A strong cold front pushed into northern Alabama during the late morning hours. Ahead of the front, an unstable air mass and unseasonably strong low level flow for the month of August resulted in the development of scattered severe thunderstorms, which produced straight line wind damage and isolated large hail.
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 strong cold front pushed into northern Alabama during the late morning hours. Ahead of the front, an unstable air mass and unseasonably strong low level flow for the month of August resulted in the development of scattered severe thunderstorms, which produced straight line wind damage and isolated large hail.
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 7, 8:20 AM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 920 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 .UPDATE...INCOMING AREA OF STORMS. NO CHANGES PLANNED TO FORECAST AT THIS TIME. && .DISCUSSION...SMALL MCS-LIKE FEATURE ABOUT TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF NW ALABAMA. STORMS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS FEATURE WILL BE THE MOST INTENSE...WITH A BRIEF INITIAL WIND GUST TO 30 MPH FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN. DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF THIS AREA OF CONVECTION WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED AS WARM/MOIST AIRMASS EXISTS ACROSS THE AREA. TEMPS HAVE WARMED INTO THE MID/UPR 80S ALREADY WITH DEWPTS IN THE LWR 70S. UPSTREAM ENERGY EMBEDDED WITHIN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL HELP CREATE ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. DIFFUSE SFC BOUNDARY SEEN DRAPED W-E ACROSS CENTRAL TN...COULD BECOME A FOCUS FOR ENHANCED CONVECTION. AREAS NOT IMPACTED BY THIS INITIAL WAVE OF STORMS WILL BE MOST PRONE TO SEEING STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATER TODAY. NO CHANGES TO CURRENT FORECAST/GRIDS AT THIS TIME. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEVERE POTENTIAL OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. && .AVIATION... PREFRONTAL CONVECTION COULD IMPACT KMSL BTWN 15-17Z. WILL MONITOR THIS AS POTENTIALLY MVFR /OR LOWER/ CONDITIONS DEVELOP DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. ELSEWHERE...MVFR (OR IFR) VIS AND CIG CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH TSRA DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF SFC BOUNDARY AFTER 17/18Z. AFTER 03Z...CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO VFR AS FRONT PUSHES S OF THE AREA. WINDS WILL SHIFT FROM W TO NNE WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...BUT SPEEDS WILL REMAIN BELOW 8 KT. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && UPDATE...DJN.83 AVIATION...83/20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 837 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-071815- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 837 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... AN INITIAL ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE BETWEEN 930 AND 1100 THIS MORNING. AT THIS TIME...HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS. INTO THE AFTERNOON...ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED AS A WEAK COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN. HAIL THE SIZE OF PENNIES OR NICKELS CANNOT BE RULED OUT AS WELL. THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH OR PUSH SOUTH OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AS A WARM FRONT PUSHES NORTH ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...AND DISTURBANCES MOVE ALONG THE FRONT. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE LATER TODAY. DJN/KW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 924 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 ALZ001-002-071500- COLBERT-LAUDERDALE- 924 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES UNTIL 1000 AM CDT... AT 924 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM COLLINWOOD TO 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PINEFLAT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... WATERLOO. RIVERTON. WRIGHT. THREET. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. DJN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1009 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 ALZ001-002-071545- COLBERT-LAUDERDALE- 1009 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES UNTIL 1045 AM CDT... AT 1009 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LEXINGTON TO KILLEN TO BARTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... KILLEN. KINGTOWN. WHITEHEAD. MUSCLE SHOALS. TUSCUMBIA. FLORENCE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. DJN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1042 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 ALZ002-004>006-TNZ096-071615- COLBERT-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON- 1042 AM CDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHEAST COLBERT...NORTHERN LAWRENCE...LIMESTONE...LINCOLN AND NORTHWEST MADISON COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 AM CDT... AT 1042 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM DELLROSE TO HOLLAND GIN TO ATHENS TO HILLSBORO...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO 1 INCH IN LESS THAN 45 MINUTES CAN BE EXPECTED. THIS COULD CREATE MINOR LOWLAND FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... BETHEL. CARMARGO. BELLEVIEW. KELSO. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE. DJN
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:46 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees and power lines were blown down along York Drive and Poplar Spring Road.
Numerous trees were downed along County Road 363 and highway 64.
A tree was blown down and blocked both lanes of the highway.
Quarter size hail was reported in the Boaz community.
Several trees were blown down with two falling on top of a home.
A few trees were blown down near highway 99 in the Owens community.
A few trees were blown down and a couple of sheds were heavily damaged.
A few trees and power lines were blown down near the intersection of Drake Ave and Mcvay street.
A large tree and a few power lines were blown down.
A few power lines were blown down along highway 72 and Moores Mill road.
A large tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds.
Post office employee reported a few power lines down.
A few trees were blown down near the post office.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2008
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: 130827, 130828, 130829, 130824, 130830, 130831, 130838, 130832, 130833, 130837, 130834, 130835, 130836.