAIL ANNISTON 33.66N 85.81W
07/14/2004 0.25 INCH CALHOUN AL AMATEUR RADIO
PEA SIZE HAIL IN THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE CITY.
0520 PM TSTM WND DMG ASHVILLE 33.83N 86.26W
07/14/2004 ST. CLAIR AL LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY.
&&
12PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
607 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0540 PM TSTM WND DMG CLEVELAND 33.99N 86.57W
07/14/2004 BLOUNT AL LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN COUNTY WIDE.
&&
12SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 617 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004 ALZ027-150000- TALLADEGA- 617 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR TALLADEGA COUNTY UNTIL 700 PM CDT... ...WINDS UO TP 40 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM THUNDERSTORMS... AT 617 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 6 MILES EAST OF WALDO TO 11 MILES WEST OF TALLADEGA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR WALDO...TALLADEGA...MUNFORD...LINCOLN AND WINTERBORO THROUGH 700 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THESE WINDS CAN BREAK OFF SMALL TREE LIMBS...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED OBJECTS SUCH AS LAWN FURNITURE AND TRASH CANS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 626 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004 ALZ037-038-150015- CHAMBERS-TALLAPOOSA- 626 PM CDT WED JUL 14 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR TALLAPOOSA AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES UNTIL 715 PM CDT... ...WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 626 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 22 MILES NORTH OF STROUD TO 21 MILES NORTHWEST OF GOLDVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR MILLTOWN...DAVISTON...GOLDVILLE...STROUD...NEW SITE...FIVE POINTS... LAFAYETTE AND ALEXANDER CITY THROUGH 715 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THESE WINDS CAN BREAK OFF SMALL TREE LIMBS...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED OBJECTS SUCH AS LAWN FURNITURE AND TRASH CANS.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:27 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A mobile home was struck by lightning and sustained minor damage.
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, July 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: 5417153.