An intense low pressure system and associated cold front brought high winds, scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, and locally heavy rain to central Alabama.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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.
An intense low pressure system and associated cold front brought high winds, scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, and locally heavy rain to 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 Mar 27, 5:25 AM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 625 AM CDT FRI MAR 27 2009 .UPDATE...FOR 12Z AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SPREADING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN IMPULSE/LLJ TRACKING EASTWARD ALONG THE GULF COAST. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...AND PUSH EAST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA BY MIDDAY. WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS PUSHED NORTH OF THE AREA AS DEWPOINTS ARE NOW IN THE LOWER 60S AT MOST LOCATIONS. A STRONGER SYSTEM WHICH WILL BRING THE CHANCE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY WILL ROTATE OUT OF THE FOUR CORNERS REGION THIS MORNING AND CROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AS THE SYSTEM HEADS NORTHEAST TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA SATURDAY. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...EXPECT A SURGE OF MOISTURE /ANOTHER WARM FRONT/ LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES...WITH MOST SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT HOLDING OFF TIL EARLY EVENING. AIRMASS RECOVERY AND TIMING OF THE NEXT MOISTURE SURGE NORTHWARD WILL DICTATE IF ANY STORMS DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON. WILL LEAVE CHANCE POPS IN...AS DEWPOINTS WILL REMAIN IN THE 60S AND ANY BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS COULD SPARK ISOLATED TO SCATTERED DEVELOPMENT. AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM TONIGHT...EXPECT CELLS TO DEVELOP IN VICINITY OF THE WARM FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA AND AREAS TO OUR WEST. INSTABILITIES WILL BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR THESE CELLS TO BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE QUICKLY. THIS ACTIVITY WILL EVENTUALLY CONSOLIDATE INTO MORE OF A LINEAR STRUCTURE AS IT PUSHES EASTWARD WITH AN EXPANDING LLJ. ALONG THE ACTUAL FRONTAL BOUNDARY...EXPECT ANOTHER LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. RAIN CHANCES WILL BE COMING TO AN END BY MIDDAY SATURDAY AS THE SYSTEM PULLS TO THE NORTHEAST. COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN BEHIND THE SYSTEM...EXPECT SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR SUNDAY...BEFORE SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNS MONDAY. THE CHANCE OF RAIN RETURNS TUESDAY AND THURSDAY AS STORM SYSTEMS MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. 14 && .AVIATION...12Z TAF DISCUSSION. A FAIRLY LARGE RAIN SHIELD COVERING MOST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AT 12Z WILL BEGIN TO DISSIPATE AND MOVE OFF TO THE EAST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. MAINLY IFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL...ALONG WITH A SHORT LIVED LIFR AROUND TOI BETWEEN 12-13Z AS A LINE OF +TS MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. LOOK FOR CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE THROUGHOUT THE MORNING...FROM WEST TO EAST...WITH THE LIKELIHOOD THAT EVERYONE SHOULD SEE VFR CONDITIONS FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THIS WILL NOT LAST LONG AS CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE AGAIN FRIDAY EVENING. ONE FINAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS PROGGED TO MOVE ACROSS ALABAMA BEGINNING AROUND MIDNIGHT AND WILL SLOWLY TREK ACROSS THE STATE WITH A GOOD CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER EVERYWHERE ON SATURDAY. 27 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 70 54 70 41 57 / 70 60 80 20 10 ANNISTON 70 58 71 43 59 / 70 70 90 20 10 BIRMINGHAM 70 60 70 43 57 / 60 80 80 20 10 TUSCALOOSA 74 62 69 44 61 / 50 80 70 20 10 CALERA 70 61 69 43 59 / 70 80 80 20 10 AUBURN 67 59 72 44 60 / 90 60 80 20 10 MONTGOMERY 73 64 71 47 63 / 80 80 80 20 10 TROY 72 63 71 47 64 / 90 80 80 20 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM FOR AUTAUGA... BIBB...CHILTON...COOSA...DALLAS...ELMORE...LOWNDES... MONTGOMERY...PERRY...SHELBY...CHAMBERS...LEE...MACON... RUSSELL...TALLAPOOSA...BARBOUR...BULLOCK AND PIKE... GREENE...HALE...MARENGO AND SUMTER COUNTIES. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 530 AM CDT FRI MAR 27 2009 ALZ011>015-017>050-281130- 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- 530 AM CDT FRI MAR 27 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE FIRST ROUND OF POTENTIALLY SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE A CARRY OVER FROM THURSDAY NIGHT...AND WILL BE SHORT LIVED. THIS CONVECTIVE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BE EAST OF THE AREA BY NOON. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 THROUGH NOON. A SMALL THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES AND DAMAGING WINDS EXIST IN FAR SOUTHEASTERN PARTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF TROY...UNION SPRINGS...EUFAULA...AND PHENIX CITY. THIS THREAT WILL END BY AROUND 9 AM AS THE STRONGER ACTIVITY PUSHES EASTWARD AND OUT OF THE AREA. ALTHOUGH SOME ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THE NEXT ROUND OF POTENTIALLY SEVERE WEATHER WILL START GENERALLY AFTER 10 PM TONIGHT AND LAST THE THROUGH THE REMAINDER NIGHT. ALL FACETS OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE...INCLUDING TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE SEVERE WEATHER SCENARIO REMAINS QUITE COMPLEX. DO NOT CONCENTRATE ON THE TIMING...HAVE YOUR SEVERE WEATHER PLANS READY TO GO...AND TAKE ACTION IF WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED TONIGHT. THIS WEATHER SCENARIO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME QUITE DANGEROUS. HAVE YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ON ALERT OR MONITOR TELEVISION AND RADIO REPORTS IN CASE SEVERE OR FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ALL FACETS OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE...INCLUDING TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THIS WEATHER SCENARIO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME QUITE DANGEROUS. SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE FRONT SHOULD PUSH THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON...BRINGING THE SEVERE THREAT TO AN END. SEVERAL LOCATIONS HAVE RECEIVED 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL THE PAST FEW DAYS. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY...GIVING CENTRAL ALABAMA A TOTAL RAINFALL FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY OF 4 TO 8 INCHES..WITH ISOLATED HIGHER TOTALS. DUE TO THE LARGE RAINFALL TOTALS...SOME RIVERS WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING BY SATURDAY WHICH MAY LAST THROUGH MONDAY. A FEW STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY. THE STORM TRACK REMAINS QUITE ACTIVE AND ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL ALABAMA BY THURSDAY. UNCERTAINTY IN THE TIMING AND AVAILABLE INSTABILITY EXIST...SO STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECAST AS DETAILS BECOME CLEARER. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SEVERE WEATHER PLANS ARE IN PLACE AND BE READY TO TAKE ACTION IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BE NECESSARY THROUGH SATURDAY. 75/LINHARES
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 strong wind, 5 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Two empty chicken houses were damaged near the Teals Crossroads community.
A large section of the southern portion of Autauga County, from Autaugaville eastward to near Prattville, experienced flash flooding due to several days of excessive rainfall. Rainfall of 5 to 7 inches over the course of 4 days caused several creeks and small tributaries to the Alabama River to come out of their banks. The hardest hit area was near Noland Creek, on CR-29 between Autaugaville and Prattville. Flood waters rose to knee-deep levels in several rooms of a church in that area. About 10,000 sandbags were placed around the church, and local police officers loaded the church's pews onto a flatbed truck to minimize the damage.
Wind gusts estimated up to 40 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county.
Wind gusts estimated up to 40 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county.
Wind gusts estimated up to 50 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county, including around the cities of Vernon and Sulligent. A mobile home near Vernon sustained significant damage when half of its roof was blown off.
Wind gusts estimated up to 40 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county.
Wind gusts estimated up to 50 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county, including the city of Fayette.
Wind gusts estimated up to 40 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county. A tree fell onto an unoccupied truck near Autaugaville.
Wind gusts estimated up to 40 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county. One mobile home near the Coker community sustained damage.
Wind gusts estimated up to 40 mph, associated with an apparent gravity wave, blew down trees at several locations across the county.
Penny sized hail was reported at a convenience store northwest of Smiths Station.
Penny sized hail was reported at a convenience store northwest of Smiths Station, for the second time in under an hour.
Penny sized hail was reported at a gas station in the Bleeker community.
The roof was blown off a carport on Magnum Road, in the Wellington community.
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: 161488, 161790, 161779, 161780, 161781, 161782, 161783, 161784, 161785, 161786, 161489, 161490, 161491, 161492, 161493, 161494.