Clusters of heavy rain producing thunderstorms enveloped north Alabama during the late afternoon and early evening of the 1st. Several of these storms dumped 1 to 3 inches of rain in a very short time resulting in brief flash flooding in Colbert, Morgan and Jackson Counties.
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.
Clusters of heavy rain producing thunderstorms enveloped north Alabama during the late afternoon and early evening of the 1st. Several of these storms dumped 1 to 3 inches of rain in a very short time resulting in brief flash flooding in Colbert, Morgan and Jackson Counties. One severe storm knocked a tree down in Jackson 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 Aug 1, 1:15 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 215 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 .DISCUSSION... ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN IS MOVING THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH THUNDERSTORMS. FOR THE MOMENT...THE GREATER RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS FURTHER TO THE WEST...BUT AS THE STORMS MOVE IN THIS AFTERNOON...SOME WITH GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. THAT WILL NOT BE THE END OF THE RAIN EITHER...AS WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH...AND A SURFACE COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST/NORTHWEST. SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... HUMID CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT...WITH A GOOD SHOT AT RAIN. THE RAIN IS MOST LIKELY EARLY...BEFORE SUNSET...AND AFTER MIDNIGHT WHEN THE FRONT IS CLOSER. HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT TONIGHT GIVEN PWAT VALUES SURGING BACK OVER 2 INCHES AGAIN...DESPITE BEING NEARLY HALF THAT THIS MORNING. MY FORECAST AREA...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CULLMAN/MARSHALL COUNTIES...HAS BEEN IN A RELATIVE DRY AREA OVER THE PAST WEEK WITH HIGHER RAINFALL SURROUNDING ON ALL SIDES. GIVEN THAT...WILL NOT ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH. HOWEVER... SOME INSTANCES OF FLASH FLOODING ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE. RAIN/STORMS WILL STILL BE ONGOING INTO SUNDAY MORNING...BUT SHOULD BEGIN TO TAPER OFF DURING THE AFTERNOON. I AM HOLDING ON TO HIGHER POPS THAN THE MODELS WOULD INDICATE SINCE THERE IS NO APPEARANCE OF A FROPA...AND THERE ARE STILL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES. CLOUD COVER...ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE SHOALS...SHOULD HOLD HIGHS IN THE LOW/MID 80S ONE MORE TIME ON SUNDAY. SUNDAY NIGHT IS A BIT QUESTIONABLE TO ME. MODELS INDICATE THE SFC FRONT WASHING OUT CLOSE BY IN THIS TIMEFRAME...BUT I CANNOT RULE OUT THERE STILL BEING AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR STORM. WILL KEEP THAT MENTION IN THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES...AND IT MAY BE NEEDED FURTHER NORTHWEST AS WELL. PATCHY FOG LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BET AGAIN AS WELL AND WILL INCLUDE THAT IN THE FORECAST. MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...WE WILL BE BETWEEN SYSTEMS WITH MOSTLY SUNNY/MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. THIS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO THE WARMEST DAY WE HAVE SEEN IN AT LEAST TWO WEEKS...POSSIBLY LONGER. EXTENDED (TUESDAY THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY)... BY TUESDAY...THE BROAD UPPER TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO RELOAD AND TRICKY NW FLOW WILL RESUME YET AGAIN. MODEL AGREEMENT IS EXTREMELY POOR FOR TUESDAY...WITH THE GFS DRY AND THE NAM RATHER WET. WOULD TEND TO LEAN TOWARD THE NAM SINCE I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH DRY AIR WILL ACTUALLY GET INTO THE REGION...BUT UNCERTAINTY LEADS ME TO JUST HOLD ON TO THE 20 POP THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHILE WE AWAIT SOME BETTER AGREEMENT. WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR AN UPSTREAM MCS TUESDAY NIGHT... THEN ANOTHER APPROACHING...BUT FAILING TO PASS THROUGH...FRONT PUTS THE AREA BACK IN A WETTER PATTERN STARTING WEDNESDAY. WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WHEN THE SFC BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO BE AT ITS CLOSEST PROXIMITY TO THE AREA. THE 00Z GFS SHOWED A FROPA THURSDAY AND DRIER CONDITIONS BEYOND. IT APPEARS THAT WAS A VERY OUTLYING SOLUTION...AND I WILL GO CLOSER TO THE ENSEMBLE MEAN IN DAYS 5 THROUGH 7. THIS YIELDS A TAPERING RAIN CHANCE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...AND DRY CONDITIONS FRIDAY NIGHT AND NEXT SATURDAY...AS UPPER RIDGING BUILDS IN. ALTHOUGH ULTIMATELY THE STRENGTH OF THE RIDGE WILL DICTATE THIS...IT APPEARS NEXT WEEKEND MAY INCLUDE THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES SINCE THE HOT SPELL BACK IN THE SECOND HALF OF JUNE. MAYBE IT IS STILL SUMMER AFTER ALL. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 72 85 69 92 70 / 80 50 10 10 10 SHOALS 72 87 67 93 68 / 80 40 10 10 10 CULLMAN 71 86 69 92 69 / 70 60 10 10 10 FAYETTEVILLE 71 85 66 91 67 / 80 50 10 10 10 ALBERTVILLE 72 86 70 92 70 / 70 60 20 10 10 FORT PAYNE 72 84 68 91 66 / 70 70 20 10 10 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && JE/23
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 105 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-020500- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 105 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AS DAYTIME HEATING INTERACTS WITH A VERY MOIST AIR MASS. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ALSO POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN A POSSIBILITY TONIGHT AS A STRONG TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. DUE TO INCREASED MOISTURE...THE PRIMARY THREAT TONIGHT WILL BE HEAVY RAIN LEADING TO POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING...THOUGH STRONG WIND GUSTS CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY...ESPECIALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 65...AS THE LOW PRESSURE SLOWLY MOVES EAST OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. HEAVY RAINFALL IS STILL POSSIBLE...MAINLY DURING THE MORNING HOURS. A CHANCE OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... FORMAL ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. BCC
AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 254 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ALZ006-012100- MADISON- 254 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ...AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED AN AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING FOR... HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT /HSV/ * UNTIL 400 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING THREATS... * CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE AIRPORT. BCC
AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 305 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ALZ002-012115- COLBERT- 305 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ...AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED AN AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING FOR... NORTHWEST ALABAMA REGIONAL AIRPORT (IN MUSCLE SHOALS) /MSL/ * UNTIL 415 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING THREATS... * CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE AIRPORT. BCC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 317 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ALZ001>005-007-012100- COLBERT-FRANKLIN-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MORGAN- 317 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT...FRANKLIN...LAUDERDALE... LAWRENCE...LIMESTONE AND MORGAN COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM CDT... AT 311 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES WEST OF COLLINWOOD SOUTH TO ROCKWOOD...AND THEN EASTWARD TO NEEL. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING GENERALLY NORTHEAST AT 35 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... ZIP CITY...WHITEOAK. MUSCLE SHOALS...FLORENCE. KILLEN. NEEL...DECATUR. GREEN HILL...CENTER STAR. RED BANK...MOULTON. WHEELER. RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 400 PM. THIS MAY RESULT IN BRIEF RUNOFF PROBLEMS AND PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. KDW
AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 317 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ALZ002-012115- COLBERT- 317 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ...AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS UPDATED THE AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING FOR... NORTHWEST ALABAMA REGIONAL AIRPORT (IN MUSCLE SHOALS) /MSL/ * UNTIL 415 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING THREATS... * CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE AIRPORT. * WIND GUSTS 30 MPH OR HIGHER. BCC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 356 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ALZ001-004>006-012145- LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON- 356 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR LAUDERDALE...LAWRENCE...LIMESTONE AND MADISON COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT... AT 354 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ST. JOSEPH TO RED BANK TO BELLE MINA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 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... KINGTOWN. ROGERSVILLE. WHITEHEAD...TANNER. OLIVER...COXEY. ANDERSON. FRENCH MILL...ATHENS. HARVEST. RAINFALL AMOUNTS AROUND ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 445 PM. THIS MAY RESULT IN BRIEF RUNOFF PROBLEMS AND PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS 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. KDW
AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 359 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ALZ006-012200- MADISON- 359 PM CDT SAT AUG 1 2009 ...AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED AN AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING FOR... HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT /HSV/ * UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING THREATS... * WIND GUSTS 30 MPH OR HIGHER. * CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE AIRPORT. DL
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:09 UTC.
4 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash flooding produced high water up to a half foot deep on Woodward Avenue near the Tractor Supply Company in Muscle Shoals.
Thunderstorm winds knocked a tree down along County Road 222. Time estimated by radar.
High water resulting from heavy rainfall closed a road near the intersection of Hudson Road and Lamon Drive in Decatur.
Flash flooding was reported along Old Trinity Lane between Trinity and Decatur.
High water was reported on County Road 47 in Dutton.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2009
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: 177615, 177632, 177623, 177626, 177627.