A cold front dropping south through the Tennessee Valley interacted with unstable air to produce numerous strong thunderstorms during the afternoon hours. A couple of the storms became severe producing damaging winds.
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 episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.
A cold front dropping south through the Tennessee Valley interacted with unstable air to produce numerous strong thunderstorms during the afternoon hours. A couple of the storms became severe producing damaging winds.
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 Aug 20, 1:40 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 240 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 .DISCUSSION... UPPER 90S AGAIN HAVE NOSED THEIR WAY INTO THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THIS IS THEIR LAST VISIT TO OUR AREA FOR A WHILE...HOPEFULLY A LONG WHILE. STILL WE ARE NOT SEEING THINGS AS BAD AS THEY COULD BE. DEWPOINTS IN NERN AR ARE IN THE UPPER 70S...WITH HEAT INDICES 105-110. HERE...OUR HEAT INDICES ARE ONLY AROUND 100 AT THE MOST. SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)... SOME OF THAT MOISTURE WILL POOL IN THIS DIRECTION IN ADVANCE OF A LIKELY-TO-CONGEAL SURFACE TROF AND COLD FRONT WHICH BOTH ARE TO OUR NORTH. THE TROF LOOKS TO BE AROUND MEMPHIS RIGHT NOW...WHILE THE FRONT IS STILL CLOSE TO THE OHIO RIVER. PRETTY GOOD COVERAGE OF SHRA/TSRA ONGOING AND MOVING INTO OUR FORECAST AREA...THANKS TO WEAK BOUNDARIES AND EQUALLY WEAK UPPER LEVEL ENERGY. ALTHOUGH WE WILL GET THE USUAL LULL IN PRECIP AFTER SUNSET...I SEE NO REASON WHY WE WONT HAVE AS MUCH COVERAGE OF SHRA/TSRA TOMORROW AS TODAY...IF NOT MORE. THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE THE INCREASE IN MOISTURE AS WE (FINALLY) LOSE THE DRIER AIRMASS THAT HIGH PRESSURE HAS PROVIDED US. LATEST SOUNDINGS INDICATE QUITE A BIT OF CAPE SO SOME GUSTY WINDS IN A STORM OR TWO CANT BE RULED OUT...BUT I THINK THE BIG THREAT TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE LOCALLY TORRENTIAL RAINS. DEPENDING ON WHAT MODEL YOU BELIEVE...PWATS TOMORROW WILL BE BETWEEN 2.00 AND 2.40 INCHES. THE 2.00 INCHES IS DEFINITELY BELIEVABLE AND A LITTLE MOISTURE POOLING MIGHT LEAD TO LOCALLY HIGHER VALUES. AVERAGE QPFS (WHAT WE PUT IN THE GRIDS) WILL NOT BE ALL THAT HIGH. SOME POINT RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD BE QUITE HIGH...BUT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT POINTS THOSE WOULD BE. ANYWAY...THE CLOUDS/RAIN SHOULD HOLD HIGHS TO AROUND 90 TOMORROW... AFTER THAT I SUSPECT YOU WILL NOTICE A PATTERN WITH THE HIGH TEMPS. RAIN LINGERS INTO MONDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT APPROACHES AND MOVES THROUGH EARLY ON TUESDAY. WILL RETAIN THE CHANCE POPS ON MONDAY NIGHT AND SOME SMALL POPS TUESDAY AS WELL. WE SHOULD NOTICE A SHARP DROP IN DEWPOINTS AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES DRIVES DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION (UPPER 50S DEWPOINTS ARE ALREADY AS CLOSE AS SOUTHERN INDIANA). EXTENDED (TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY)... I AM NOT SURE YOU CAN ASK FOR MUCH BETTER IN LATE AUGUST THAN THE EARLY PART OF THIS EXTENDED FORECAST...ESPECIALLY AFTER THE AWFUL HEAT WE HAD EARLIER THIS MONTH. MORNING LOWS IN THE MID/UPPER 60S ARE EXPECTED BOTH WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THURSDAY MORNING...WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO REACH 90 (BUT LIKELY MAKING IT MOST PLACES). THE THURSDAY/FRIDAY FORECAST IS BASICALLY A CLIMO FORECAST WITH TEMPS TAKEN NEAR THE ENSEMBLE MEAN. HAVE DISCOUNTED THE DAILY DGEX TROPICAL CYCLONE ENTIRELY AT THIS POINT. OTHERWISE...THERE IS SOME DEBATE WITHIN THE MODELS OVER HOW QUICKLY/INTENSELY SOUTHERLY FLOW RE-ESTABLISHES ITSELF. WILL HEDGE BETS A LITTLE BY PLACING A 20 POP IN FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE SOUTHEASTERNMOST COUNTIES. BY SATURDAY...ENOUGH MOISTURE SHOULD BE BACK FOR SLIGHT CHANCES FOR RAIN...AND THAT RAIN CHANCE INCREASES EVEN A LITTLE MORE ON SUNDAY. I DONT SEE NEXT WEEKEND AS A WASHOUT AT THIS POINT THOUGH. MAX TEMPS IN THE LOWER 90S LATE IN THE WEEK SHOULD BACK OFF TO AROUND 90 OVER THE WEEKEND WITH THE ADDED CLOUDS/RAIN CHANCES. LOWS WILL EDGE UP TO THE LOWER 70S BY THE WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 73 91 71 90 / 30 50 40 20 SHOALS 72 91 71 90 / 30 50 40 20 CULLMAN 73 92 73 91 / 30 50 40 30 FAYETTEVILLE 72 90 70 89 / 30 50 40 20 ALBERTVILLE 73 91 73 91 / 30 50 40 30 FORT PAYNE 72 92 73 91 / 30 50 40 30 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && JE/23
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1250 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-211000- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1250 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SHORT LIVED...REACHING PEAK INTENSITY AND DISSIPATING WITHIN 30 MINUTES. HOWEVER...A FEW OF THESE STORMS WHICH UNDERGO STRONG VERTICAL GROWTH MAY PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND A BRIEF WIND GUST OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE MAJORITY OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL COME TO AN END BY EARLY EVENING. HOWEVER...A COUPLE OF SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS MAY OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY ON MONDAY...RESULTING IN CONTINUING CHANCES OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION. ASSUMING ENOUGH SUNSHINE WILL BE ABLE TO PEEK THROUGH THE CLOUDS ON MONDAY...SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME RATHER STRONG AND PRODUCE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY MONDAY NIGHT ALLOWING THUNDERSTORMS TO LINGER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD TAPER OFF ON TUESDAY AS THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTH OF THE AREA. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. TROUTMAN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 303 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ALZ009-202030- JACKSON- 303 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR JACKSON COUNTY UNTIL 330 PM CDT... AT 300 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTH OF GURLEY...OR 11 MILES EAST OF MOORES MILL...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... HOLLYTREE. TRENTON. PAINT ROCK. LIM ROCK. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. CBD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 325 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ALZ010-202115- DE KALB- 325 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR DEKALB COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM CDT... AT 320 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM PISGAH TO FLAT ROCK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... BEATY CROSSROADS. HENAGAR. POWELL. SYLVANIA. HAMMONDVILLE. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. CBD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 329 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ALZ009-202100- JACKSON- 329 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR JACKSON COUNTY UNTIL 400 PM CDT... AT 325 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM TRENTON TO FLAT ROCK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... LARKINSVILLE. HOLLYWOOD. MARTINTOWN. SCOTTSBORO. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. CBD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 358 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ALZ009-202130- JACKSON- 358 PM CDT SUN AUG 20 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHERN JACKSON COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM CDT... AT 355 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SECTION...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF SCOTTSBORO...MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF JACKSON COUNTY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL MAY CAUSE ISOLATED STREET FLOODING AND STANDING WATER. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... SECTION. DUTTON. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. CBD
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:04 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds heavily damaged a car wash business. An 80-foot long section of metal roof was torn off the 33 year old facility. A few trees and power lines were blown down in the area producing brief power outages.
A 61 mph wind gust was recorded at the airport ASOS weather station.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2006
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: 5527783, 5527696, 5527782.