1 thunderstorm wind, 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 May 20, 11:19 AM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1219 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 .UPDATE... CONVECTION DEVELOPING/PROGRESSING ACCORDING TO OUR PLAN SO FAR. RADAR IMAGERY LOOKS MUCH MORE CELLULAR THAN IT DID EARLIER. STILL NO SEVERE STORMS BUT FEEL THAT A STRENGTHENING TREND WILL OCCUR OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. STORMS ARE LINING UP ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...BUILDING WESTWARD INTO NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THIS WILL LIKELY BECOME THE FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. WIND/HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. IT WAS IN QUESTION RATHER OR NOT STORMS WILL RE DEVELOP NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20...EAST OF JEFFERSON COUNTY. GIVEN THE TRENDS TO THE NORTH OF THIS AREA IN HUNTSVILLES REGION...FEEL MORE CERTAIN THAT STORMS WILL OCCUR. && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && 12/SIRMON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 130 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ011>015-017>050-201900- 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- 130 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...(THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT). A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 BETWEEN 1 AND 4 PM...AND AFFECT AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 BETWEEN 4 PM AND 11 PM. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREATS. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 AND AHEAD OF LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO OR TWO WILL OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 ARE DEVELOPING IN A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND AFTERNOON HEATING. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING JUST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY). THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH 11 PM. STEFKOVICH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 907 AM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ018-020-201500- CHEROKEE-ETOWAH- 907 AM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR ETOWAH AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 1000 AM CDT... ...WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 903 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF GAYLESVILLE TO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF WALNUT GROVE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS THROUGHOUT ETOWAH AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES THROUGH 1000 AM 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 102 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ036-037-201830- COOSA-TALLAPOOSA- 102 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR COOSA AND TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES UNTIL 130 PM CDT... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 1257 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER WEOGUFKA...MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR WEOGUFKA... ROCKFORD...KELLYTON AND ALEXANDER CITY THROUGH 130 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. JONES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 159 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ038-201930- CHAMBERS- 159 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR CHAMBERS COUNTY UNTIL 230 PM CDT... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 155 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER MILLTOWN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR MILLTOWN...STROUD... LAFAYETTE...FIVE POINTS AND LANETT THROUGH 230 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THIS 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. ANOTHER THREAT FROM THIS STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. JONES
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
206 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0202 PM DOWNBURST 4 E BLOUNTSVILLE 34.08N 86.52W
05/20/2005 BLOUNT AL EMERGENCY MNGR
EMA REPORTED A TREE DOWNED BY STRONG WINDS ONTO A HOUSE
&&
JPSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 242 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ045-047-048-202015- LEE-MACON-RUSSELL- 242 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR RUSSELL...MACON AND LEE COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT... ...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 240 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER SOCIETY HILL...MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR SOCIETY HILL... AUBURN...LADONIA...SMITHS STATION...PHENIX CITY AND FORT MITCHELL THROUGH 315 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THIS STORMS ARE SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THIS STORM...TAKE SHELTER NOW. JONES
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:41 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One home suffered significant roof damage near the Curry community.
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, May 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: 5449056.