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 Aug 16, 1:32 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 232 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THRU FRIDAY) CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE THRU THE EVENING HOURS BUT GENERALLY DIMINISH ONCE WE LOSE THE HEATING OF THE DAY. DO NOT EXPECT A REPEAT OF LAST NIGHT WHERE 3-5 INCHES FELL ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST COUNTIES AND LASTED WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT. MAIN FOCUS FOR CONVECTION TODAY HAS BEEN MID LEVEL TROF AXIS FROM MOBILE TO ATLANTA. THIS AXIS SHOULD SLIP A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTHWARD ON WEDNESDAY AND CONFINED LIKELY POPS TO EXTREME SE COUNTIES...WITH SCATTERED AFTERNOON STORMS EXPECTED OVER THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. UPPER SHORT WAVE TROF WILL APPROACH NW ALABAMA ON THURSDAY AND BRING BETTER CHANCES OF STORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES. ONCE SHORT WAVE TROF PASSES EAST OF ALABAMA THURSDAY NIGHT...CENTER OF UPPER RIDGE WILL MOVE TO NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND SHOULD STABILIZE AIRMASS ACROSS NORTHERN COUNTIES...AND KEEP BETTER RAIN CHANCES ACROSS SOUTHERN COUNTIES. DAY TO DAY TEMPERATURES WILL NOT VARY MUCH. HIGHS ON THURSDAY WILL BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER NORTHERN COUNTIES DUE TO MORE CLOUD COVER AND LOWERING 500MB HEIGHTS. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THRU TUESDAY) WHILE BROAD UPPER RIDGE BLANKETS THE SOUTHERN STATES...STRONG UPPER VORTEX WILL TRANSVERSE THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES AND DIG A SHORT WAVE TROF ACROSS EASTERN STATES BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND. GFS TRIES TO FORCE A SURFACE FRONT INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA ON MONDAY... BUT FRONTS HAVE A HARD TIME MAKING IT THAT FAR SOUTH IN AUGUST AND WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF STORMS MOST AREAS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. IF FRONT DOES MAKE IT SOUTH OF TENNESSEE...RAIN CHANCES WILL NEED TO BE HIGHER BOTH DAYS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 93 72 92 71 / 40 30 40 30 ANNISTON 92 71 91 71 / 40 40 40 30 BIRMINGHAM 94 72 92 73 / 40 30 40 30 TUSCALOOSA 94 74 93 74 / 40 30 40 30 CALERA 93 74 91 73 / 40 40 40 30 AUBURN 93 72 91 72 / 60 40 50 30 MONTGOMERY 94 73 93 74 / 60 40 50 30 TROY 94 72 92 72 / 60 40 60 30 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. && 58/ROSE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 104 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 ALZ011>015-017>050-171804- 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- 104 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...(THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT). ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA BETWEEN 130 PM CDT AND 9 PM CDT...ESPECIALLY EAST OF A HAMILTON TO TUSCALOOSA TO DEMOPOLIS LINE. THE COMBINATION OF AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AND DEWPOINTS IN THE 70S WILL ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME VERY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH A FEW MAY BE STRONG OR SEVERE...CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA BETWEEN 130 PM CDT AND 9 PM CDT. AFTER 9 PM CDT...STORMS WILL DIMINISH RAPIDLY WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. THERE IS HIGH RISK FOR WET MICROBURSTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...PARTICULARLY EAST OF A HAMILTON TO TUSCALOOSA TO DEMOPOLIS LINE WHERE THE AIR IS MOST UNSTABLE. DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH IS THE MAIN HAZARD WITH ANY STRONG OR SEVERE STORM THAT DEVELOPS. ADDITIONALLY...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF ONE TO THREE INCHES MAY RESULT IN MINOR FLOODING. WET MICROBURST POTENTIAL: BIRMINGHAM...HIGH. MONTGOMERY...HIGH. BESIDES THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...HEAT INDEX VALUES MAY APPROACH 105 DEGREES THROUGH 7 PM CDT TODAY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. PERSONS VENTURING OUTDOORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SLOW DOWN... USE CAUTION...AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY). A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH MAY DEVELOP BETWEEN 2 PM AND 8 PM CDT WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. AT THIS TIME...WEDNESDAY WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. CHANCES FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK AS AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER. BEYOND FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MBS/91
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 446 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 ALZ024-025-162245- JEFFERSON-SHELBY- 446 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR SHELBY AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... ...WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 444 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER INVERNESS...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR LAKE PURDY... INVERNESS...HOMEWOOD...CAHABA HEIGHTS...BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT... BIRMINGHAM...HOOVER AND OAK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK THROUGH 545 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STRONG STORMS. KH/99
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
448 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0512 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 N CLAYTON 31.91N 85.45W
08/15/2005 BARBOUR AL LAW ENFORCEMENT
A FEW TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR CLAYTON.
&&
LINHARESPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
451 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0439 PM HAIL SHORTER 32.40N 85.94W
08/16/2005 0.75 INCH MACON AL PUBLIC
PENNY SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN SHORTER.
&&
LINHARESSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 457 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 ALZ049-162300- PIKE- 457 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR PIKE COUNTY UNTIL 600 PM CDT... ...WINDS 35 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 457 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 17 MILES EAST OF LINWOOD TO 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF ORION...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR LINWOOD...ORION...BANKS...TROY...AND BRUNDIDGE THROUGH 600 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. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF ONE TO TWO INCHES AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS AS WELL. MBS/91
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
505 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0428 PM HAIL 6 E MOUNT MEIGS 32.36N 85.99W
08/16/2005 0.75 INCH MACON AL PUBLIC
DIME TO PENNY SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR INTERSTATE 85
AT THE MACON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY LINE.
&&
LINHARESSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 505 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 ALZ044-046-162245- BULLOCK-MONTGOMERY- 505 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR BULLOCK AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT... ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 505 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MIDWAY TO 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF MATHEWS... MOVING SOUTH AT 30 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR UNION SPRINGS...MIDWAY...MATHEWS...FITZPATRICK...SHOPTON...AND PINE LEVEL THROUGH 545 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS MINOR FLOODING. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS...RISING WATER ALONG CREEKS...AND UNDERPASSES WITH STANDING WATER ARE POSSIBLE. REMEMBER...DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS ROADWAYS COVERED WITH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY WITH THE STORMS AS WELL. MBS/91
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The New Elkahatchee Baptist Church was struck by lightning. The church steeple caught on fire and was destroyed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2005
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: 5471129.