Intense rainfall in a short period produced brief flash flooding during the early evening hours in the Harvest and Monrovia areas of northwest Madison County.
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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.
Intense rainfall in a short period produced brief flash flooding during the early evening hours in the Harvest and Monrovia areas of northwest Madison County.
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 Jul 15, 5:15 PM CST, 0 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 615 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011 .UPDATE...FOR 00Z TAFS. && .AVIATION... SCT +SHRA/TSRA WL GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM 00Z-02Z. VFR CIGS WL DETERIORATE TO MVFR NLT 02Z AT KHSV AND 07Z AT KMSL. VERY MOIST SELY FLOW WILL ADVECT IFR CIGS BY AROUND 12Z...AND THIS MAY NEED FUTURE AMENDING. SHRA ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE BY 14-16Z WITH EMBEDDED TS PSBL DURG THE AFTN HRS AFT 18Z WITH CONTD MVFR CONDS. && .DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 254 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011/ THE TENNESSEE VALLEY CURRENTLY REMAINS BENEATH WEAK DIVERGENT FLOW ALOFT -- BETWEEN A STRENGTHENING MID-LEVEL ANTICYCLONE OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND A NEARLY STATIONARY UPPER LOW CENTERED OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES TO THE EAST OF MAINE. THE DIVERGENT FLOW IS ALSO BEING AIDED TO SOME EXTENT BY THE PRESENCE OF A BROAD AND WEAK MID/UPPER-LOW LOCATED ACROSS SOUTHERN ALABAMA/SOUTHERN GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THE DECK OF LOW CLOUDS AND STRATUS... WHICH HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FOR MUCH OF THE DAY BY MOISTURE ADVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH A 20-30 KNOT SOUTHEASTERLY LOW-LEVEL JET...WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY DISSIPATE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...AS MODELS INDICATE THAT VERY WEAK ISENTROPIC DESCENT BETWEEN 300-320K WILL PERSIST OVER THE REGION. DESPITE THE STRONGEST LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE REMAINING TO THE SOUTH OF THE LOCAL AREA -- IN VICINITY OF STALLED FRONT ACROSS SOUTH ALABAMA -- THE LIMITED HEATING THAT WILL RESULT FROM BREAKS IN THE STRATUS SHOULD ALLOW SCATTERED/NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN THE VERY MOIST AIR MASS IN PLACE /PWAT VALUES RANGING FROM 2-2.25 INCHES/ WITH STORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BEING AIDED BY WEAK DIVERGENCE ALOFT. EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS TO LINGER JUST AN HOUR OR SO BEYOND SUNSET BUT SHOULD NOT PERSIST INTO THE LATE EVENING...AS TODAYS ACTIVITY WILL PRIMARILY BE DRIVEN BY DIURNAL HEATING. LOW STRATUS AND FOG WILL LIKELY DEVELOP IN THE PREVAILING EAST- SOUTHEASTERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW REGIME OVER THE AREA ONCE AGAIN BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH AREAS RECEIVING RAINFALL TODAY THE MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE LOCALLY DENSE FOG ON SATURDAY MORNING. VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN THE SYNOPTIC SCALE PATTERN IS ANTICIPATED ON SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH PWAT VALUES ARE FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE 1.85-2 INCH RANGE. THIS...COMBINED WITH A MORE PRONOUNCED NORTHEAST FLOW AND LESS DIVERGENCE ALOFT /DUE TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS MID-LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING AND EXPANDING TOWARD THE UPPER MIDWEST/ MAY LEAD TO A LOWER COVERAGE OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND STORMS. MORNING CLOUDS AND FOG WILL LIKELY ONCE AGAIN BE SLOW TO BURN OFF...YIELDING ANOTHER DAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 80S TO AROUND 90 AT BEST. FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE END OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD...A SERIES OF STRONG MID-LEVEL VORTICES DIGGING AROUND AN UPPER LOW CENTERED OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND WASHINGTON WILL FORCE DOWNSTREAM HEIGHTS TO RISE FURTHER OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS...CONTRIBUTING TO AN ALREADY INTENSE HEAT WAVE OVER THIS REGION. THE MID-LEVEL RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN LOCATED OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH A CONTINUATION OF NORTHEAST FLOW ALOFT OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. THUS...GIVEN PWAT VALUES EXPECTED TO REMAIN GENERALLY IN THE 1.7-1.9 INCH RANGE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW DISTURBANCES TO ROTATE SOUTHWARD OVER THE REGION...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT AT ANY POINT THROUGH MONDAY...ALTHOUGH RAIN CHANCES LOOK TO DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY BY SUNDAY. REGARDING TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE SHORT TERM...HIGH TEMPERATURES TOMORROW WILL LIKELY BE IN THE MID 80S DUE TO THE EXTENT OF MORNING CLOUDS AND FOG...BUT SHOULD REBOUND INTO THE UPPER 80S/LOWER 90S BY SUNDAY. LOWS WILL ACTUALLY BE A DEGREE OR SO COOLER ON SATURDAY/SUNDAY/MONDAY MORNINGS...AS DEW POINTS VALUES DECLINE WITH A WEDGE FRONT WORKING AROUND THE BASE OF THE APPALACHIANS. MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE FROM THE GFS/ECMWF CONTINUES TO INDICATE THAT A SERIES OF STRONG MID-LEVEL WAVES DROPPING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE GULF OF ALASKA AND DOWN THE PACIFIC COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA WILL FORCE THE UPPER LOW -- LOCATED OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EARLY NEXT WEEK -- TO EJECT RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD INTO SOUTHERN CANADA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL FORCE THE CENTRAL PLAINS MID- LEVEL RIDGE TO EXPAND EASTWARD ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI/OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION...WITH THE HIGH FORECAST TO BECOME CENTERED ACROSS WESTERN KENTUCKY/WESTERN AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE BY THURSDAY EVENING. AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS FORECASTS...THIS WILL TRANSLATE TO ANOTHER PERIOD OF VERY HOT TEMPERATURES FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...WITH LITTLE CHANCE FOR RAINFALL ASIDE FROM A STRAY AFTERNOON SHOWER OR STORM. WILL UNDERCUT MEXMOS MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES BY JUST A COUPLE OF DEGREES ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY...BASED ON SUPPLY OF GROUND MOISTURE CURRENTLY IN PLACE. HOWEVER...1000-850 MB THICKNESS PROGS FROM THE GFS/ECMWF SUGGEST THAT FORECASTED HIGHS IN THE UPPER 90S ARE MORE THAN JUSTIFIED DURING THE PERIOD FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH HEAT INDEX READINGS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 105-110 DEGREE RANGE ONCE AGAIN. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && AVIATION...KULA DISCUSSION...70/DD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 111 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-160215- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 111 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER TODAY AND THIS EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THERE IS A RISK OF FLASH FLOODING DUE TO SLOW STORM MOVEMENT...HIGH ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE LEVELS...AND A WET GROUND WHERE PRECIPITATION HAS ALREADY FALLEN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... A CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS WEEKEND...AND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS. HOT CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...WITH DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES WARMING BACK INTO THE MID AND UPPER 90S. CORRESPONDING HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL CLIMB BACK INTO THE 100-108 DEGREE RANGE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. NIGHTTIME LOWS DURING THIS PERIOD WILL ONLY COOL INTO THE MID 70S. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... FORMAL ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...TIMELY REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE AND FLOODING WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. RSB/CCC
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:12 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash flooding washed out a portion of Stagecoach Drive at Kenneth Pike Road.
Flash flooding stalled cars near the intersection of Wall Triana and Old Railroad Bed Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, July 2011
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: 337943, 337944.