20 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 3 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 May 30, 8:07 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 907 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 .UPDATE... ...WILL UPDATE THE ZONES SHORTLY FOR TORNADO WATCH 345 UNTIL 09Z/4AM CDT FOR ALL OF HUNS CWA... --BCC/27 && .PREV DISCUSSION... SLIGHTLY LONGER TERM...THE INTENSE CONVECTIVE LINE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP FROM SRN IA TO THE RED RIVER VALLEY EARLY THIS AFTN IS EXPECTED TO SURGE EAST TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. TIMING OF THE SQUALL LINE AND HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER STILL APPEARS TO BE IN THE 06Z TO 12Z (TIME FRAME FOR FAR SRN TN/NRN AL. OF COURSE...MAIN CONCERN WITH THE A SQUALL LINE WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS WITHIN EMBEDDED LEWPS OR BOWING LINE SEGMENTS. HOWEVER...0-1KM SRH VALUES AND LCL HEIGHTS WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO ISOLD TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. WITH PW VALUES NEAR 2 AND STRONG THTE ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE FRONT...EXPECT 1-2 RAIN AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...DUE TO DRY SOIL CONDITIONS AND HIGH FFG VALUES WILL HOLD OFF ON A FLOOD WATCH ATTM. CONVECTIVE LINE WILL PUSH SOUTH OF CWFA DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON MONDAY WITH A BREAK EXPECTED MON AFTN. THE GFS/ETA HAVE ACTUALLY CONVERGED ON A MORE SRLY TRACK WITH THE FRONT (OR THE REMNANTS OF IT)...SO HAVE TRIMMED POPS BACK A BIT FOR MON AFTN/NIGHT. WILL PLACE HIGHEST POPS FOR MON NIGHT ACROSS THE CULLMAN TO FT PAYNE CORRIDOR. THE ETA/GFS BUILDS A WEAK SFC RIDGE ACROSS THE REGION ON TUE AND FOCUS PRECIP WELL SOUTH OF THE TN VLY. THUS...WILL INCLUDE ONLY LOW POPS FOR THE TUE/TUE NIGHT PERIOD. LONGER TERM..A S/W TROUGH WILL DIVE SE ACROSS THE OH/TN VLYS ON WED. THE GFS TRIES TO PUSH A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROUGH OUR RAIN CHANCES WILL LIKELY DIMINISH FOR THE THU/FRI TIME FRAME. THUS...WILL HOLD ON TO FAIRLY HIGH POPS FOR WED/WED NIGHT AND KEEP A DRY FCST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL ENTER THE PICTURE BY THE WEEKEND BRINGING ANOTHER SHOT OF CONVECTION TO THE TN VLY. --15 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 930 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-311000- COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE- LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN- 930 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PARTS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...(THROUGH TONIGHT)... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CDT FOR THE WHOLE AREA. A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING EAST ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...WITH A FEW CELLS OUT AHEAD OF IT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. DUE TO THE HIGH DEGREE OF INSTABILITY IN PLACE...THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES AND STRAIGHT LINE DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS THE REGION ON MEMORIAL DAY AND TUESDAY...WITH CONTINUED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A SECONDARY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP AND MOVE NORTH OVER THE AREA BY MONDAY NIGHT...WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE. ONCE AGAIN...SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN BEING THE MAIN THREATS. THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON AND OFF THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACTIVATED. SCHAUB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 757 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-310600- COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE- LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN- 757 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ...SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA AND PARTS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE... AT 7 PM...A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED ALONG A COLD FRONT FROM EASTERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWARD THROUGH EASTERN ARKANSAS. THE CURRENT RATE OF SPEED OF THE LINE SUGGESTS THAT THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH FAR NORTHWEST ALABAMA AROUND 11 PM TONIGHT. FROM THERE...THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH RAIN ENDING IN THE EAST BY MID MORNING ON MEMORIAL DAY. THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LINE WILL HAVE SEVERE POTENTIAL... WITH DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. PERSONS PLANNING HOLIDAY TRAVEL SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS. WRS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1120 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ALZ001-002-310450- COLBERT-LAUDERDALE- 1120 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING NORTHWEST ALABAMA... AT 11:20 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AT MORE THAN 50 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. AT THIS RATE...THESE STORMS WILL CROSS THE MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA STATE LINE BY 11:45 PM. PERSONS ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA...ESPECIALLY LAUDERDALE AND COLBERT COUNTIES...SHOULD PLAN TO TAKE COVER AS THESE STORMS APPROACH. AVOID ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND TELEPHONES... AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. BCC
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:39 UTC.
20 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees. One tree on a tent at a camp site resulting in one fatality.
Emergency management reported numerous trees and powerlines snapped and twisted. The F1 tornado touched down 3 miles west of Murphy Crossroads and moved northeast to the Alabama/Tennessee state line.
numerous trees and powerlines were knocked down throughout Cherokee.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees.
A F1 tornado touched down 6 miles west of Florence and tracked eastward, just north of the Tennessee River into McFarland Park in Florence. Hundreds of trees were snapped with several of them falling on structures.
An amateur radio operator reported a wind gust of 60 mph in North Florence.
An amateur radio operator reported nickel size hail.
Widespread straight line wind damage occurred from just east of Florence into the Killen area. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees and power lines throughout Russellville.
A tornado touched down just southeast of Killen and tracked eastward to just south of Elgin. Numerous trees were snapped and twisted with a few of the trees falling on structures.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees and removed shingles from several houses.
Amateur radio operator reported penny size hail just south of Littleville along Highway 43.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous trees and power lines throughout Rogersville. Some of the trees fell on structures.
A tornado briefly touched down just north of Anderson. The tornado snapped several trees and removed the roofs from a few homes.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees and power poles.
A F1 tornado touched down in western Limestone County near Lentzville and raced eastnortheastward to just southwest of Elkmont. Several mobile homes were damaged or destroyed resulting in 3 minor injuries. In addition, numerous trees and power poles were knocked down.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous trees and power poles in a swatch extending from near Elkmont eastnortheast to the Madison County line.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several power lines.
Strong thunderstorm winds resulted in widespread tree and power line damage across northwest Madison County.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a few trees throughout the city of Decatur.
A F1 tornado touched down in New Sharon along Charity Lane and moved eastnortheast to the Tennessee state line. Several buildings sustained roof damage. In addition, widespread tree and power line damage occurred.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a couple of large trees and limbs throughout the city. A few of the limbs fell on buildings but no significant structural damage resulted.
NWS employee estimated a thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph in northeast Huntsville.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees in Woodville.
Thunderstorm winds uprooted several trees along Long Hollow Road in Scottsboro.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees and power lines blocking County Roads 74 and 206 near Bridgeport.
Amateur radio operator reported penny size hail in Pisgah.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous trees blocking several roads just east of Pisgah.
Thunderstorm winds knocked several trees down across County Road 332 and Highway 71 near Bryant.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Lauderdale | 2004-05-30 | Male | Camping | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 2004Warnings in Alabama, May 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: 5401777, 5401778, 5401779, 5401780, 5401781, 5401782, 5401783, 5401784, 5401785, 5401786, 5401787, 5401788, 5401789, 5401790, 5401811, 5401810, 5401812, 5401813, 5401814, 5401815, 5401816, 5401817, 5401818, 5401819, 5401820, 5401821, 5401822, 5401823, 5401824.