Below normal rainfall fell across much of central Alabama during the month of September. Although some areas received some very heavy rainfall during the first week of the month, only a few locations saw any relief.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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 much of central Alabama during the month of September. Although some areas received some very heavy rainfall during the first week of the month, only a few locations saw any relief.
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 31, 10:45 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1145 PM CDT WED AUG 31 2011 .UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .DISCUSSION...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS RETURNED TO THE AREA WITH SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. A FEW SHOWERS CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTH ALABAMA. THE SHOWERS APPEAR TO BE FORMING SOUTH OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROF AXIS THAT EXTENDS FROM UPPER LOW OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST ACROSS SOUTHERN GEORGIA AND ALABAMA. KEPT ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST ACROSS SOUTHERN COUNTIES. BASED ON WARM EVENING TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER SURFACE DEWPOINTS...RAISED OVERNIGHT LOWS A FEW DEGREES MOST AREAS. 58/ROSE && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. EASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL PROVIDE A FEW CLOUDS...AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME HAZE...OVER THE NEXT 24 HOUR FORECAST PERIOD. LOOKING BACK TO THE EAST...HOWEVER...I DON'T SEE ANY APPRECIABLE LOWER CLOUD DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA LIKE I DID LAST NIGHT AT THIS TIME. THEREFORE...I AM STARTING TO GAIN IN CONFIDENCE IN SKIES REMAINING PREDOMINANTLY CLEAR ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ANB IS ALREADY REPORTING SOME HAZE...WITH 6SM VISIBILITY. THIS COULD VERY WELL SPREAD TO OTHER LOCATIONS AS WELL. LITTLE CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION ON THURSDAY...WITH MAINLY SCATTERED COVERAGE CUMULUS CLOUD DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. /61/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 352 PM CDT WED AUG 31 2011/ EAST/SOUTHEAST FLOW GIVING WAY TO A DECENT CUMULUS FIELD TODAY. A COMBINATION OF VERY WARM TEMPERATURES WITH DAYTIME HEATING... LINGERING SURFACE BOUNDARIES AND WEAK DISTURBANCES AROUND THE BASE OF THE EASTERLY FLOW WITH THE UPPER HIGH ACROSS OK/TN IS HELPING TO SPARK SOME WEAK ISOLATED SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. EXPECTING THIS ACTIVITY TO DECREASE AS WE MOVE PAST SUNSET BUT COULD STILL HAVE A FEW SMALL SHOWERS ACROSS THE SOUTH ESPECIALLY. TOMORROW LOOKS TO BE FAIRLY SIMILAR TO TODAY WITH EAST/SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW HELPING TO USHER JUST ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR SOME ISOLATED SHOWER ACTIVITY AROUND THE BASE OF THE UPPER HIGH. AS WE MOVE INTO THE WEEKEND...ALL MODELS TO SOME DEGREE ARE BRINGING A LOW PRESSURE OF SOME FORM INTO THE GULF REGION ON FRIDAY. HERE IS WHERE OUR FORECAST BECOMES VERY TRICKY AS THE GFS HAS NOT BEEN VERY CONSISTENT IN ITS PLACEMENT AND TIMING OF THE POTENTIAL LOW IN THE GULF. ALTHOUGH UNCERTAINTY REMAINS HIGH...THE EUROPEAN MODEL APPEARS TO BE THE BEST MODEL SO FAR CONSISTENCY-WISE...SO I'M LEANING TOWARD THAT. HOWEVER... OUR APPROACHING FRONT FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK IS RATHER SLOW TO MOVE INTO/THROUGH THE AREA WHICH WILL CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THIS LOW SITTING OVER THE GULF FOR A POTENTIALLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME. ONE THING THAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT WITH THE POTENTIAL OF A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SOME PART OF THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO...MOISTURE WILL DEFINITELY BE ON THE INCREASE OVER ALABAMA...AND SO WILL CLOUD COVER. THIS WILL HELP BRING OUR TEMPERATURES DOWN FROM THE VERY WARM TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. WITH THE SLOW DEVELOPMENT AND MOTION OF THIS POTENTIAL SYSTEM...THE MODELS ARE HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY WITH THIS. ALL EYES WILL BE ON THE GULF FOR THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY WEEKEND. 08/MNK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 67 93 70 94 67 / 10 10 10 10 10 ANNISTON 70 93 69 94 67 / 10 10 10 10 10 BIRMINGHAM 74 94 71 95 69 / 10 10 10 10 10 TUSCALOOSA 74 96 71 96 68 / 10 20 10 10 10 CALERA 72 94 71 94 68 / 10 20 10 10 10 AUBURN 70 92 69 92 68 / 20 20 10 10 10 MONTGOMERY 73 95 71 94 69 / 20 20 10 10 10 TROY 70 93 68 92 65 / 20 20 10 10 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 640 PM CDT WED AUG 31 2011 ALZ011>015-017>050-012330- 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- 640 PM CDT WED AUG 31 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Autauga County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions the entire month.
Barbour County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions the entire month.
Bibb County started the month with Extreme Drought (D3) conditions and was downgraded to Severe Drought (D2) conditions on the 30th.
Bullock County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Chilton County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Clay County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Cleburne County started the month with Extreme Drought (D3) conditions and was downgraded to Severe Drought (D2) conditions on the 30th.
Chambers County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Coosa County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Dallas County started the month with Extreme Drought (D3) conditions and was downgraded to Severe Drought (D2) conditions on the 30th.
Elmore County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Lee County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Lowndes County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions the entire month.
Macon County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Montgomery County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Perry County started the month with Extreme Drought (D3) conditions and was downgraded to Severe Drought (D2) conditions on the 30th.
Randolph County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions the entire month.
Russell County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Shelby County started the month with Extreme Drought (D3) conditions and was downgraded to Severe Drought (D2) conditions on the 30th.
Talladega County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Tallapoosa County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
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, September 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: 348673, 348675, 348676, 348681, 348683, 348684, 348685, 348688, 348692, 348693, 348694, 348695, 348696, 348697, 348698, 348699, 348700, 348701, 348702, 348703, 348704.