A deepening storm system, and the associated cold front that swept across Alabama, brought widespread showers and thunderstorms to the state. Several storms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding, along with damaging winds.
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 BMX wrote it up.
A deepening storm system, and the associated cold front that swept across Alabama, brought widespread showers and thunderstorms to the state. Several storms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding, along with damaging winds. Even away from the thunderstorms, gusty gradient winds affected a large portion of Central Alabama.
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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 8, 2:54 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 254 PM CST TUE DEC 8 2009 .DISCUSSION... DEW POINTS CONTINUE TO RISE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA SETTING THE STAGE FOR WHAT COULD TURN OUT TO BE A SIGNIFICANT NIGHTTIME SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL CONTINUE TO TIGHTEN IN RESPONSE TO A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW OVER MISSOURI KEEPING A STEADY FLOW GULF MOISTURE INTO THE AREA. GUIDANCE HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN BRINGING MIDDLE 60 DEGREE DEW POINTS INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT MAKING IT AS FAR NORTH AS TUSCALOOSA...BIRMINGHAM AND ANNISTON BEFORE FROPA. THE 18Z NAM IS EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS SOLUTION AND WITH READINGS ALREADY NEAR 60 DEGREES AT MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI AND MONTGOMERY...THIS IS LOOKING MORE LIKELY. IN FACT DEW POINTS IN SOME OF THE MOST SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA COULD APPROACH 70 DEGREES FOR A VERY BRIEF TIME JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE DEEPLY CURVED HODOGRAPHS AT 00Z ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA...RESULTING IN OVER 700M/S 0-3KM SRH...WITH HODOGRAPHS STRAIGHTENING OUT SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER 06Z. THIS HOLDS TRUE AS WE SHIFT EASTWARD INTO SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA...BUT VALUES ARE NOT QUITE AS IMPRESSIVE FARTHER EAST. SPC HAS INCLUDED A 10% HATCHED AREA FOR AS FAR NORTH AS BIRMINGHAM AND AS FAR EAST AS THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR. TEMPERATURES HOVER GENERALLY IN THE 50S TONIGHT WITH A BATTLE BETWEEN COLD AIR ADVECTION AND CLEARING SKIES TOMORROW. RAINFALL TOTALS SHOULD BE BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES. DIDN'T SPEND MUCH TIME BEYOND THE 24 HOUR TIME PERIOD LETTING GUIDANCE HANDLE THE FORECAST WITH A FEW TWEAKS...MOSTLY TO LOW TEMPERATURES. IN A NUTSHELL EXPECT CLEAR AND COLD CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER SHOT OF RAINFALL BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY AS THE NEXT SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. 12/SIRMON && .AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION. ACTIVE WEATHER PERIOD EXPECTED AS STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS LATER TONIGHT. THROUGH 00Z EXPECT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS WITH CEILINGS MAINLY BELOW 1000 FEET. AFTER 00Z THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ACROSS THE WEST AND SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT. SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS. EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS AT ALL SITES. STRONG SURFACE WINDS EXPECTED WITH MAINLY SOUTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH THROUGH 00Z...THEN SHIFTING TO SOUTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH FROM THE SOUTHWEST...GRADUALLY SHIFTING TO THE WEST AFTER 06Z FROM WEST TO EAST. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 52 55 26 47 27 / 100 10 10 10 10 ANNISTON 52 59 26 48 27 / 100 20 10 10 10 BIRMINGHAM 56 58 27 49 26 / 100 10 10 10 10 TUSCALOOSA 58 58 27 51 29 / 100 10 10 10 10 CALERA 57 59 29 50 28 / 100 10 10 10 10 AUBURN 51 64 28 50 27 / 100 30 10 10 10 MONTGOMERY 59 66 32 53 32 / 100 20 10 10 10 TROY 58 67 33 53 32 / 100 30 10 10 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. && 07/07/07
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1258 PM CST TUE DEC 8 2009 ALZ011>015-017>050-091902- AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE- CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE- JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA- TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON- 1258 PM CST TUE DEC 8 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THESE STORMS WILL OCCUR WELL AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE THAT SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE SOME HAIL. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH...HAIL...AND POSSIBLY AN ISOLATED TORNADO. THE BEST CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS APPEARS TO BE FROM 6 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY REGION BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL PULL WARM AND MOIST AIR INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING...BRINGING AN END TO THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL EXIST FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM...PRODUCING SOUTHERLY WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT ON WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL BE WESTERLY AND BECOME GUSTY. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 25 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NECESSARY TONIGHT. KSL
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:14 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 2 strong wind, 2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Two trees were blown down on Bachelors Chapel Road, in the Hokes Bluff area.
Several roads in the city of Vernon had to be closed due to flooding, including AL-17 and AL-18. Water eventually reached car hood level on a portion of AL-17. An apartment complex on AL-18 became flooded.
Strong gradient winds blew down isolated trees at several locations around the Birmingham metro area.
Several trees were blown down on roads just north of Lake Lurleen State Park.
Trees and power lines were blown down on Sipsey Valley Road.
A few trees were blown down in and around the city of Berry.
Trees were blown down on Forest Road, in Hueytown.
Numerous county, state, and US highways became flooded across Marion County, including CR-61, US-43, CR-11, US-78, and CR-52. Taylor Road in the city of Guin, and Providence Street in the city of Winfield, were also flooded.
Power lines were blown down on 4th Street, in Pleasant Grove.
A couple of trees were blown down on Pine Mountain Road, near the Remlap community.
A few trees and power lines were blown down in and around the city of Eutaw.
A couple of trees and power lines were blown down in the Shady Grove community.
Several trees were blown down in and around the city the Greensboro. One tree landed on a home and briefly trapped the occupant inside. No injuries were reported.
Strong gradient winds caused a gas station awning to tip over, on Blue Mountain Road in Anniston.
Street flooding was reported on Magnolia Street, in Childersburg.
Street flooding was reported on Betsy Ross lane, in Sylacauga.
Several trees were blown down near exit 219 on Interstate 65, near Jemison, including some that were blown onto the highway.
A wind gust of 75 mph was measured by unknown measuring equipment near Maplesville.
A couple of trees and power lines were blown down on Temple Road, in the city of Clanton.
A few trees were blown down near the Clay/Coosa county line.
Two trees were blown down near the intersection of CR-129 and AL-48, near Wedowee.
Several trees were blown down in the southeastern part of Randolph County.
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, December 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: 208672, 208673, 208698, 208674, 208679, 208684, 208682, 208687, 208700, 208688, 208689, 208690, 208691, 208699, 208701, 208702, 208692, 208693, 208694, 208695, 208696, 208697.