Isolated thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and early evening hours across the region. One such storm produced isolated wind damage in Lincoln 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.
Isolated thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and early evening hours across the region. One such storm produced isolated wind damage in Lincoln 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 17, 5:27 PM CST, 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 627 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012 .UPDATE... FOR 00Z TAFS && .DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 352 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012/ LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND H5 RUC ANALYSIS INDICATE A CUT OFF LOW NEAR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES...AND A LARGE AREA OF RIDGING ACROSS MUCH OF THE REMAINING CONUS. ACROSS NORTHERN FLORIDA/GEORGIA...A VORT MAX IS SLOWLY PUSHING WESTWARD INTO THE SOUTHEAST STATES. THIS TUTT LOW HAS AIDED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH ALABAMA AND GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON...BUT SO FAR...DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE CWFA HAS BEEN VERY LIMITED. WITHOUT ANY PRECIPITATION...TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CLIMB VIRTUALLY UNIMPEDED /SAVE FOR A SCATTERED CU FIELD/. THE 3PM TEMPERATURE FROM MSL WAS A TOASTY 97 DEGREES...HOWEVER THE AIR MIXED SUFFICIENTLY THERE TO KEEP THE HEAT INDEX AT A BALMY 103. FOR THIS EVENING...OPTED TO GO ON THE LOW SIDE FOR THUNDERSTORM CHANCES GIVEN THE LIMITED DEVELOPMENT THUS FAR AND THE LACK OF APPRECIABLE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT. HOWEVER THERE ARE PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL BOUNDARIES MOVING TOWARD THE AREA FROM NEARBY STORMS...AND GIVEN THE WARM ATMOSPHERE...COULD STILL SEE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SUNSET. SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THE STRONGEST STORMS COULD BE CAPABLE OF THE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME THREATS...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AFTER THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT ENDS THIS EVENING...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN WARM AND MOIST...SO PATCHY FOG IS EXPECTED TOWARD DAYBREAK IN THE FAVORED LOCATIONS. LOOK FOR TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 70S...WITH SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPERATURES IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. FOR TOMORROW AND THURSDAY...LOOK FOR DIURNALLY ENHANCED THUNDERSTORMS BOTH DAYS WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW AND MIDDLE 90S FOR MOST LOCATIONS. THE TUTT LOSES INTENSITY TOMORROW...BUT WITH A WEAK APPROACHING LOW LEVEL WAVE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY LATE IN THE MORNING AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB. CONVECTION WILL LINGER THROUGH THE EVENING...BEFORE DEVELOPING AGAIN THURSDAY MORNING. EXPECTING SLIGHTLY GREATER COVERAGE ON THURSDAY AS MOISTURE POOLS ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY. ANY OF THE STORMS ON BOTH WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WILL BE CAPABLE OF GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE HIGHEST RAINFALL CHANCES OF THE FORECAST WILL COME ON FRIDAY AS THE SURFACE FRONT SAGS ACROSS THE AREA. WITH PWATS SURPASSING 2.0 INCHES AND SHEAR REMAINING WEAK...THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG/DAMAGING WINDS ALONG WITH LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING AND FREQUENT LIGHTING. ALONG WITH THE HIGHER THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE...LOOK FOR TEMPERATURES TO RUN A FEW DEGREES COOLER ON FRIDAY AS COMPARED TO TODAY. MODELS ADVERTISE THE FRONT STALLING ACROSS/NEAR CENTRAL ALABAMA FOR MUCH OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...SO HAVE SHOWN A NORTH-SOUTH GRADIENT TO PRECIPITATION CHANCES FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD. THESE WILL BE DIURNALLY ENHANCED WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 90S EXPECTED. JLL && .AVIATION... FOR 00Z TAFS... VFR CONDITIONS AT BOTH TERMINALS MAY TEMPORARILY DROP TO MVFR WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS/STORMS IN THE VICINITY THROUGH 18/03Z. OTHERWISE...A FEW CLOUDS AOA 5KFT MAY LINGER THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH AT LEAST PATCHY FOG DEVELOPING BY DAYBREAK TOMORROW MORNING. VSBYS MAY DIP BETWEEN 4-5SM BETWEEN 18/10-12Z...BUT WILL IMPROVE AS FOG DISSIPATES BY 18/14Z. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN DURING THE LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON HRS TOMORROW...LINGERING THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. 12 && .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 155 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-181000- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 155 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS BEFORE DIMINISHING THIS EVENING. A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS ALSO REMAIN POSSIBLE...WITH BRIEF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH THE PRIMARY THREAT. OTHERWISE...GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK...BUT SHOULD BE HIGHEST ON FRIDAY AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION. AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTHWARD ON SATURDAY...RAIN CHANCES WILL DIMINISH FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. HOWEVER...WITH THE FRONT EXPECTED TO STALL IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENINGS STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND MONDAY...MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE AREA. IN ADDITION TO THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT...HEAT INDEX READINGS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE IN THE 100 TO 104 DEGREE RANGE WEDNESDAY...WITH CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION LIMITING ELEVATED STRESS LIMITS GOING INTO THE LATTER HALF OF THE WORK WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
450 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012
ALZ001-172215-
LAUDERDALE-
450 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL LAUDERDALE
COUNTY UNTIL 515 PM CDT...
AT 450 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WRIGHT...OR 14 MILES WEST OF
UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
THREET...CLOVERDALE.
SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 3501 8766 3480 8769 3483 8793 3485 8794
3488 8797 3490 8802 3500 8799 3501 8785
TIME...MOT...LOC 2150Z 275DEG 11KT 3493 8792
KULASPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
530 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012
ALZ001-172315-
LAUDERDALE-
530 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LAUDERDALE COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM
CDT...
AT 530 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM ALONG THE ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE STATE LINE NORTH
OF THREET...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
OUTFLOW WINDS GUSTING UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
CLOVERDALE...ZIP CITY.
THE GUSTY WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS.
SEEK SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
KULA
LAT...LON 3501 8785 3501 8753 3500 8750 3493 8751
3493 8774 3500 8793 3501 8791
TIME...MOT...LOC 2230Z 309DEG 3KT 3500 8778
KULAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
609 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM LIGHTNING 5 SE MOORES MILL 34.81N 86.46W
07/16/2012 MADISON AL BROADCAST MEDIA
*** 1 INJ *** LIGHTNING STRUCK A 40 YEAR OLD MALE AT HIS
RESIDENCE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF BELL FACTORY ROAD AND
RED ROCK DRIVE. THE PERSON WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE
HOSPITAL AND IS LISTED IN CRITICAL CONDITION. NO OTHER
DETAILS WERE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. EXACT TIME OF
OCCURRENCE IS ALSO UNKNOWN.
&&
KULASPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
652 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012
ALZ004-180030-
LAWRENCE-
652 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LAWRENCE COUNTY UNTIL 730 PM
CDT...
AT 652 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CHALYBEATE SPRINGS...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF
MOULTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
CHALYBEATE SPRINGS.
MOULTON.
CADDO.
SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 3444 8740 3458 8748 3469 8723 3468 8711
3447 8711
TIME...MOT...LOC 2352Z 313DEG 5KT 3459 8721
KULAThe Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:14 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several large trees were uprooted at the intersection of Pendergrass Road and Highway 275. Two Bradford pear trees were split in half. Several small to medium sized limbs were downed along a 2 miles stretch of Pendergrass Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, 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: 403153.