Heavy rainfall pushed into northwestern Alabama on the morning of the 26th. This front later pushed northward and stalled across northwestern Alabama during the day.
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.
Heavy rainfall pushed into northwestern Alabama on the morning of the 26th. This front later pushed northward and stalled across northwestern Alabama during the day. The forcing associated with this system produced between 2 and 4 inches of rainfall primarily in locations west of interstate 65. Some minor flash flooding from this rainfall closed roads in Morgan, Limestone, and Lauderdale counties.
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 Mar 26, 3:45 AM CST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 445 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 .DISCUSSION...ACTIVE/PROGRESSIVE WX PATTERN CONTINUES TO EVOLVE OVER THE TN VALLEY THIS EARLY MORNING. MUCH OF THE STRONG TO CONVECTIVE TSTM ACTIVITY IS OCCURRING SW OF THE AREA ALONG A WEAK COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM SE LA TO CENTRAL KY. BETTER INSTABILITY...SHEAR AND UPPER FORCING ARE HELPING THESE TSTMS MAINTAIN THEIR INTENSITY AS THEY PROGRESS EWD. CLOSER TO HOME...LARGE SWATH OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS ALONG WITH A FEW EMBEDDED TSTMS ARE IMPACTING MUCH OF THE CWA ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY AND SHEAR PROFILES ACROSS THE TN VALLEY ARE NOT AS PREVALENT AS THE ACTIVITY IMPACTING THE CENTRAL GULF COAST REGION. XPCT THE WX TREND ACROSS THE AREA TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HRS BEFORE A BREAK IN THE ACTIVITY LAGS FOR ABOUT A 24 HR PERIOD AS THE WEAK COLD FRONT SETTLES OVER THE CENTRAL MS/AL AREAS. THIS MAY ALSO PROVIDE A NICE BREAK...ALBEIT SHORT...IN THE CLOUD COVER OVER THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE FOCUS ON THE WX THEN SHIFTS TOWARD THE FRI/SAT TIME FRAME WHERE THE STRONGER TSTM ACTIVITY IS XPCTED TO IMPACT THE TN VALLEY. LATEST SUITE OF GLOBAL MODELS REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH DROPPING A POTENT UPPER LOW/TROUGH INTO THE CENTRAL AND SRN PLAINS FRI WITH A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE...ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER TROUGH...MOVING EWD TOWARD THE MID SOUTH REGION OR W TN/NRN MS. SHEAR PROFILES AND UPPER FORCING COUPLED WITH A STRONG LLJ AOA 50 KTS ARE MUCH STRONGER OVER THE CENTRAL TN VALLEY DURING THE LATE FRI/EARLY SAT TIME FRAME COMPARED TO THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THIS MORNING. THE PRIMARY WX THREATS THUS FAR LOOK TO BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES FROM LATE FRI THROUGH SAT MORNING. SHOWER AND TSTM ACTIVITY WILL ACTUALLY BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE AREA EARLY FRI AS AN EMBEDDED UPPER SHORTWAVE TRAVERSES NEWD ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF THE SFC LOW AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT. AS THIS SYSTEM GRADUALLY MAKES ITS WAY EWD THROUGH THE LOWER MS/TN VALLEYS...THE UPPER LOW BEGINS TO SHIFT NEWD TOWARD THE OH VALLEY WITH A POTENT SHEAR AXIS AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE AREA WITHIN THE VICINITY OF THE SFC COLD FRONT...THEREBY ENHANCING THE STRONG/SEVERE TSTM THREAT FOR THE TN VALLEY AGAIN DURING THE LATE FRI/EARLY SAT TIME PERIOD. ACTIVE WX PATTERN THEN FINALLY BEGINS TO MOVE EWD AWAY FROM THE AREA SUN AS HIGH PRESSURE OUT OF THE SRN PLAINS BEGINS TO MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL GULF COAST AREA BY THE START OF THE NEW WORK WEEK WITH NEAR SEASONAL WX CONDITIONS XPCTED THROUGH AT LEAST TUE. THE LATTER HALF OF THE GLOBAL MODELS THEN SHOW ANOTHER COLD FRONT SWEEPING THROUGH THE SE REGION ON TUE ALTHOUGH RAIN CHANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONT REMAIN IN THE ISOLATED CAT PENDING FURTHER MODEL RUNS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 72 54 72 58 68 / 50 30 50 80 60 SHOALS 73 54 73 58 65 / 30 40 50 90 80 CULLMAN 71 55 71 59 65 / 60 30 60 80 70 FAYETTEVILLE 70 52 70 57 66 / 50 30 50 70 60 ALBERTVILLE 72 55 72 60 68 / 60 30 60 70 60 FORT PAYNE 72 54 71 59 68 / 70 20 60 70 60 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && 09
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1000 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2009 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-261100- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1000 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY FROM THE WEST. THOUGH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS THE PRIMARY THREAT TONIGHT...A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE STRENGTHENS TO THE WEST OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS...HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED STRONG OR SEVERE STORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT AT THIS TIME. A STRONGER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHICH WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. THOUGH DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS...HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THROUGH THE WEEKEND... RAINFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 3 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA. THIS WILL ELEVATE FLOODING CONCERNS FOR PORTIONS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT SEE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. CA/BCC/JLL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 429 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 ALZ007-016-261000- CULLMAN-MORGAN- 429 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CULLMAN AND MORGAN COUNTIES UNTIL 500 AM CDT... AT 424 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HARTSELLE TO 18 MILES WEST OF CULLMAN TO 16 MILES NORTHEAST OF JASPER TO CORDOVA...MOVING EAST AROUND 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... WILBURN...LOGAN. LACON...FALKVILLE. COLE SPRINGS...SOUTH VINEMONT. EVA...PHELAN. FLORETTE...HANCEVILLE. THESE STORMS 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. RSB
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:01 UTC.
7 flood, 5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding which closed portions of Moyers road.
Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding which closed a section of Airport road in Athens.
Flash flooding forced the closure of Douglas road near Falkville.
Flash flooding forced the closure of Ruth Mountain road west of Arab.
Flash flooding forced the closure of New Cut road southwest of Hartselle.
Runoff from heavy rainfall caused local streams and creeks to flood, which closed a portion of Turner Lindsey Road.
Runoff from heavy rainfall caused flooding to occur, which closed CR 534 in the Anderson community.
Runoff from heavy rainfall caused area streams and creeks to flood and closed county road 130 northwest of Green Hill to be closed.
Runoff from heavy rainfall closed CR 450 in the Green Hill community.
Runoff from heavy rainfall caused area streams to overflow, closing Bill Black Road.
Runoff from heavy rainfall flooded area streams causing Cowford road to be closed. This road remained closed through at least 11 am.
Runoff from heavy rainfall caused area streams to flood, closing Myers road.
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, March 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: 154570, 154571, 154532, 154534, 154535, 155654, 155661, 155698, 155702, 155717, 155719, 155723.