Heavy rainfall caused brief flash flooding in the Courtland community.
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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 caused brief flash flooding in the Courtland community.
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 Sep 25, 2:16 PM CST, 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
316 PM CDT FRI SEP 25 2009
.DISCUSSION...
ITS A WARM AND HUMID FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE CENTRAL TENNESSEE
VALLEY. TEMPERATURES ARE PUSHING INTO THE MID AND UPPER 80S...EXCEPT
IN RAIN-COOLED AREAS. IN FACT AS OF 3 PM...THE TEMP HERE AT NWS
HUN HAS REACHED AS HIGH AS 89F. SCATTERED SHOWERS HAVE BEEN
AFFECTING MOSTLY AREAS OF NW ALABAMA AND SRN MID TENNESSEE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO
LINGER NEARBY.
TODAYS FORECAST FEATURES TWO COLD FRONTS...ONE IN THE SHORT TERM AND
ANOTHER IN THE LONG TERM...AN END TO THE WET WEATHER...AND OUR FIRST
TASTE OF FALL.
SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...THE UPPER LOW THAT HAS BEEN
STUCK OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS IS FINALLY
GETTING A NUDGE FROM A POTENT SHORTWAVE PROGRADING OVER THE PACIFIC
NW. THIS WILL FINALLY BRING AN END TO THE ON AGAIN/OFF AGAIN
RAINY PATTERN PLAGUING OUR REGION FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. AS THE
UPPER LOW FINALLY BEGINS TO TRACK EAST AND NORTHEAST...THE N-S
ORIENTED QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT SITUATED JUST TO OUR WEST WILL
FINALLY BE ABLE TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT...
WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS ANTICIPATED TONIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY.
IF YOU CAN TAKE ANY GOOD NEWS AWAY FROM THE SATURDAY FORECAST...IT
IS THAT THE 12Z MODEL RUNS INDICATE THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
CWA MORE QUICKLY THAN ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. AS A RESULT...I AM
BECOMING MORE OPTIMISTIC THAT SATURDAYS BIG SPRING JAM FESTIVITIES
WILL NOT BE A TOTAL WASHOUT. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL ON SATURDAY IS
EXPECTED DURING THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS OVER THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. NORTHWEST ALABAMA...ON THE OTHER
HAND...MAY NOT SEE QUITE AS MUCH RAIN TOMORROW. POPS WILL TAPER OFF
QUICKLY SAT EVENING AS THE FRONT CLEARS THE AREA.
WITH LOW FFG VALUES AND PWATS PROGGED OVER TWO INCHES TONIGHT AND
EARLY SATURDAY...WE WILL DEFINITELY MAINTAIN THE FLASH FLOOD
WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE CWA. WILL NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO
CONFIGURATION AND EXPIRATION TIMES WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE. A
CASE COULD BE MADE FOR EXPIRING THE WATCH SOONER...BUT WE ARE
STILL AT LEAST 24 HOURS AWAY FROM THE END OF THE EVENT...AND THE
FORECAST COULD STILL CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. THE BEST CHANCE
FOR FLASH FLOODING OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE CWA WILL LIKELY
COME THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...WITH FLASH FLOODING CONCERNS
LINGERING WELL INTO THE DAY SATURDAY FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN
PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
MOSTLY SUNNY AND DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT ON
SUNDAY.
LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...
A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL BRING A REINFORCING SHOT OF DRY AIR ON
MONDAY...SETTING THE STAGE FOR A DRY AND PLEASANT WORK WEEK. THERE
WONT BE VERY MUCH MOISTURE FOR THIS FRONT TO WORK WITH...THUS
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL IS NOT EXPECTED. DID INCLUDE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS
FOR NERN PARTS OF THE AREA AS THE FRONT SLIDES BY ON MONDAY.
ENSEMBLE MEAN TEMPS CONTINUE TO TREND DOWNWARD BEHIND THE FRONT ON
TUES AND WED MORNINGS. 40S ARE CERTAINLY NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION...
ESPECIALLY IN THE USUALLY COLDER SPOTS. THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN WILL
COME AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES LATE NEXT WEEK. OPTED TO GO WITH THE
ECMWF ON THE TIMING OF THE FRONT...WHICH KEEPS PRECIP JUST OUTSIDE
OF THE CURRENT FORECAST PERIOD.
FAST FACT...
IN TODAYS EDITION OF FAST FACT...FUN WITH RAINFALL STATISTICS.
0.00...THE AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION THAT WAS RECORDED AT MUSCLE SHOALS
YESTERDAY...ENDING A LONG STREAK OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE
RAIN.
10...THE NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS THAT MEASURABLE RAIN FELL AT
MUSCLE SHOALS...ENDING ON WEDNESDAY
4...THIS TIES AS THE FOURTH LONGEST STREAK OF DAYS WITH
MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION AT THE SHOALS
6.46...THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT FELL AT MSL OVER THIS TEN DAY
PERIOD
9...THE NUMBER OF FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS ISSUED FOR COLBERT
AND/OR LAUDERDALE COUNTIES DURING THIS PERIOD.
ASSUMING MEASURABLE RAINFALL WILL OCCUR TODAY AND TOMORROW...AND HAD
MEASURABLE RAIN FALLEN YESTERDAY...THE STREAK WOULD HAVE REACHED 13
DAYS...WHICH WOULD HAVE RANKED SECOND IN THE RECORD BOOKS.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
HUNTSVILLE 67 80 60 83 62 / 60 80 30 10 10
SHOALS 65 81 59 84 63 / 60 60 20 10 10
VINEMONT 67 79 62 83 64 / 60 80 30 10 10
FAYETTEVILLE 65 79 60 82 61 / 70 80 30 10 10
ALBERTVILLE 68 78 62 84 63 / 60 80 30 10 10
FORT PAYNE 69 79 61 85 62 / 70 90 40 10 10
&&
.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: CULLMAN...DEKALB...JACKSON...MADISON...MARSHALL...
MORGAN.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
COLBERT...FRANKLIN AL...LAUDERDALE...LAWRENCE...LIMESTONE.
TN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: FRANKLIN TN...LINCOLN...MOORE.
&&
DL/16HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 141 PM CDT FRI SEP 25 2009 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-260400- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 141 PM CDT FRI SEP 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ENHANCE FLASH FLOODING CONCERNS ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... A GREATER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST ON SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COLD FRONT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING OR CLOSED ROADS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 238 PM CDT FRI SEP 25 2009 ALZ002-003-252015- COLBERT-FRANKLIN- 238 PM CDT FRI SEP 25 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHEASTERN COLBERT AND NORTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT... AT 237 PM CDT... DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH INTENSE RAINFALL NEAR LITTLEVILLE...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUSSELLVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE MINOR STREET FLOODING. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... SPRING VALLEY. LA GRANGE. WHITEOAK. WHITEOAK. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS. THIS MAY RESULT IN BRIEF RUNOFF PROBLEMS AND PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS. KULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 253 PM CDT FRI SEP 25 2009 ALZ004-252045- LAWRENCE- 253 PM CDT FRI SEP 25 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHERN LAWRENCE COUNTY UNTIL 345 PM CDT... AT 251 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH INTENSE RAINFALL CENTERED NEAR WHITEOAK...OR 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MUSCLE SHOALS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM WHICH COULD PRODUCE MINOR STREET FLOODING. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... NE SMITH...HATTON. TOWN CREEK. NORTH COURTLAND...COURTLAND. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS. THIS MAY RESULT IN BRIEF RUNOFF PROBLEMS AND PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS. KULA
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:45 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall produced brief flash flooding in the city of Courtland.
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, September 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: 197341.