During the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 31, thunderstorms developed along a moisture/instability gradient across Tennessee and Missouri, within an active northwesterly flow pattern. Activity condensed into several clusters of thunderstorms and moved southeastward into central Alabama.
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.
During the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 31, thunderstorms developed along a moisture/instability gradient across Tennessee and Missouri, within an active northwesterly flow pattern. Activity condensed into several clusters of thunderstorms and moved southeastward into central Alabama. These storms tracked across the same areas within a short time frame. With deep moisture and high rainfall rates, flash flooding occured across portions of Jefferson and Shelby counties, in addition to hail and wind damage.
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 30, 11:04 PM CST, 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1204 AM CDT TUE JUL 31 2012 .UPDATE... AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .DISCUSSION... MONITORING CONVECTIVE TRENDS UPSTREAM ACROSS TENNESSEE AND MISSOURI TO SEE IF AN MCS DEVELOPS. NORTHWEST FLOW EVENTS ARE VERY TRICKY AND CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN TONIGHT'S FORECAST. A FEW STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED UPSTREAM ALONG A MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY GRADIENT THAT EXTENDS FROM THE BOOTHEEL OF MISSOURI INTO WEST ALABAMA. EXPECTING THIS AXIS TO CONTINUE TO BE THE FOCUS FOR DEVELOPMENT. MIXED LAYER CAPE IN EXCESS OF 3000 J/KG STILL EXISTS ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI ALONG WITH 30-35 KT 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR. THINKING THAT STORMS WILL STRENGTHEN AS THEY MOVE INTO THE REGION OF ENHANCED INSTABILITY. OVERALL EVOLUTION AND INTENSITY OF WHATEVER DEVELOPS IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN...BUT DECIDED TO GO WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF THE AREA. IF A SOLID MCS DEVELOPS WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND EVENT STARTING AS EARLY AS 2 AM ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES. IF STORMS REMAIN MORE SCATTERED IN NATURE THERE WILL STILL BE A THREAT FOR ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. 87/GRANTHAM && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. THE AFTERNOON/EVENING CONVECTION DOWN AROUND TROY WAS PERSISTENT... BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT HAS FINALLY SETTLED DOWN. OUR ATTENTION IS NOW TURNED TO THE NORTHEAST...WHERE ANOTHER CLUSTER OF STORMS HAS SLOWLY RAMPED UP THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. THE STRONGEST CELL IN THE THUNDERSTORM CLUSTER (AT 05Z) WAS JUST SOUTHWEST OF MSL...MOVING SOUTHEAST. THAT PUTS IT ON COURSE TO HEAD RIGHT FOR BHM. THUS...THE 06Z TAFS WILL BE BASED ON THE IDEA THAT THAT STRONGEST CELL WILL CONTINUE ITS CURRENT MOTION...AND ADDITIONAL (LESS STRONG) CELLS WILL DEVELOP ON EITHER FLANK. SO...I'VE HIT THE STORMY CONDITIONS HARDEST AT BHM AND EET...LESS SO AT TCL AND ANB. ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF THE MAIN CELL...AND/OR STRENGTHENING ON THE FLANKS...WILL OBVIOUSLY LEAD TO AMENDMENTS TO THIS THINKING. ONCE THE STORMS MOVE THROUGH OVERNIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...I THINK THAT WILL PRETTY MUCH STABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. THUS...I'VE KEPT CONDITIONS WITH CUMULUS-ONLY VFR AFTER ENDING THE RAIN. /61/ && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1048 PM CDT MON JUL 30 2012 ALZ011>015-017>050-010400- 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- 1048 PM CDT MON JUL 30 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A ROUND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT ACROSS MAINLY WESTERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND MOVE OUT OF TENNESSEE AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AFTER MIDNIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ONGOING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FROM THE OVERNIGHT HOURS MAY BRING A CONTINUED THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA ON TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NECESSARY AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 657 PM CDT MON JUL 30 2012 ALZ049-310030- PIKE AL- 657 PM CDT MON JUL 30 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN PIKE COUNTY UNTIL 730 PM CDT... AT 653 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TROY UNIVERSITY...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... HENDERSON... TARENTUM... 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 3181 8614 3180 8585 3161 8587 3161 8616 TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 007DEG 23KT 3171 8600 61
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
737 PM CDT MON JUL 30 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0729 PM HAIL 6 E GOSHEN 31.73N 86.03W
07/30/2012 E1.00 INCH PIKE AL PUBLIC
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT DONNAS GROCERY ALONG COUNTY RD 2290.
&&
GRANTHAMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1007 PM CDT MON JUL 30 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0815 PM FLASH FLOOD 2 E HENDERSON 31.67N 86.04W
07/30/2012 PIKE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
COUNTY ROAD 2262 EAST OF HENDERSON BECAME IMPASSIBLE AND
WAS CLOSED.
&&
GRANTHAMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1215 AM CDT TUE JUL 31 2012
ALZ014-015-310600-
WALKER AL-WINSTON AL-
1215 AM CDT TUE JUL 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WINSTON AND NORTHERN WALKER
COUNTIES UNTIL 100 AM CDT...
AT 1214 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM WINSTON FREE STATE BARN TO
7 MILES NORTHWEST OF JASPER...AND MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
JASPER...
ARLEY...
CORDOVA...
DORA...
SUMITON...
&&
LAT...LON 3427 8756 3413 8710 3399 8710 3399 8713
3397 8713 3396 8710 3392 8708 3390 8708
3389 8705 3377 8702 3371 8704 3384 8746
TIME...MOT...LOC 0516Z 292DEG 16KT 3415 8743 3390 8738
GRANTHAMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1227 AM CDT TUE JUL 31 2012
ALZ026-310615-
ST. CLAIR AL-
1227 AM CDT TUE JUL 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY
UNTIL 115 AM CDT...
AT 1225 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM NEAR MOODY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
PELL CITY...
BALD ROCK...
COOSA ISLAND...
CAMP WINNATASAKA...
CHULA VISTA...
&&
LAT...LON 3355 8618 3352 8623 3350 8623 3349 8626
3352 8627 3344 8632 3348 8638 3350 8638
3350 8642 3355 8648 3357 8653 3371 8649
TIME...MOT...LOC 0527Z 306DEG 16KT 3358 8646
GRANTHAMThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:27 UTC.
25 thunderstorm wind, 10 flash flood, 1 heavy rain, 1 hail, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down across Alabama Highway 43, just north of the site of the Wrangler Plant.
Trees were blown down in Bear Creek.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county, including in and around Blountsville.
Several trees were blown down in Haleyville and the surrounding area, resulting in numerous power outages across the county.
Several trees were blown down in the Fultondale area.
Several trees were blown down in the community of Lynn.
CoCoRaHS observer in northern Chilton county measured a storm total rainfall over nine hours of 7.10 inches.
Several trees were blown down, blocking Kings Mill Rd.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down along Alabama Highway 269 near Parrish.
Power lines were blown down across Main St in Sumiton. In addition, a large amount of tree debris was noted in the roadway.
Trees were blown down blocking Tutwiler Rd.
Strong winds caused the partial collapse of the awning at the Jet Pep gas station.
Several large tree limbs were blown down and tree tops snapped along County Road 339 between County Road 340 and County Road 26. One tree fell onto a vehicle.
Two homes in the Stratford Place Subdivision were flooded by 5 and 13 inches of water on the first floor, respectively.
Nine homes in the Saddle Run subdivision had between 2 and 18 inches of water flood the first floor of the home.
Alabama Highway 31 was closed near Shelby Baptist Medical Center due to one foot of water covering the roadway.
A portion of Birmingham South Campground flooded and evacuations were necessary.
Street flooding at 35th St and Brook St N in Birmingham resulted in one water rescue.
Flooding was reported at the Belle Vista Mobile Home Park.
Flooding due to heavy rain occurred at the Pelham YMCA. Water flooded the building and pool area, resulting in the facility being closed for several days.
A large tree was blown down blocking the roadway near the intersection of County Road 59 and County Road 24.
A tree was blown down blocking the roadway along County Road 20 West at the Interstate 65 overpass.
A tree was blown down blocking the roadway near the intersection of County Road 24 and County Road 19.
A large tree was blown down blocking the roadway near the intersection of County Road 57 and County Road 20.
A tree was blown down into roadway at County Road 20 and County Road 65.
A tree was blown down into roadway at County Road 40 W and County Road 57.
A tree was blown down into roadway at Highway 14 W and County Road 9.
Trees and power lines were blown down along Highway 124 in the Townley community.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in and around Good Springs, with most of the damage concentrated along Alabama Highway 269.
Trees and power lines were blown down in the Tutwiler community along County Road 6.
A large tree was blown down across Alabama Highway 269.
Numerous large trees and power lines were blown down along Highway 25, County Road 8, and Reeder St. Streets were closed until trees could be cleared.
Numerous trees and large tree limbs were blown down throughout the town of Maplesville.
Several cars were stranded in flood waters on Green Springs Highway under the Interstate 65 overpass.
The intersection of 6th Ave S and 9th St S flooded, resulting in a water rescue.
Due to heavy rainfall, the Interstate 459 S exit ramp to U.S. Highway 280 flooded and was closed.
As heavy rain came to an end across Shelby county, Highway 119 near Briarwood School was closed due to water continuing to flow across the roadway.
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: 406016, 406017, 406018, 406019, 406020, 406021, 406050, 406022, 406024, 406023, 406025, 406026, 406027, 406028, 406030, 406029, 406031, 406032, 406033, 406035, 406036, 406037, 406038, 406039, 406040, 406052, 406051, 406053, 406041, 406042, 406044, 406043, 406045, 406046, 406047, 406048, 406054, 406049.