A complex of severe thunderstorms produced wind damage and isolated tornadoes in a moist unstable environment near the junction of a warm front and approaching cold front. The tornadic circulations were embedded within the linear segments of the line of thunderstorms that moved through the area.
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 complex of severe thunderstorms produced wind damage and isolated tornadoes in a moist unstable environment near the junction of a warm front and approaching cold front. The tornadic circulations were embedded within the linear segments of the line of thunderstorms that moved through the area. Swaths of wind damage were reported, particularly along interstate 65 between mile markers 295 and 299 near Dodge City.
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 10, 2:30 PM CST, 7 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 330 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 .SYNOPSIS...A RIDGE (WITH THE AXIS OVER MN/WI) WILL CONTINUE PUSHING EAST. SPLIT FLOW REGIME CONTINUES OVER THE WEST WITH A SUBTROPICAL JET AND A SOUTHWEST MOISTURE FETCH. A VERY POTENT TROUGH LIFTING NORTHEAST IS DRAGGING A STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ACROSS AR/MS WITH SOME CELLS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL AL. A WARM FRONT WILL BE MOVING NORTH ACROSS CENTRAL AL LEADING TO STRONG POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THE TN VALLEY IS UNDER A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. ALL INTERESTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATEST UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...TWO SEPARATE WAVES OF SEVERE WEATHER ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE FIRST WAVE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS (DISCRETE SUPERCELLS) THAT SHOULD BE CONTINUING ALONG AND BEHIND A WARM FRONT THAT WILL HAVE MOVED NORTH OF REGION BY 00Z. A HIGHLY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. DEWPOINTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE WELL INTO THE 60S BY 00Z. ALSO BY 00Z...GFS/NAM IS SHOWING MUCAPES WILL BE AROUND 2000-2200 J/KG WITH SBCAPES OF 2000-2500 J/KG. SRH VALUES WILL CONTINUE INCREASING FROM 100 M2/S2 AT 00Z TO AROUND 350-400 M2/S2 BY 03-06Z. LOW-LEVEL BULK SHEAR VALUES ARE ALSO INCREASING FROM AROUND 30-40 KTS BY 00-03Z. THUS...THE PRIMARY THREATS ARE MAINLY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WITH THIS ROUND. THIS ENVIRONMENT WILL REMAIN HIGHLY UNSTABLE WITH SOMEWHAT WEAKER PARAMETERS TOWARDS 12-15Z SUNDAY MORNING. THERE SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT OF A PAUSE BETWEEN 04-07Z BEFORE THE AFOREMENTIONED STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE REGION. A BOWING LINE OF SEVERE T-STORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR THE MS RIVER ACROSS AR/LA/TX/TN/MS REGION PROGRESSING EASTWARD TOWARDS THE TN VALLEY. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND THE STRONG AMOUNT OF WIND SHEAR...DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY EMBEDDED SUPERCELL TORNADOES WITHIN THE LINE ARE POSSIBLE. THE TIMING OF THIS WAVE LOOKS TO BE AROUND 07-09Z IN THE EXTREME NW AL AREA...09-11Z THROUGH KMSL...10-12Z THROUGH KHSV...AND 12-14Z THROUGH THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. FROPA SHOULD BE ALMOST DIRECTLY BEHIND THIS ACTIVITY. AS THE SFC LOW LIFTS NORTHEAST CLOUD COVER SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE. WINDS WILL BE INCREASING THROUGHOUT THE DAY DUE TO THE INCREASED PRESSURE GRADIENT. THERE MAY BE A NEED FOR A WIND ADVISORY ON SUNDAY AS WINDS ARE APPROACHING CRITERIA. DEPENDING ON BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS...TEMPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE 70S BEFORE DROPPING OFF INTO THE UPPER 40S BY SUNDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...THERE WILL BE A TEMP GRADIENT FROM WEST TO EAST WITH HIGHER TEMPS EXPECTED IN THE EAST WITH FROPA. A RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION ON MONDAY/TUESDAY WITH BELOW AVERAGE TEMPS EXPECTED FOR DAYTIME HIGHS/LOWS INITIALLY ON MONDAY BEFORE WARMING CLOSE TO 80 ON TUESDAY AS THE RIDGE MOVES EAST. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...A WEAK SHORTWAVE IS CURRENTLY DEPICTED BY THE MODELS AS CROSSING THE TN VALLEY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. HAVE LEFT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF T-STORMS FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THE EVENING GIVEN UNCERTAINTY WITH STRENGTH AND EXTENT OF PRECIP. A SHORTWAVE EJECTING FROM A BROAD LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER CANADA IS PROGGED BY THE MODELS AS APPROACHING BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE NEXT SVR WX EVENT OVERNIGHT THURSDAY. TIMING HAS BEEN CHANGING WITH EACH SUCCESSIVE RUN OF ECMWF/GFS. GFS STALLS A FRONT ACROSS THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. ECMWF DEPICTS A FASTER TRACK. HAVE INCREASED POPS SLIGHTLY DURING WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY TIME PERIOD. LEFT SLIGHT CHANCE OF POPS TO ACCOUNT FOR INCONSISTENCY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 63 70 49 72 / 90 40 10 0 SHOALS 61 68 48 72 / 90 30 10 0 CULLMAN 64 70 50 71 / 90 40 10 0 FAYETTEVILLE 62 68 48 70 / 90 40 10 0 ALBERTVILLE 65 74 51 73 / 90 50 10 0 FORT PAYNE 66 75 51 70 / 90 50 10 0 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && 77/LATIMER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1020 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-111000- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1020 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVE EAST INTO NORTHWESTERN ALABAMA TOWARD MIDNIGHT. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE OVERNIGHT. THE CURRENT TREND OF THE LINE HAS IT BEGINNING TO IMPACT THE NORTHWEST ALABAMA AREA BETWEEN 10 PM AND MIDNIGHT...REACHING THE INTERSTATE 65 CORRIDOR AROUND MIDNIGHT...AND FINALLY THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA BY 2 AM. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...WHICH COULD BE WIDESPREAD. IN ADDITION...LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY INTENSE CELLS EMBEDDED OR AHEAD OF THE LINE...ESPECIALLY EARLY IN THE EVENT IN WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE PRIMARILY IN SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND NORTHEASTERN ALABAMA BEFORE THE COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ON SUNDAY MORNING...STRONG WESTERLY WINDS WILL INVADE THE TENNESSEE VALLEY WITH SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS AROUND 20 TO 30 MPH...AND GUSTS AROUND 35. AS A RESULT A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR SUNDAY. ANOTHER POTENT AND COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM SHOULD BEGIN TO AFFECT THE REGION BY MIDWEEK. ALTHOUGH SPECIFICS REGARDING THE EXACT TIMING...TRACK...AND STRENGTH OF THIS STORM SYSTEM ARE NOT CERTAIN...SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. WEATHER INTERESTS ACROSS THE AREA ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR FUTURE FORECASTS AND UPDATES REGARDING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS REQUESTED. KTW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 652 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ALZ016-110030- CULLMAN- 652 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CULLMAN COUNTY UNTIL 730 PM CDT... AT 650 PM CDT...SATELLITE IMAGERY AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING 11 MILES WEST OF GOOD HOPE...OR 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CULLMAN...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... CRANE HILL. BREMEN. GOOD HOPE. HANCEVILLE. GARDEN CITY. THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 730 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ALZ016-110100- CULLMAN- 730 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CULLMAN COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM CDT... AT 728 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR GOOD HOPE...OR 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CULLMAN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... GOOD HOPE. PHELAN. HANCEVILLE. GARDEN CITY. WALTER. HOLLY POND. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 734 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ALZ002>004-110115- COLBERT-FRANKLIN-LAWRENCE- 734 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT...FRANKLIN AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM CDT... AT 732 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES EAST OF RED BAY TO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MOULTON...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... HALLTOWN. ISBELL. PLEASANT SITE. WREN. THARPTOWN. MOULTON. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 813 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ALZ004-007-008-016-110215- CULLMAN-LAWRENCE-MARSHALL-MORGAN- 813 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CULLMAN...LAWRENCE...MARSHALL AND MORGAN COUNTIES UNTIL 915 PM CDT... AT 810 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOULTON TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FALKVILLE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOULTON TO 8 MILES NORTH OF CULLMAN... MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... MOULTON. LACON. FALKVILLE. LEESDALE. NEEL. HULACO. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 910 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ALZ001-110300- LAUDERDALE- 910 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR LAUDERDALE COUNTY UNTIL 1000 PM CDT... AT 906 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WALNUT GROVE...OR 14 MILES WEST OF UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... WRIGHT. THREET. CLOVERDALE. UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE. ZIP CITY. GREEN HILL. THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1056 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ALZ006-009-110430- JACKSON-MADISON- 1056 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR JACKSON AND MADISON COUNTIES UNTIL 1130 PM CDT... AT 1054 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOORES MILL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... MAYSVILLE. PRINCETON. LARKIN. ESTILLFORK. JERICHO. THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. KDW
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:00 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees and powerlines in Macedonia resulting in power outages.
A tornado with peak winds of around 100 mph touched down near a cove along the Tennessee River and moved east northeast, nearly paralleling county road 14 between the Wright and Rhodesville communities. Extensive tree damage was observed with multiple large trees uprooted and many medium size tree trunks snapped. The heaviest damage occurred to a farm along county road 14, where an all metal barn was completely destroyed, an awning adjacent to another outbuilding was ripped off, and concrete posts were ripped from the ground. The metal roofing was catapulted approximately 1/2 of a mile.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees and power lines throughout Tuscumbia and vicinity including along west 3rd Street, Highland Place, Frankfort, Flatwood, Cove, Keller Quarry and Walker Camp Roads.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down two trees on a house.
Thunderstorm winds knocked a tree down on Highway 187 and County Road 52.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a tree 6 miles south of Russellville on U.S. Highway 43 in the Spruce Pine area.
A tornado with peak winds of around 95 mph touched down along County Roads 181 and 515 and uprooted and snapped several trees in its path. The tornado also produced minor structural damage to an outbuilding.
Thunderstorm winds knocked a large tree down on County Road 170.
Thunderstorm winds downed a tree onto a home on North Bethel Road.
Thunderstorm winds knocked trees on power lines resulting in power outages in the Bethel community.
Quarter sized hail was reported.
A tornado moved across far southern Cullman County. Several debris paths were found during this storm survey. The most significant damage with peak wind speeds of 120 mph occurred along Highway 91 in the vicinity of the town of Colony. Four chicken houses were either severely damaged or destroyed and numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted. Significant tree damage was found in the vicinity of Arkadelphia along County Roads 8 and 35. Spotty lighter damage was found near the end of the tornado's path just east of Interstate 65 near Black Bottom.
Thunderstorm winds knocked a few trees down in the Somerville community.
Thunderstorm winds knocked several trees down and damaged vehicles on Interstate 65 at exit 299.
Thunderstorm winds knocked several trees down onto Interstate 65 at mile marker 295.
Thunderstorm winds knocked out power along Highway 55.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 2008Warnings in Alabama, May 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: 103892, 92866, 103893, 103895, 103900, 103899, 103878, 103901, 103905, 103896, 103906, 103887, 103903, 103897, 103898, 103904.