An intense squall line, including one or more bow echoes, tracked into the Tennessee Valley producing fairly widespread wind damage across several northwest Alabama counties. Up to 2,000 residents were without power for several hours due to power lines being blown down.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
An intense squall line, including one or more bow echoes, tracked into the Tennessee Valley producing fairly widespread wind damage across several northwest Alabama counties. Up to 2,000 residents were without power for several hours due to power lines being blown down. In addition, embedded mesocyclones developed in association with a particularly intense bow echo, producing two weak intensity tornadoes in Limestone County.
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 May 9, 2:46 PM CST, 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 346 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006 .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)... SEVERAL SHORT WAVES ARE ROTATING AROUND A LONG WAVE TROUGH POSITIONED OVER THE WESTERN CONUS...INCLUDING ONE ASSOCIATED WITH A SURFACE LOW OVER CENTRAL OK. CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS...AS EXPECTED...THE STATIONARY FRONT ALONG THE GULF COAST HAS MOVED NORTHWARD TODAY. IT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL AR TO MEMPHIS AND THEN SOUTHEASTWARD TO TUSCALOOSA AND TALLAHASSEE. ALONG AND TO THE SOUTH OF THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY...SHOWERS AND TSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED AND ARE MOVING OFF TO THE NORTHEAST. THE MCS FROM THIS MORNING HAS ALSO PROGRESSED ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND IS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS WESTERN TN AND NORTH MS. FOR THIS EVENING...EXPECT THE MCS AND ISOLATED TSTORM DEVELOPMENT TO BEGIN AFFECTING THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF OUR CWA BY 4 PM AND WILL MOVE ACROSS THE VALLEY THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. EXPECT THE MCS AND TSTORMS TO WEAKEN WITH TIME...ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA...AS THEY HAVE BEEN UNDER CLOUD COVER FOR MOST OF THE DAY AND ARE MORE STABLE. ATMOSPHERE SHOULD STABILIZE AFTER THE STORMS MOVE THROUGH...AND SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD COME TO AN END BY MIDNIGHT. WEDNESDAY STILL LOOKS LIKE THE MOST ACTIVE DAY AS A SYSTEM MOVES OUT OF THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP BY MID MORNING IN A MOIST UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AS THE FRONT APPROACHES THE WESTERN COUNTIES DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. CONVECTION SHOULD FORM INTO A SQUALL LINE RIGHT AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THREATS WITH ISOLATED DEVELOPMENT INCLUDE DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND ALONG THE SQUALL LINE AS HELICITY VALUES INCREASE. FRONT SHOULD EXIT THE CWA EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AND REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM WILL REMAIN DRY. NORTHERLY FLOW WILL SETUP OVER THE AREA AS THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND CLOSED LOW MEANDER AROUND THE GREAT LAKES REGION FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THIS WILL BE REFLECTED IN COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND...INCLUDING LOWS IN THE UPPER 40S FRIDAY MORNING AND HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. .LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... THE AFOREMENTIONED CLOSED LOW WILL DROP INTO THE SOUTHEAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON...MODELS BRING THE UPPER LOW THROUGH SOUTHERN KY AND ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS. FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM WEDNESDAYS FRONT WILL BE DRAPED ALONG THE COAST AND WILL SERVE AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR SHOWER DEVELOPMENT AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES SOUTHWARD. RIGHT NOW LEFT IN CHANCE POPS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 64 79 58 74 / 60 70 50 10 SHOALS 65 80 57 74 / 60 70 50 10 CULLMAN 65 80 59 75 / 60 70 50 10 FAYETTEVILLE 63 79 57 73 / 60 70 50 10 FORT PAYNE 63 78 59 73 / 60 70 60 10 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && 14
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 157 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-100400- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 157 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH ALAMABA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSE TODAY. THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO ENTER NORTHWEST ALABAMA AROUND 300 PM AND MOVE QUICKLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THIS LINE WILL BE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND DAMAGING WINDS TO 60 MPH...MAINLY ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. ALTHOUGH THE ENTIRE LINE MAY NOT HOLD TOGETHER AS IT MOVES FURTHER EAST...THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG A BOUNDARY...WHICH IS MOVING AHEAD OF THE LINE. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA AND MAY PRODUCE SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE SEVERE THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE MINIMAL...BUT SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TOMORROW AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING TOWARD THE REGION. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE AND MAY CAUSE SOME MINOR ISOLATED FLOODING....ESPECIALLY ACROSS LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE MOST LIKELY THREATS WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...BUT THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISOLATED TORNADO DURING THE EVENING...MAINLY WEST OF I-65. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT AS A BROAD AND NEARLY STATIONARY UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE REMAINS OVER THE OHIO VALLEY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 319 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006 ALZ001-092100- LAUDERDALE- 319 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY UNTIL 400 PM CDT... AT 319 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAVANNAH TO THRASHERS...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAVANNAH TO BOONEVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. ISOLATED HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS LINE...ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... WATERLOO. WRIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. SCHAUB
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:12 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down throughout the county as an intense squall line moved west to east.
Numerous trees and powerlines were blown down as an intense squall line moved west to east.
An outbuilding was destroyed.
Roof damage reported along Highway 101.
A barn was blown down.
Straight-line winds of up to 80 mph knocked down numerous trees and power lines throughout the county as a squall line raced through the area. Up to 2000 residents were without power.
A tornado was produced on the northern end of a strong bow echo segment. The tornado touched down several times along a 5 mile path beginning approximately two miles south of the Salem community, and ending three miles southwest of Elkmont. Several trees were either uprooted or snapped along the path, but no other property damage was observed.
A brief tornado occurred within a larger scale bow echo. The tornado produced localized damage by knocking down trees on at least two homes. The downburst with maximum winds of 80 mph knocked down trees on several homes and car ports.
Three trees were knocked down near County Road 150. One of the trees fell on a car and pulled a power line down.
A wall cloud and possible funnel cloud were observed near teh intersection of Jeff Road and Highway 53.
Two trees were blown down along Wall Triana Highway. Another tree was blown down across the Harvest Road intersection.
A funnel cloud was spotted near Brooks Chapel Road and in the community of Bobo.
Power lines were blown down along Pulaski Pike north of Sparkman Drive.
A power line was blown down and ignited on fire along Shiloh Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 2006Warnings in Alabama, May 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: 5506196, 5506194, 5504906, 5506195, 5506197, 5506200, 5506198, 5506199, 5504900, 5504901, 5504902, 5504903, 5504904, 5504905.