Multiple bands of strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours ahead of an approaching upper level trough of low pressure. Many of the storms produce strong and damaging winds downing trees and power lines.
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 episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.
Multiple bands of strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours ahead of an approaching upper level trough of low pressure. Many of the storms produce strong and damaging winds downing trees and power lines.
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 Jul 28, 9:46 AM CST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1046 AM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 .UPDATE... A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHES FROM WESTERN TENNESSEE INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS. THIS ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL LOW THAT MOVED INTO THE TEXAS COAST A FEW DAYS AGO. THIS LOW HAS SINCE MOVED NORTHEAST AND MERGED WITH A PREFRONTAL TROUGH...WHICH EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL MISSOURI TO EASTERN CANADA. THE CLOSEST AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS DEVELOPING EAST OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS OVER WESTERN TN. STRONG RIDGING OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA EXTENDING EAST INTO THE ATLANTIC CONTINUES TO REINFORCE TROPICAL AIR MASS IN PLACE OVER THE SOUTHEAST. AT 12Z...A FAIRLY AMPLIFIED 500 MB TROUGH WAS ANALYZED WHICH IS REFLECTED BY A DECENT SHORTWAVE AND JET STREAK OF 30 TO 40 KNOTS AT 850 MB. NORTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE ARE IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THIS 850 MB JET STREAK. LAPS LIS AT 10 AM RANGE FROM -4 TO -7 DEGREES CELSIUS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH SB CAPE BETWEEN 1500 AND 3000 J/KG. THE OVERALL CLOUD FIELD CONTINUES TO SLOWLY ERODE OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS. GIVEN THE APPROACHING TROUGH...850 MB JET...AND ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN PLACE WITH 12Z PW OF AT LEAST 1.5 INCHES...WILL RAISE POPS TO 60 PERCENT AFTER 1 PM FOR ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY LATEST 12Z GFS AND ETA MODEL GUIDANCE. RADAR TRENDS AND GFS INDICATE THE FRONT EDGE OF PRECIPITATION... AHEAD AND ALONG THE SHORTWAVE AXIS CURRENTLY OVER WESTERN TN...WILL MOVE INTO NW ALABAMA AROUND 18Z. THUS WE COULD GET A LITTLE MORE UNSTABLE BEFORE MOST PRECIPITATION BEGINS THIS AFTERNOON. THREATS FROM STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCLUDE HEAVY RAINFALL...WIND GUSTS TO 30 OR 40 MPH...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. EXPECT STRONGEST STORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY SET UP BY MORNING CLOUD COVER. PRIMARILY FROM DEKALB COUNTY WESTWARD TO MORGAN COUNTY. WILL TWEAK TEMPERATURES UP A LITTLE IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES TO REFLECT LESS CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING. ALSO WILL LOWER TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY IN WEST TO ACCOUNT FOR MORE PERSISTENT CLOUD COVER. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && 20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1151 AM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-290200- COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE- LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN- 1151 AM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING EAST THROUGH THE MID SOUTH WILL INTERACT WITH TROPICAL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY ACROSS THE REGION TO PRODUCE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND GUSTY WINDS. THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH AFTER 7 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... FORMAL ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS UNLIKELY AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS MAY REQUIRE A FEW STORM STORM REPORTS TO BE RELAYED. KULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1204 PM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 ALZ003-281745- FRANKLIN- 1204 PM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY UNTIL 1245 PM CDT... AT 1158 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BELGREEN...OR 10 MILES EAST OF RED BAY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... DEMPSEY. BELGREEN. DUKETON. ROCKWOOD. ISBELL RUSSELLVILLE. THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. KULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1228 PM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 ALZ006-281815- MADISON- 1228 PM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR MADISON COUNTY UNTIL 115 PM CDT... AT 1225 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST NORTH OF HUNTSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR INTERSTATE 565 JUST EAST OF THE AIRPORT. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... HUNTSVILLE. MOORES MILL. MAYSVILLE. NEW MARKET. 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 1233 PM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 ALZ016-281800- CULLMAN- 1233 PM CDT FRI JUL 28 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CULLMAN COUNTY UNTIL 100 PM CDT... AT 1230 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF CULLMAN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... FAIRVIEW. BAILEYTON. JOPPA. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. DL
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 51 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:49 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down on power lines resulting in a power outage affecting up to 700 utility customers.
Power lines and poles were blown down on Stonepiper Road.
An instantaneous wind gust of 75 mph and an average wind gust of 60 mph by the Huntsville International Airport Intermodal Group.
A tree was blown down blocking Mill Road near Moss Chapel Road.
A tree and several limbs were blown down across Highway 168 between Boaz and Douglas.
Lightning struck a residence in northwest Huntsville sparking a fire. Damages unknown.
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, July 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: 5520638, 5520639, 5520640, 5520641, 5520642, 5520643.