1 tornado, 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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 15, 8:18 PM CST, 5 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 918 PM CDT WED SEP 15 2004 .UPDATE... INFO FROM TPC CONFERENCE CALL INDICATES A SLIGHT EASTWARD SHIFT ON FORECAST TRACK ON NEXT UPDATE...SLIGHTLY SLOWER FORWARD MOVEMENT... AND STATUS QUO ON INTENSITY (CURRENT AND FORECAST). WILL MAKE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO WINDS WHEN TPC WIND GRIDS ARE SENT...AND HOPE TO HAVE UPDATES OUT BY 10 PM. NO OTHER BIG CHANGES PLANNED. && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH AND HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT FOR SOUTHERN AREAS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AND HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT FOR NORTHERN AREAS. && 61
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 135 PM CDT WED SEP 15 2004 ALZ011>015-017>050-161835- 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- 135 PM CDT WED SEP 15 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...(THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT) HIGH WINDS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AREAS SOUTH OF A GEIGER TO GREENSBORO TO PRATTVILLE TO PHENIX CITY LINE. AS HURRICANE IVAN MAKES LANDFALL NEAR THE ALABAMA GULF COAST LATE TONIGHT...PARTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS LARGE TROPICAL SYSTEM. WINDS 40 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH ARE POSSIBLE FROM SUMTER TO RUSSELL COUNTIES AND POINTS SOUTHWARD AFTER 3 AM CDT. BESIDES HIGH WINDS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF TWO TO FOUR INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THESE AREAS AFTER 3 AM CDT. SEE SPSBHM...NPWBHM...AND FFABHM FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) HIGH WINDS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. AT THIS TIME...HURRICANE IVAN IS FORECAST TO TRACK NORTHWARD ACROSS ALABAMA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO PASS BETWEEN TUSCALOOSA AND BIRMINGHAM BY FRIDAY MORNING...THEN CONTINUE NORTHEASTWARD AND WEAKENING BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HIGH WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY MORNING. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY ACROSS THE AREA...MAINLY OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY COULD PRODUCE RIVER AND FLASH FLOODING OVER THE AREA. SEE SPSBHM...NPWBHM...AND FFABHM FOR FURTHER DETAILS. BEYOND FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY FOR POSSIBLE WIND DAMAGE AND FLOODING FROM HURRICANE IVAN.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1000 PM CDT WED SEP 15 2004 ALZ011>015-017>050-160630- 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- 1000 PM CDT WED SEP 15 2004 ...SPECIAL HURRICANE IVAN STATEMENT FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT IS FOR ALL COUNTIES IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... A HIGH WIND WARNING...IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES TONIGHT...AND FOR ALL OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA BEGINNING TOMORROW MORNING. SEE THE LATEST BHMNPWBHM FOR DETAILS. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED...FOR THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING...FOR ALL AREAS IN THE BIRMINGHAM COUNTY WARNING AREA... BEGINNING TONIGHT. SEE THE LATEST BHMFFABHM FOR DETAILS. ...STORM INFORMATION... AS OF LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IVAN WAS LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO...ABOUT 80 MILES SOUTH OF MOBILE...209 MILES SOUTH OF DEMOPOLIS...221 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MONTGOMERY...260 MILES SOUTH OF TUSCALOOSA...AND ABOUT 288 MILES SOUTH OF BIRMINGHAM. IVAN IS MOVING GENERALLY NORTH AT 12 MPH...AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD THE ALABAMA GULF COAST THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH LANDFALL IN BALDWIN COUNTY EXPECTED BETWEEN 2 AND 4 AM EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. IVAN REMAINS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE. ...WIND AND RAINFALL IMPACTS... AT THIS TIME...IVAN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE 6 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN GENERALLY ALONG AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE PATH. ADDITIONALLY... IVAN WILL PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE EXACT LOCATIONS OF THESE THREATS AND THE ASSOCIATED INTENSITIES ARE HIGHLY DEPENDANT ON THE PATH OF IVAN. RIGHT NOW IT APPEARS THE CENTER OF IVAN WILL BE NEAR MARION AROUND 5 PM THURSDAY...AND NEAR BIRMINGHAM AROUND 11 PM THURSDAY. CONSEQUENTLY...THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN QUADRANT OF THE AREA. ...CALLS TO ACTION... HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION...AND MAKE PREPARATIONS NOW...SO THAT YOU CAN ACT ACCORDINGLY WHEN THE NEED ARISES. WITH THE COMBINED THREAT OF SUSTAINED HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN...THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE...STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS...AND POWER OUTAGES. PREPARATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED THE FOLLOWING...KEEP GAS TANKS FULL...AND VEHICLES IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION. ENSURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH WATER...AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS FOR SEVERAL DAYS... AS WELL AS A MECHANICAL CAN OPENER. CHECK MEDICATION AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES. CHECK ON AND ASSIST THE ELDERLY AND THE MEDICALLY OR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED IN COMPLETING THEIR PREPARATIONS. FINALLY... TAKE STEPS TO CARE FOR PETS AND LIVESTOCK. OTHER PREPARATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE SECURING OUTSIDE ITEMS SUCH AS LAWN FURNITURE...TRASH CANS AND SMALL POTTED PLANTS. ANYTHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BECOME A DEADLY OBJECT DURING HIGH WINDS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND UPDATES CONCERNING DANGEROUS HURRICANE IVAN. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1 AM THURSDAY MORNING.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief weak tornado was reported just east of Troy. Several trees were blown down over a short distance. This weak tornado was associated with an outer rain band of the tropical system Ivan. Approximate brief touchdown location 31.80N/85.97W.
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, September 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: 5423542.