Thunderstorms produced strong downburst winds that downed trees in southwest 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 MOB wrote it up.
Thunderstorms produced strong downburst winds that downed trees in southwest 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 Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 30, 8:30 PM CST, 6 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...MESOSCALE UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 930 PM CDT THU JUL 30 2009 .MESOSCALE UPDATE...THE ACTIVE UPPER LEVEL WESTERLIES HAVE CREATED ALL SORTS OF HAVOC IN THE VARIOUS MODELS... NONE OF WHICH IS HANDLING THE EVOLUTION OF CONVECTION WELL AT ALL. THE PRIMARY MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE...BEST DEFINED AT 700 MB...WAS LOCATED OVER EASTERN AR/WESTERN TN. THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF ENERGY SPARKED A LARGE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX OVER THE MIDSOUTH WHICH IS NOW WEAKENING AND PULLING FURTHER TO THE NORTHEAST. THE SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS OUR REGION HAS DIMINISHED GREATLY OVER THE LAST HOUR...LEAVING ONLY A FEW CELLS ON THE RADAR SCOPE. A REVIEW OF THE UPPER AIR DATA AND WATER VAPOR IMAGERY DOES NOT SHOW ANY SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVES AFFECTING OUR REGION FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT. WE ARE MONITORING ANOTHER CONVECTIVE BLOWUP OVER EXTREME EASTERN TX/WESTERN LA...BUT IT WOULD NOT ARRIVE INTO OUR WESTERN ZONES UNTIL CLOSE TO 12Z...IF IT HOLDS TOGETHER. THEREFORE...WE ARE A BIT PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE ADVERTISED LIKELY POPS OVER THE NORTHWEST ZONES OVERNIGHT GIVEN THE LACK OF NEARBY ONGOING CONVECTION OR MID LEVEL FORCING. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE PLENTIFUL MOISTURE AVAILABLE WITH PWATS OVER 2 INCHES...LINGERING INSTABILITY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SMALLER SCALE PERTURBATIONS TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA...WILL KEEP POPS IN THE 20-40 PERCENT RANGE OVERNIGHT...BECOMING HIGHEST OVER THE WESTERN ZONES TOWARD DAYBREAK TO ACCOUNT FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED ACTIVITY OVER TX/LA. WITH THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS PULLING AWAY WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA...THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT IS VERY MARGINAL. THIS THINKING AGREES WITH THE LATEST SPC DAY 1 OUTLOOK WHICH HAS REMOVED THE NORTHERN CWA FROM ITS SLIGHT RISK AREA. 34/JFB && .MARINE...THE LATE EVENING PACKAGE WILL REFLECT LOWER EXPECTATIONS FOR WINDS AND SEAS THROUGH TOMORROW. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE SOMEWHAT OVERNIGHT AS THE MARINE BOUNDARY LAYER BECOMES BETTER MIXED. IN GENERAL EXPECT WINDS IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE...CLOSER TO 15 KT AT TIMES OVERNIGHT. THIS ONLY PRODUCES SEAS IN THE 2-3 FT RANGE. SEAS HOLD STEADY FOR TOMORROW AND A 10-15 KT ONSHORE FLOW IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST WITH THE SFC HIGH PRESSURE ANCHORED OFF OF THE SOUTHEAST ATLANTIC COAST. WINDS AND SEAS WILL BECOME LOCALLY HIGHER IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. 34/JFB /PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ISSUED 303 PM CDT THU JUL 30 2009/ .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)...ANOTHER IN A STRING OF WARM AND MUGGY DAYS...DEW POINTS NEAR 80 IN THE MID MORNING BEFORE CONVECTION GETS GOING GOOD. A BIT OF A CHANGE FOR TONIGHT AS MOST GUIDANCE SHOW A SURFACE LOW MOVING FROM CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI INTO NORTHERN ALABAMA OVERNIGHT. A BIT UNUSUAL FOR SUMMER BUT THERE WILL BE A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE STORMS LATER TONIGHT AS THE SHEAR INCREASES A BIT OVER THE NORTHERN COUNTIES WITH THE LOW PASSING NORTH OF THE AREA. FOR NOW I WILL JUST MENTION HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN AREAS. FRIDAY WILL BE ANOTHER DAY WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND WITH THE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REMAINING IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES WILL LIKELY BE SOME HEAVY RAINS DURING THE DAY FRIDAY WITH CONVECTION DIMINISHING WITH THE LOSS OF AFTERNOON HEATING. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY SHOULD BE BACK TO MORE OF A NORMAL SUMMER TYPE SITUATION WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PEAKING IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS. MOSTLY UPPER 80S ON FRIDAY FOR HIGHS WITH THE HIGHER POPS THEN AROUND 90 FOR THE WEEKEND. /11 .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)NEAR SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH THIS PERIOD. NO CHANGES MADE TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. /11 && .AVIATION...00Z ISSUANCE...MVFR AND VFR ALL TERMINALS EXCEPT IN AREAS OF CONVECTION WHERE RAIN WILL BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO BRING IFR TO VLIFR CONDITIONS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MOBILE 77 87 77 90 / 50 70 30 60 PENSACOLA 77 88 76 89 / 40 70 30 60 DESTIN 79 87 78 89 / 30 70 30 50 EVERGREEN 74 86 73 90 / 50 80 30 60 WAYNESBORO 72 89 71 89 / 70 70 30 50 CAMDEN 73 90 73 91 / 60 80 30 60 && .MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. FL...NONE. MS...NONE. GM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 1000 PM CDT THU JUL 30 2009 ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-GMZ630-650-655-670-675-MSZ067-075-076-078- 079-311500- CHOCTAW-WASHINGTON-CLARKE-WILCOX-MONROE-CONECUH-BUTLER-CRENSHAW- ESCAMBIA-COVINGTON-UPPER MOBILE-UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE- LOWER BALDWIN-INLAND ESCAMBIA-COASTAL ESCAMBIA-INLAND SANTA ROSA- COASTAL SANTA ROSA-INLAND OKALOOSA-COASTAL OKALOOSA-MOBILE BAY- COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-WAYNE-PERRY- GREENE-STONE-GEORGE- 1000 PM CDT THU JUL 30 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...AND THE COASTAL WATERS OF ALABAMA AND WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE NIGHT AS THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS MOIST AND UNSTABLE. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND THE MAIN THREAT FROM ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP EACH DAY AND LINGER OVERNIGHT. GUSTS OVER 35 MPH AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE BUT ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTIVATION UNLIKELY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 316 AM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009 ALZ061-063-MSZ076-079-310900- UPPER MOBILE-GEORGE-GREENE-LOWER MOBILE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LUCEDALE... 316 AM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT GEORGE...GREENE AND MOBILE COUNTIES... AT 316 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM AGRICOLA TO 2 MILES SOUTH OF BAYOU LA BATRE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND... DIXON CORNER...DEES...SHIPMAN...SAINT ELMO...MOFFET...DAWES...MOFFET AND EARLVILLE THROUGH 400 AM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG COULD DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 346 AM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009 ALZ059-062-064-FLZ001>004-310945- ESCAMBIA-INLAND ESCAMBIA-INLAND SANTA ROSA-UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER BALDWIN-COASTAL ESCAMBIA-COASTAL SANTA ROSA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PENSACOLA AND BAY MINETTE... 346 AM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ESCAMBIA...BALDWIN AND SANTA ROSA COUNTIES... AT 342 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 11 MILES NORTHWEST OF I10 NEAR THE BATTLESHIP TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF MOUTH OF WEEKS BAY...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND... POINT CLEAR...MOUTH OF WEEKS BAY...TURKEY BRANCH...MONTROSE...PARK CITY...MONTROSE...OAK AND MARLOW THROUGH 445 AM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG COULD DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.
The Mobile radar (KMOB), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:15 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds estimated at 60 mph downed trees across County Road 54.
Winds estimated at 60 mph downed several trees in The Lakes subdivision in West Mobile.
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, July 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: 190874, 190875.