Unstable conditions and dry air aloft aided widely scattered and strong thunderstorm developement during the afternoon hours. These strong storms moved northward across Marshall, Jackson, and De kalb counties in northern Alabama.
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.
Unstable conditions and dry air aloft aided widely scattered and strong thunderstorm developement during the afternoon hours. These strong storms moved northward across Marshall, Jackson, and De kalb counties in northern Alabama. The strongest storm affected Madison county and produced some minor wind damage, which led to power outages in north Huntsville.
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 Sep 8, 4:07 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 507 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 .DISCUSSION...MESOSCALE UPDATE... STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY GENERATED BY A WEAK CONVERGENCE ZONE CONTINUES TO PUSH NWD INTO NERN AL...AND IS NOW MOVING INTO PORTIONS OF DEKALB AND MARSHALL COUNTIES. THE AIR MASS IS CERTAINLY MORE UNSTABLE TODAY THAN IT HAS BEEN IN SEVERAL DAYS /18Z KBMX SOUNDING SHOWED CAPE OF MORE THAN 2500 J/KG/ BUT MINIMAL SHEAR...SO THESE PULSE-TYPE STORMS WILL PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HRS. KBMX SOUNDING SHOWED A FREEZING LEVEL OF ALMOST 15KFT BUT THERE WAS SOME MID-LVL DRYING AND A WINDEX APPROACHING 60. SO WHILE HAIL DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A MAJOR THREAT...GUSTY WINDS WILL BE A CONCERN...AND A RECENT OB FROM GADSDEN /GUST TO 39MPH/ WOULD BACK THIS UP. THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY THUS FAR HAS BEEN FIRING IN THE IMMEDIATE WAKE OF THE NWD-MOVING OUTFLOW BOUNDARY IN SRN/ERN DEKALB COUNTY...SO WILL BE WATCHING THESE AREAS FOR THE STRONGEST UPDRAFTS. WILL BE INCREASING THE POPS IN THE GRIDS AND ZFP TO MATCH CURRENT TRENDS...AND HAVE ALREADY MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO HWO. ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS...TRENDS SUGGEST THAT MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY CAN BE HANDLED WITH SIG WX ALERTS...BUT TERRAIN INFLUENCES WILL BE WORTH WATCHING GIVEN A HISTORY IN AREAS SUCH AS SAND MOUNTAIN. && .PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 309 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008... SYNOPSIS...SURFACE AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS CONTINUE TO SHOW H5 RIDGING OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN CONUS. THIS AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST AND IS KEEPING HURRICANE IKE MOVING IN A GENERAL WESTERLY DIRECTION. AN AREA OF WEAK CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH A DECAYED FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXISTS ON THE NORTHERN FRINGE OF THIS FEATURE OVER EAST CENTRAL AL. MOISTURE ADVECTION FROM THE EAST SOUTHEAST CONTINUES. SCATTERED STRONG STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS ALONG AND NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY. SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... MODELS FORECAST LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION TO CONTINUE TONIGHT... AS THE WEAK BOUNDARY OVER CENTRAL AL MOVES NORTHWARD. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW POSSIBLY STRONG...ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT CULLMAN AND SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA AS EARLY AS 00Z. THIS ACTIVITY WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT...PARTICULARLY BETWEEN 03Z AND 12Z. ANY STRONGER STORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THE EARLY EVENING HOURS COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...PARTICULARLY BETWEEN 00Z AND 04Z. AS THE SURFACE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH AXIS CURRENTLY ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST MOVES EAST SOUTHEAST...MODELS CONVERGE ON IT PUSHING INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TUESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL INCREASE MOISTURE CONVERGENCE IN SOUTHERN MIDDLE TN AND NORTHERN AL DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. 12Z NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS SHOW IMPRESSIVE INSTABILITY WITH CAPE VALUES OF 2K TO 3K J/KG AND DECENT LOW TO MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES FOR SEPTEMBER DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. GFS40 SHOWS MUCH WEAKER INSTABILITY...WHICH LOOKS MORE REASONABLE ...WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AND REMAIN IN PLACE DURING THE DAY TMRW. NAM AND GFS FORECAST WET-BULB ZERO HEIGHTS VALUES DROPPING TO 11-12 KFT AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WITH PWATS VALUES AROUND 2 IN. THEREFORE A FEW STRONGER STORMS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL OR BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. IF LESS CLOUD COVER DEVELOPS AND HIGHER INSTABILITY IS REALIZED...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF A FEW SEVERE STORMS DEVELOPED WITH A LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...THE BETTER THREAT FOR ANY SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD REMAIN FURTHER NORTH CLOSER TO STRONGER UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS ACROSS NE TN AND THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. OVERALL LOWERED HIGH TEMPS WITH EXPECTED CLOUD COVER FOR TUESDAY. BY TUESDAY NIGHT...MODELS STALL OUT THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEAR SOUTHERN MIDDLE TN OR ACROSS NORTHERN AL DEPENDING ON THE MODEL. THEY DO CONVERGE ON SLOWLY WEAKENING THIS SYSTEM OVER TIME...AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL ENERGY PUSHES EAST NORTHEAST INTO THE EASTERN CANADA. THIS WILL KEEP ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE MAIN THREAT WITH STRONGER STORMS DURING THIS TIME WILL SHIFT TO BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...GFS AND NAM BOTH SLOWLY SHEAR OUT THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND PUSH IT NORTHWARD INTO NORTHERN TN BY SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL KEEP WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING POSSIBLE WITH STRONGER STORMS. DURING THIS TIME HURRICANE IKE WILL LIKELY REMAIN ON A WEST NORTHWEST TRACK TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN OR EASTERN TEXAS COAST. OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND...MODELS DEVELOP ANOTHER TROUGH AXIS OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST...WHICH PUSHES EAST INTO EASTERN CANADA BY MONDAY. BUT MODELS INDICATE THAT THE TROUGH AXIS WILL BE SLOW TO MOVE EAST...AS UPPER RIDGING STRENGTHENS OVER AL AND GA. THIS WOULD KEEP THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE IKE WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA. IF THE RIDGE IS WEAKER THAN THE MODELS EXPECT...RAINFALL CHANCES WILL INCREASE. AT THIS TIME WILL NOT BEGIN CUTTING 30 POPS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. HOWEVER...IF THIS TREND WITH THE MODELS CONTINUE...WARMER TEMPERATURES AND ISOLATED POP WILL NEED TO BE FORECAST SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. BY SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...THE MODELS FINALLY PUSH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY EAST TOWARDS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. HOWEVER...IT LOOKS LIKE IKE WILL QUICKLY MOVE NORTHEAST AS IT BECOMES CAUGHT UP IN STRONGER UPPER LEVEL FLOW AND PUSHED INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. ALTHOUGH THE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH MONDAY...MOST OF THE ENERGY WILL BE FOCUSED WHERE THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IKE ARE AT THAT TIME (THE OHIO VALLEY). THUS ONLY A CHANCE OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOKS REASONABLE AT THIS TIME FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...BEFORE TAPERING OFF LATE MONDAY NIGHT. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && MESO UPDATE...BCC PREV DISCUSSION...20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 455 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-090330- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 455 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT AREAS MAINLY SOUTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER AND EAST OF I-65...THROUGH 8 PM THIS EVENING. STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A COLD FRONT AND DISTURBANCES ALOFT WILL BRING CLUSTERS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION ON TUESDAY. ONCE AGAIN...A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE CAPABLE OF GUSTY WINDS AND CONSIDERABLE LIGHTNING. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. RSB/DJN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 445 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ALZ010-082230- DE KALB- 445 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR DEKALB COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 445 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF RODENTOWN...OR 12 MILES NORTH OF GADSDEN...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. ANOTHER STRENGTHENING THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO EASTERN DEKALB COUNTY NEAR ADAMSBURG...ALSO MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... RODENTOWN...COLLINSVILLE. CROSSVILLE...LATHAMVILLE. SKIRUM...LEBANON. GERALDINE...HOPEWELL. SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. 27
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 445 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ALZ010-082230- DE KALB- 445 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR DEKALB COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 445 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF RODENTOWN...OR 12 MILES NORTH OF GADSDEN...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. ANOTHER STRENGTHENING THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO EASTERN DEKALB COUNTY NEAR ADAMSBURG...ALSO MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... RODENTOWN...COLLINSVILLE. CROSSVILLE...LATHAMVILLE. SKIRUM...LEBANON. GERALDINE...HOPEWELL. SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. 27
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 524 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ALZ009-010-082315- DE KALB-JACKSON- 524 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR EASTERN DEKALB AND JACKSON COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM CDT... AT 524 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HENAGAR...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... HENAGAR. ROSALIE. BEATY CROSSROADS...IDER. SULPHER SPRINGS. FLAT ROCK. HIGDON...FABIUS. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES...TREE LIMBS...AND POWERLINES. SEEK SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. BCC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 529 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ALZ008-009-082315- JACKSON-MARSHALL- 529 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR WESTERN JACKSON AND NORTHEASTERN MARSHALL COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM CDT... AT 529 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HUSTLEVILLE...OR 7 MILES NORTH OF ALBERTVILLE...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... COLUMBUS CITY. GRANT...LANGSTON. WOODVILLE. LIM ROCK...LARKINSVILLE. GARTH. TRENTON...HOLLYTREE. AT 515 PM CDT...A WIND GUST TO 42 MPH WAS REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS AT THE AIRPORT IN ALBERTVILLE. GUSTY WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES...TREE LIMBS...AND POWERLINES. SEEK SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. BCC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 630 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ALZ006-090000- MADISON- 630 PM CDT MON SEP 8 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHERN MADISON COUNTY UNTIL 7 PM CDT... AT 630 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRENGTHENING THUNDERSTORM NEAR NORTH HUNTSVILLE...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE INDICATED ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH HUNTSVILLE...AND THESE ARE ALSO MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THE STRONG STORM INCLUDE... ALABAMA HIGHWAY 53 AND MEMORIAL PARKWAY. MERIDIANVILLE...MOORES MILL. HAZEL GREEN. TONEY. ELKWOOD...FISK. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES...TREE LIMBS...AND POWERLINES. SEEK SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. BCC
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:29 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree top was snapped off on Beirne Street and fell across power lines, resulting in power outages in northern and northeastern Huntsville.
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, September 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: 131973.