A weak stationary front caused isolated to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms for several days across Central 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 BMX wrote it up.
A weak stationary front caused isolated to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms for several days across 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 Jul 5, 5:25 AM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 625 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 2009 .UPDATE...FOR AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .DISCUSSION... LARGE AREA OF CONVECTION POISED TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS MORNING...IN WAVE ONE OF WHAT MAY BE A MULTI-WAVE ATTACK OF CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES. WHILE ACTIVITY IS PRETTY STRONG THIS MORNING...IT COULD GET EVEN STRONGER (OR SEVERE) IF CONDITIONS ARE ABLE TO BECOME MORE UNSTABLE AS WE HEAD ON INTO THE AFTERNOON. HIGH POPS (CATEGORICAL TO LIKELY) ARE IN ORDER FOR TODAY. MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THERE MAY BE A SHORT LULL IN THE ACTIVITY SOMETIME THIS EVENING...BUT ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE WILL LIKELY BRING IN MORE RAIN/STORMS LATER ON TONIGHT. MODELS HAVE REALLY PUMPED UP THE POPS FOR TONIGHT...AND ITS REALLY HARD TO GO AGAINST THAT. FORECAST CONFIDENCE STARTS TO DECREASE DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES ASSOCIATED WITH FRONTAL MOVEMENT AND IT ULTIMATE POSITION. GETTING CONFLICTING SIGNALS ON HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE THE FRONT TO PUSH FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO BRING RAIN CHANCES DOWN TO CLIMO OR LOWER LEVELS. TENDED TO FOLLOW THE NAM FOR NOW...WHICH SUGGESTS THE DEEPER MOISTURE WILL PUSH SOUTH AND EASTWARD BY TUESDAY MORNING. IN THE MIDDLE TO LONG TERM (BEYOND TUESDAY)...THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN REMAINS DOMINATED BY THE BIG RIDGE IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS/FOUR CORNERS AREA. WITH ALABAMA IN THE EASTERN SIDE OF THIS RIDGE...AND A GENERAL NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER US...WE WILL HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT MORE CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS COMING OUR WAY. WHILE QUITE WARM...TEMPERATURES DONT SEEM TO BE TOO OUT OF HAND CONSIDERING THE TIME OF YEAR. /61/ && .AVIATION...12Z TAF DISCUSSION. ACTIVE WEATHER PERIOD EXPECTED AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN SECTIONS. NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED AND SOME STORMS COULD BE SEVERE. FOR TCL, BHM, EET AND ANB...THROUGH 16Z EXPECT CEILINGS 3000 TO 5000 FEET TO DEVELOP WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. AFTER 16Z EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP AS AREAL COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS INCREASE WITH TEMPORARY IFR CONDITIONS IN AND NEAR STORMS. FOR MGM AND TOI...ONSET OF PRECIPITATION SHOULD WAIT UNTIL EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON AND PERSIST TO NEARLY 03Z. CEILINGS OF 10 KFT WILL TRANSITION TO NEAR MVFR. WINDS SOUTHWESTERLY WITH VARIABILITY WITHIN THUNDERSTORMS. && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && KSL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 521 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 2009 ALZ011>015-017>050-061021- 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- 521 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AREA-WIDE THROUGH 10 PM TONIGHT. THE HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF SEVERE STORMS DEVELOPING WILL BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN SECTIONS THIS MORNING...THEN AREA- WIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA. NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...WHERE STORMS PERSIST FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AREA-WIDE ON MONDAY AND THEN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SECTIONS ON TUESDAY AS A WEAK BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO SLOWLY MOVE SOUTHWARD. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE PEAK HEATING HOURS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY AND TONIGHT. KSL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 602 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 2009 ALZ014-051145- WINSTON- 602 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR WINSTON COUNTY UNTIL 645 AM CDT... AT 601 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR NEEDMORE...OR NEAR HALEYVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. WINDS UP TO 35 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... NEEDMORE. PEBBLE. ASHRIDGE. SIPSEY RIVER REC AREA. GRAYSON. MORELAND. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. KSL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 713 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 2009 ALZ017-051315- BLOUNT- 713 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BLOUNT COUNTY UNTIL 815 AM CDT... AT 711 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR NECTAR...OR 5 MILES WEST OF CLEVELAND...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. WINDS UP TO 35 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... NECTAR. CLEVELAND. EASLEY. ONEONTA. HIGHLAND LAKE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. KSL
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 21 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:42 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down on Moscow Road, near Sulligent.
Several trees were blown down on Old Highway 18, east of Vernon.
A female was struck by lightning on Bouldin Dam Road.
Large trees were blown down and blocked CR-40. A power line was snapped in half, and a high voltage transformer was on the ground.
A tree was blown down across Main Street, in the city of Millbrook near the post office.
A few trees were blown down at Pierce Chapel Road and AL-9, in the Santuck community.
Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph were reported about 2 miles northwest of the Red Hill community.
Trees were blown down on Oak Heights Road, on the east side of the city of Tallassee.
Several trees were blown down in Horseshoe Bend Military Park.
Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph in the New Site community.
A few trees were blown down at CR-19 and CR-73, near the Hardaway community in Macon County.
Several large tree limbs were blown down in Valley.
A mobile home was blown off its foundation, and 4 tree tops were broken, near the Briar Hill community.
Numerous large tree limbs were blown down south of Clanton.
A large oak tree, and several other trees, were blown down on AL-76, northeast of Wilsonville.
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: 191185, 191184, 191186, 191187, 191191, 191192, 191193, 191194, 191196, 191198, 191199, 191202, 191203, 191205, 191206, 191208, 191209, 191213, 191214.