Intense afternoon heating resulted in high instability and the development of isolated thunderstorms. In addition, little upper level flow resulted in very slow moving storms.
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.
Intense afternoon heating resulted in high instability and the development of isolated thunderstorms. In addition, little upper level flow resulted in very slow moving storms.
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 Aug 8, 2:32 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 332 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2010 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY NEAR I-65 IS THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. THE CONVECTION IS ALL DIURNAL AND SHOULD WEAKEN QUICKLY AFTER SUNSET WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY GONE BY 9 PM THIS EVENING. AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS TO THE NORTH OF ALABAMA TONIGHT AND MONDAY THE SURFACE TROF WILL PUSH WESTWARD ALONG WITH THE DEEPER MOISTURE. THIS WILL CREATE STABLE CONDITIONS ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH CONVECTION CONFINED TO MAINLY THE WESTERN PART OF ALABAMA. ALL THAT BEING SAID...THE NAM MODEL DOES SHOW A WEAK SURFACE TROF FORMING NEAR THE ALABAMA AND GEORGIA STATE LINE ON MONDAY...AND PRODUCES SOME CONVECTION. AT THIS TIME...WILL FAVOR GFS AND ECMWF MODELS THAT KEEP CONVECTION WEST OF I-65. NOT MUCH CHANGE ON TUESDAY AS LARGE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST REGION AND CAPS CONVECTION. WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES FORECAST TO CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 90S ON TUESDAY...THERE WILL LIKELY BE ISOLATED CONVECTION DESPITE UPPER RIDGE. HEAT INDICES WILL BE CLOSE TO ADVISORY CRITERIA DURING THE WEEK... BUT WILL HOLD OFF ISSUING ANY ADVISORY AT THIS TIME AS THERE CONTINUES TO BE SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH AFTERNOON SURFACE DEW POINTS. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. TWO SYSTEMS WILL COMBINE TO BRING IMPROVING RAIN CHANCES DURING THIS PERIOD. A EASTERLY WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON TUESDAY. THE EASTERLY WAVE OR TROPICAL LOW WILL RIDE ALONG SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE UPPER RIDGE ON WEDNESDAY AND PRESENCE OF RIDGE WILL CUT-OFF MOISTURE FROM ADVECTING INLAND....AND KEPT ONLY SMALL RAIN CHANCES. A SHORT WAVE TROF MOVING DOWN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES WILL PUSH UPPER RIDGE CENTER WESTWARD TOWARDS TEXAS. THIS WILL ALLOW MOISTURE FROM THE TROPICAL SYSTEM TO WORK UP THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AND EVENTUALLY INTO ALABAMA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. BY THE WEEKEND...THE MOISTURE WILL GET PUSHED SOUTHWARD TOWARDS THE COAST AS SHORT WAVE MOVES OFF TO THE EAST AND THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION. 58/ROSE && .AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION. AS IS MENTIONED IN DISCUSSION ABOVE...HIGH PW AND SURFACE CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY RUNNING FROM THE NW THROUGH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF STATE WILL MOVE LITTLE FOR REMAINDER OF THE DAY RESULTING IN SCATTERED SHRA AND TSRA...WITH HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OVER THE SW PORTION OF THE STATE. CIGS WITH DEVELOPING CU/PRECIP WILL BE NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE 3KFT. HAVE INCLUDED TEMPO GROUP FOR TSRA BASED ON CURRENT RADAR TRENDS AND EXPECTED INCREASED COVERAGE DURING AFT DUE TO STRONG SURFACE HEATING AND CONVERGENCE ALONG NUMEROUS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. PRECIP WILL BE SLOW MOVING TO THE SE. STORMS WILL QUICKLY SUBSIDE AFTER SUNSET AND WITH HIGH DEWPOINTS...MVFR TO IFR BR WILL OCCUR AFT 06Z...ESPECIALLY AT THOSE AIRPORTS THAT RECEIVE RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON. STEFKOVICH NOTICE...KEET TAF WILL HAVE (AMD LTD TO VIS WIND AND WX) AMENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST THROUGH THE END OF 2010. THE CEILOMETER DATA WILL BE GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS TESTS AND MONITORED FOR ACCURACY. 08 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 71 97 72 99 73 / 10 10 10 10 10 ANNISTON 72 97 73 98 75 / 10 10 10 10 10 BIRMINGHAM 75 97 76 98 77 / 20 10 10 10 10 TUSCALOOSA 74 99 73 100 74 / 20 20 10 10 10 CALERA 73 96 75 98 76 / 20 10 10 10 10 AUBURN 72 96 74 97 75 / 20 10 0 10 10 MONTGOMERY 72 97 75 99 75 / 20 10 10 10 10 TROY 72 97 72 96 74 / 20 20 10 10 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1016 AM CDT SUN AUG 8 2010 ALZ011>015-017>050-090200- 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- 1016 AM CDT SUN AUG 8 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM 2 PM THROUGH 8 PM. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AND BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO WARM BACK UP AGAIN BY MONDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK INTO THE AREA. HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 105 AND 110 DEGREES WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. CONDITIONS WILL BE MONITORED TO DETERMINE IF HEAT ADVISORIES ARE NECESSARY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 502 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2010 ALZ042-044-082245- LOWNDES AL-MONTGOMERY AL- 502 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN MONTGOMERY AND LOWNDES COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT... AT 502 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LOWNDESBORO TO PINTLALA...AND MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... HAYNEVILLE... MOSSES... PINTLALA... WHITE HALL... DAVENPORT... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. 75
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were toppled along County Road 45 between Fort Deposit and Mount Willing.
Rain rates around 2 inches in an hour produced minor flooding on County Road 37 in a construction area with poor drainage. The flooded road was closed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2010
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: 254501, 254506.