Below normal rainfall fell across portions of central Alabama during the middle part of July. The caused drought conditions to spread.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Below normal rainfall fell across portions of central Alabama during the middle part of July. The caused drought conditions to spread. Drought conditions began in Clay County on July 26th and persisted through the end of the month.
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 Jul 25, 10:57 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1157 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011 .UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .DISCUSSION... WEAK SURFACE TROUGH AND SEVERAL SMALLER SCALE BOUNDARIES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING. THE STORMS HAVE BEEN LOSING SOME INTENSITY OVER THE PAST HOUR OR SO WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...THEREFORE KEPT RAIN CHANCES IN THE HIGH CHANCE CATEGORY. THE BEST RAIN CHANCES APPEAR TO BE FROM NEAR THE BHM METRO SOUTHWEST DOWN INTERSTATE 20 TO NEAR LIVINGSTON. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. ELSEWHERE...DUE TO THE MOISTURE CONTENT AND A MID LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHING THE AREA...SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY DEVELOP ALMOST ANYWHERE THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. THE HIGHEST LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL RESIDE JUST SOUTH OF THE WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY GENERALLY FROM I-20 SOUTHWARD WHERE LOW CLOUDS MAY DEVELOP LATE. THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN THE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FEW NIGHTS...BUT SOME CLOUDS WILL LIKELY BE AROUND. ADDITIONALLY...THE CONVECTIVE DEBRIS WILL HAVE SOME EFFECT ON CLOUD DEVELOPMENT THE REST OF THE NIGHT. LOW LEVEL WINDS HAVE SHIFTED TO THE NORTH JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE AND ISENTROPIC LIFT IS NOT AS PREVALENT. MADE SEVERAL CHANGES BASED ON CURRENT CONDITIONS BUT THE GENERAL TREND OF THE FORECAST REMAINS THE SAME. 75 && .AVIATION...06Z TAF DISCUSSION. LAST REMAINING THUNDERSTORM CLUSTER OF THE EVENING MOVING THROUGH BHM/EET AREA JUST PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT. EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS TO BE DIMINISHING...AND THERE IS NO REASON TO THINK THIS TREND WONT CONTINUE. WILL HOLD ONTO A VCTS AT EET FOR AN HOUR OR SO. OTHERWISE...GETTING MIXED SIGNALS FROM THE COMPUTER MODELS ON WHETHER LOW CLOUDS WILL SOCK IN OVERNIGHT. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE IS PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...SO I WOULD TEND TO BELIEVE THE CLOUDS WILL FORM IN MOST AREAS. HAVING SAID THAT...THERE ARE ALSO INDICATIONS THAT THERE WILL BE A PUSH OF SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR INTO THE NORTHERN COUNTIES BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THEREFORE...I HAVE OPTED TO LEAVE OUT ANY MENTION OF TSRA...VCTS...OR CB AT TCL/EET/BHM/ANB. FARTHER SOUTH AT MGM AND TOI...I WILL INCLUDE A CB GROUP TUESDAY AFTERNOON...TO INDICATE A LOW CONFIDENCE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. /61/ NOTICE...KEET TAF WILL HAVE (AMD LTD TO VIS WIND AND WX) AMENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE CEILOMETER DATA WILL BE GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS TESTS AND MONITORED FOR ACCURACY. && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 649 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011 ALZ011>015-017>050-262330- 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- 649 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
728 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011
ALZ018-260100-
ETOWAH AL-
728 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ETOWAH COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM CDT...
AT 729 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BOAZ TO NOCCALULA FALLS TO
SLACKLAND...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 25 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...
GADSDEN...
RAINBOW CITY...
MARKTON...
ANDERSON...
GADSDEN MALL...
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.
&&
LAT...LON 3421 8585 3411 8584 3390 8590 3392 8595
3388 8599 3387 8605 3389 8611 3391 8611
3390 8614 3399 8619 3397 8625 3399 8628
3396 8631 3419 8618
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 015DEG 21KT 3416 8616 3402 8601
3410 8590
75SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 758 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011 ALZ014-015-260145- WALKER AL-WINSTON AL- 758 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN WINSTON AND NORTHWESTERN WALKER COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM CDT... AT 758 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR POPLAR SPRINGS...OR 8 MILES EAST OF LYNN...MOVING SOUTH SOUTHWEST AT 8 MPH. WIND GUSTS 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... CARBON HILL... MCDOWELL CAMP GROUNDS... ASHBANK... NAUVOO... ELDRIDGE... 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. && LAT...LON 3387 8729 3387 8763 3411 8763 3412 8730 TIME...MOT...LOC 0058Z 358DEG 7KT 3402 8741 75
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1028 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011
ALZ017-024-025-260415-
BLOUNT AL-JEFFERSON AL-SHELBY AL-
1028 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN SHELBY...EASTERN
JEFFERSON AND SOUTHWESTERN BLOUNT COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 PM CDT...
AT 1026 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM WARRIOR TO VINCENT...AND
MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.
WIND GUSTS 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
GARDENDALE...
IRONDALE...
FULTONDALE...
MOUNTAIN BROOK...
WILSONVILLE...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
&&
LAT...LON 3359 8655 3356 8655 3355 8650 3350 8648
3342 8638 3320 8647 3318 8651 3316 8648
3306 8652 3362 8706 3379 8700 3380 8696
3387 8697 3387 8693 3391 8693 3394 8688
TIME...MOT...LOC 0328Z 009DEG 12KT 3383 8687 3340 8647
75SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1122 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011
ALZ024-025-260500-
JEFFERSON AL-SHELBY AL-
1122 PM CDT MON JUL 25 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SHELBY AND SOUTHERN JEFFERSON
COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...
AT 1122 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM VESTAVIA HILLS TO PELHAM TO
WILSONVILLE...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
HOOVER...
PELHAM...
COLUMBIANA...
ALABASTER...
HELENA...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
&&
LAT...LON 3358 8681 3338 8672 3328 8643 3324 8645
3323 8647 3319 8647 3320 8648 3318 8651
3316 8648 3305 8653 3306 8662 3307 8662
3306 8680 3307 8688 3321 8695
TIME...MOT...LOC 0422Z 017DEG 14KT 3340 8680 3329 8675
3321 8653
75The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions spread to Clay County on the 26th.
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: 338946.