Clusters of strong thunderstorms developed during the mid to late afternoon hours. Lightning killed one male at his residence in Madison County.
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 HUN wrote it up.
Clusters of strong thunderstorms developed during the mid to late afternoon hours. Lightning killed one male at his residence in Madison County. Many of the storms produced frequent cloud to ground lightning, small hail and gusty winds. The lightning sparked several fires around the area, one causing severe damage to a home in 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 16, 3:56 AM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 456 AM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 .DISCUSSION... A SEASONABLY STRONG MID-LEVEL ANTICYCLONE REMAINS CENTERED ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. THIS MORNING...PROVIDING TRANQUIL WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY -- WITH THE MOST IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM CONCERN BEING THE POTENTIAL FOR FOG DEVELOPMENT. SCATTERED HIGH- LEVEL CLOUDS NOTED ON RECENT SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOULD DO LITTLE TO PREVENT FOG FORMATION IN THE FOG-PRONE RIVER VALLEYS LATER THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY GIVEN CALM WINDS AND A LOW-LEVEL AIR MASS ALREADY VERY CLOSE TO SATURATION. WITH THESE GENERAL CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGHOUT THE SHORT TERM FORECAST PERIOD...PATCHY FOG WAS INCLUDED IN THE FORECAST FOR THE ENTIRE AREA BOTH TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT. SHORT TERM MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE MID-LEVEL HIGH CURRENTLY DOMINATING OUR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL WEAKEN AND RETROGRADE THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY...AS A 500-MB SHORTWAVE TROUGH -- CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER NEW ENGLAND -- SHIFTS EASTWARD INTO THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC...WITH THE TRAILING SHEAR AXIS DRIFTING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. THE APPROACH OF THIS WEAK SHEAR AXIS FROM THE NORTH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ENHANCED DIURNAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY PRIMARILY FOR LOCATIONS NORTH/EAST OF THE LOCAL AREA...INCLUDING THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU REGION OF EAST TENNESSEE. WILL INCREASE SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ALABAMA ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS...BUT EXPECT LINGERING MID-LEVEL SUBSIDENCE AND A SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR MASS ALOFT TO ONCE AGAIN SUPPRESS AFTERNOON CONVECTION ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN HALF OF THE REGION. THE GENERAL TREND OF A MID-LEVEL RIDGE BECOMING ESTABLISHED TO THE WEST OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT...WITH THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED SHEAR AXIS EXPECTED TO DROP SLOWLY SOUTHWARD INTO THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL WARRANT CARRYING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS/STORMS THROUGH THE EVENING...DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST SOME SYNOPTIC SCALE SUPPORT FOR MAINTAINING CONVECTION BEYOND SUNSET. CONDITIONS APPEAR TO BECOME EVEN MORE FAVORABLE FOR AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND STORMS ON TUESDAY...AS THE MID-LEVEL RIDGE BECOMES CENTERED ACROSS ARKANSAS/MISSOURI AND FAR ENOUGH TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE AREA TO ALLOW MID-LEVEL HEIGHTS TO FALL EVEN FURTHER. HOWEVER... THE AREAL COVERAGE OF CONVECTION IS A BIT MORE UNCERTAIN ON WEDNESDAY...AS ALL MODELS SUGGEST THAT HEIGHTS MAY ACTUALLY BEGIN TO RISE...EITHER DUE IN PART TO THE EXPANDING CENTRAL PLAINS RIDGE...OR PERHAPS PERIPHERAL SUBSIDENCE ON THE NORTHWESTERN FLANK OF AN INVERTED TROUGH CURRENTLY EXTENDING FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. THUS...WILL ONLY MAINTAIN LOW CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY...BASED ON UNCERTAINTIES IN AREAL COVERAGE. TEMPERATURES WILL EXHIBIT LITTLE FLUCTUATION THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO GENERALLY BE IN THE LOWER 90S FOR MOST OF THE AREA...AND MID/UPPER 80S IN HIGHER TERRAIN. LOWS WILL MAINLY BE IN THE LOWER 70S...BUT MAY INCREASE A DEGREE OR SO BY MID-WEEK...AS SLIGHTLY STRONGER SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ADVECT RICHER MOISTURE NORTHEASTWARD. RECENT VERSIONS OF THE GFS/ECMWF INDICATE THAT CENTRAL PLAINS MID- LEVEL RIDGE WILL BECOME CENTERED ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI AND STRENGTHEN DURING THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...IN RESPONSE TO A STRONG UPPER LOW DROPPING SOUTHEASTWARD INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA. AS THE CENTRAL PLAINS RIDGE STRENGTHENS AND BECOMES EVEN MORE AMPLIFIED LATE THIS WEEK...A MORE PRONOUNCED NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...RESULTING IN AN INCREASING CHANCE FOR MCS ACTIVITY TO AFFECT THE REGION ON THURSDAY/FRIDAY. THE NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN MAY ALSO BE ENHANCED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE AMPLIFIED MID-LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN U.S. THERE IS STILL SOME INDICATION IN MODEL GUIDANCE THAT A WEAK COLD FRONT MAY PENETRATE INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. ON FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY -- PERHAPS BRINGING AN END TO HIGHER RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AND ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO WARM UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF EXPANDING MID-LEVEL RIDGE TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA. 70/DD && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 1223 AM CDT MON JUL 16 2012/ FOR 06Z TAFS...VFR CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED THROUGH 06Z/17. MAIN UNCERTAINTY DEALS WITH FOG OVERNIGHT...AND FOR NOW HAVE TRENDED WITH CLIMATOLOGY BY INCLUDING TEMPO MVFR AT KMSL NEAR SUNRISE. CANNOT RULE OUT LOWER VIS AT KMSL OR FOG AT KHSV...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW SINCE MORE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS YESTERDAY DID NOT MATERIALIZE. EXPECT TO SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF ISLTD SHRA/TSRA TMRW AFTN...BUT COVERAGE REMAINS UNCERTAIN AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS AWAY FROM THE AREA. TEND TO THINK NERN AL /AND THUS MAYBE KHSV/ WILL HAVE HIGHER SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE...BUT NOT CERTAIN COVERAGE WILL BE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT FOR IMPACTS AT KHSV. FOR NOW WILL STICK WITH THE IDEA THAT MONDAY WILL WORK OUT MUCH LIKE SUNDAY...WITH VERY LOW COVERAGE AND NO IMPACTS. BCC && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 92 72 92 73 92 / 40 20 30 20 30 SHOALS 93 72 93 73 93 / 30 20 30 20 30 VINEMONT 88 74 88 74 88 / 30 20 30 20 30 FAYETTEVILLE 89 71 89 73 89 / 40 20 30 20 30 ALBERTVILLE 90 67 90 70 90 / 40 20 30 20 30 FORT PAYNE 90 69 90 70 90 / 40 20 30 20 30 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 454 AM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-162100- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 454 AM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH GREATER CHANCES FOR STORMS EXPECTED IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. SOME STORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK. CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL THEN INCREASE LATE IN THE WEEK AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES SOUTH TOWARD THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. BRIEF GUSTY WINDS... DOWNPOURS AND SUDDEN LIGHTNING WILL OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:19 UTC.
3 lightning, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down 3 to 5 inch tree limbs along Duck Springs Road. The winds also split a Bradford Pear tree and knocked over patio furniture.
Trees were blown down in Town Creek on the peninsula north of Guntersville State Park.
Lightning struck a tree and home on Jacqueline Drive around 5:30 pm CDT, sparking a fire on a mattress in an upstairs bedroom. The fire was put out, but the home sustained some smoke damage. Two children playing video games in the upstairs room felt a charge in their hands and back when the strike occurred, but were not injured.
A 40 year old male was struck by lightning in the driveway of his residence near the intersection of Bell Factory Road and Red Rock Drive. The person was transported to the hospital and died five days later on the 20th. Exact time of the lightning strike is unknown.
Lightning sparked a fire at a residence at 1098 Scott Road in Toney. The residents were not at home during the fire. The home was considered a total loss.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Madison | 2012-07-16 | 40 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, July 2012
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: 400123, 400125, 400157, 400154, 400152.