Scattered low-topped thunderstorms, some of which were supercells, produced two tornadoes and scattered wind damage during the afternoon and early evening hours. Isolated flash flooding was also reported.
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.
Scattered low-topped thunderstorms, some of which were supercells, produced two tornadoes and scattered wind damage during the afternoon and early evening hours. Isolated flash flooding was also reported. The second tornado was produced from a rogue supercell that was tied closely with an upper level disturbance tracking rapidly northeast through northern 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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 3, 11:55 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1255 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009
.UPDATE...FOR 18Z TAFS.
&&
.AVIATION...
RADAR IMGRY SHOWS WIDESPREAD AREA OF RA WITH EMBEDDED TSRA
UPSTREAM ACROSS NRN/CENTRAL MISS...WHICH WILL MOVE ACROSS
TERMINALS THIS AFTN...BEGINNING AT KMSL ARND 20Z AND KHSV ARND
21Z. SOME DECREASING OF INTENSITY/COVERAGE MAY OCCUR WITH THE
PRECIP SHIELD...BUT IFR CONDITIONS STILL LIKELY AS IT CROSSES
TERMINALS. EXPECTING A BREAK IN SHRA ACTIVITY ARND 00Z TO
02Z...BUT ANOTHER AREA OF HEAVIER CONVECTION MAY DEVELOP TO OUR S
THIS EVENING...WITH MORE SHRA OR STRATIFORM RA DEVELOPING ACROSS
TERMINALS AFTER ARND 02Z TO 04Z. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IN TIMING
REMAINS LOW FOR THIS NEXT POTENTIAL ROUND OF SHRA/RA ACTIVITY.
MVFR CIGS/VIS LIKELY TO REMAIN AS WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY CROSSES
THE AREA OVERNIGHT THRU TMRW MORNING.
&&
.DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1100 AM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009/
FIRST ROUND OF SHRA/TSRA FOR TODAY STILL MOVING ACROSS THE HUN
CWFA. THE HEAVIEST CONVECTION SO FAR THIS MORNING HAS PRIMARILY
BEEN IN AREAS SOUTH OF THE TN RIVER...AND FROM LAWRENCE COUNTY
EWRD. HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS PER RADAR ESTIMATES HAVE BEEN UP
TO ABOUT ONE INCH...GENERALLY FROM SWRN MORGAN NEWRD ALONG THE TN
RIVER BORDER BTWN MADISON/MARSHALL COUNTIES. ANOTHER SWATH LAY
ACROSS INTERIOR PORTIONS OF DE KALB COUNTY...GENERALLY ALONG AND
JUST WEST OF THE I-59 CORRIDOR. NO REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING THUS
FAR...AND GUIDANCE COMBINED WITH RAINFALL ESTIMATIONS SUGGEST THAT
THIS HAS NOT BEEN LIKELY IN HEAVY RAIN AREAS YET. THIS ROUND OF
PRECIP WILL MOVE EWRD AND EXIT THE ERN BORDER OF THE CWFA ARND
18Z.
QUICKLY ON ITS HEELS WILL BE ROUND NUMBER TWO...WHICH SHOULD BEGIN
IN OUR WRN COUNTIES ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE PREV CONVECTION IS
EXITING OUR ERN COUNTIES...OR ARND 17-18Z. CURRENT RADAR MOSAIC
FROM THE LOWER MISS VALLEY INDICATES A LARGE AND INTENSELY BOWING
LINE OF CONVECTION AND A POSSIBLE DERECHO EVENT NOW MOVING THRU
LOWER MISS. THE MAIN EFFECTS OF THIS CONVECTION WILL PASS WELL TO
OUR S. HOWEVER...A TIGHTENING THETA-E GRADIENT IS SETTING UP
ACROSS THE AREA FROM SW TO NE...FROM RAIN-COOLED AIR IN THE
NW...AND AREAS TO OUR SE THAT ARE SEEING BETTER INSOLATION. LATEST
RADAR TRENDS SHOW THAT AS THE CURRENT LINE OF CONVECTION IS MOVING
ACROSS THE AREA...THERE IS A TENDENCY FOR IT TO WEAKEN.
THUS...DONT THINK THERE WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL COOLING IN OUR SERN
AREAS...AND THEY MAY REMAIN TO THE SE OF THE THETA-E GRADIENT. AS
THE LINE OF INTENSE CONVECTION ROLLS ACROSS CENTRAL/SRN ALABAMA
..UPR-LVL SWRLY FLOW WILL STEER A PRIMARILY CONVECTION-INDUCED
STRATIFORM RAIN SHIELD ACROSS THE AREA. THE QUESTION IS...WILL
ENOUGH DESTABILIZATION OCCUR AHEAD OF THE RAIN SHIELD TO ALLOW FOR
MORE INTENSE CELLS TO DEVELOP...MAINLY IN OUR SERN AREAS. THIS IS
WHAT WILL BE WATCHED CAREFULLY AS WE GO INTO THE AFTN HOURS.
LATEST FCST TRENDS BASED ON SPC THERMODYNAMIC/WIND SHEAR FIELDS
AND NAM/RUC PROFILES SUGGEST INCREASING LOW-LVL SHEAR INTO THE
AFTN HOURS AMIDST A STRENGTHENING LL JET AND BACKING SFC WINDS.
THE PROGGED SHEAR PARAMETERS WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLD TORNADOES...BUT AGAIN...THIS IS DEPENDENT ON HOW CONVECTION
TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA MODIFIES THE AIRMASS ACROSS NRN AL. SERN
COUNTIES STILL LOOK TO BE FAVORED FOR SVR WX. WILL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR EVENTS CLOSELY INTO THE AFTN...AND WILL MAKE UPDATES AS
TIME PERMITS.
&&
.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: COLBERT...
CULLMAN...DEKALB...FRANKLIN AL...JACKSON...LAUDERDALE...
LAWRENCE...LIMESTONE...MADISON...MARSHALL...MORGAN.
TN...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: FRANKLIN
TN...LINCOLN...MOORE.
&&
KDW.03HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1156 AM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-040100- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1156 AM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... AN AREA OF WIDESPREAD RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS AROUND ONE HALF TO ONE INCH CAN BE EXPECTED. THIS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED INSTANCES OF FLASH FLOODING...PARTICULARLY WHERE ANY HEAVIER SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS OCCUR. A FEW STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LINE OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS...PRIMARILY IN SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH...THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS SLIGHT...STORMS THAT DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LINE MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS ANTICIPATED FOR THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY APPROACH SEVERE THRESHOLDS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE MAIN THREAT WILL STILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WHICH COULD LEAD TO FURTHER FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING. THE POTENTIAL STILL EXISTS FOR A SIGNIFICANT FLOODING EVENT ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH LATE TONIGHT AS SEVERAL RIVERS OR STREAMS MAY REACH OR EXCEED BANKFULL STAGES. RESIDENTS AND THOSE TRAVELING THROUGH THE AREA ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OR THEIR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET REGARDING THIS SITUATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN FROM TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND THEN AGAIN FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...AS MORE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING TO ASSIST IN SEVERE WEATHER/FLOODING OPERATIONS. FIRST RESPONSE AGENCIES ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS AND UPDATES. KDW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 849 AM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009 ALZ010-031415- DE KALB- 849 AM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR DEKALB COUNTY UNTIL 915 AM CDT... AT 848 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PINE RIDGE...OR NEAR FORT PAYNE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... FORT PAYNE. VALLEY HEAD...MENTONE. THIS THUNDERSTORM 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. KDW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1023 AM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009 ALZ016-031600- CULLMAN- 1023 AM CDT SUN MAY 3 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CULLMAN COUNTY UNTIL 1100 AM CDT... AT 1023 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ARLEY...OR 16 MILES NORTH OF JASPER... MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... CRANE HILL. JONES CHAPEL. LOGAN. WEST POINT...BATTLEGROUND. BALDWIN...GOOD HOPE. CULLMAN...SOUTH VINEMONT. THIS THUNDERSTORM 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. KDW
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:41 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall from strong to severe thunderstorms produced flash flooding across Childhaven Road where it crosses George Lake.
Heavy rain from strong to severe thunderstorms caused six inches to one foot of water to accumulate across much of Delano park in Decatur.
Thunderstorm winds uprooted a tree off of southeastern portions of Lawrence Road in Morgan City.
A tornado with a path length 1/4 of a mile, peak wind of 100 mph, and a maximum path width of 50 yards touched down just east of Morgan City. The most extensive damage occurred along Griffin Acres Road, where a roof was uplifted from a shed. This caused the shed to partially collapse. Multiple trees were also uprooted and snapped. A large tree was blown down onto a trailer just before it lifted near Green Briar Cove Road.
Thunderstorm winds downed trees over Scott Branch Road near New Hope.
Heavy rainfall from strong to severe thunderstorms produced flash flooding across Cave Spring Road in the Owens Crossroads area. One car was pushed off the roadway onto its side into a flooded ditch. No one was injured in the car. Some construction on a washed out bridge at this locations from previous rains was undone.
A tornado touched down just northeast of Owens Crossroads. This tornado had a peak wind of 100 mph, a path length of 1.6 miles, and a maximum path width of 75 yards. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, including several large pines and one large cedar tree. Structural damage occurred at two homes in this area. Additional trees were uprooted or snapped as the tornado tracked northeast. The tornado then lifted just east of Low Gap Road and Hester Lane.
Trees were reported blown down at the intersection of CR 8 and CR 17 in the Skyline area.
Runoff from heavy rain caused water to flow over Danmann Circle in southeast Huntsville, which flooded portions of a house.
Trees were reported blown down on CR 754 in the Skyline area.
Trees were reported blown down on CR 249 in the Hytop area.
Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees and power lines northwest of Bridgeport.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a very large Pecan tree onto a car and home off of Gunter Avenue in Bridgeport. Some significant damage occurred on the front of the house from the fallen tree. Damage to the nearby car appeared to be minor.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 2009Warnings in Alabama, May 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: 171719, 172949, 170994, 170984, 170998, 171730, 170985, 171712, 171024, 171717, 171716, 170987, 171586.