A nearly stationary band of heavy rain developed on the 4th of July across portions of northwest and north central Alabama. A bulk of the rainfall occurred during the late morning through late afternoon hours.
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.
A nearly stationary band of heavy rain developed on the 4th of July across portions of northwest and north central Alabama. A bulk of the rainfall occurred during the late morning through late afternoon hours. The hardest hit counties were Lawrence, eastern Limestone, western Madison and Morgan Counties where 5 to 10 inches of rain were measured. Widespread areal flooding occurred and numerous roads were closed or became impassible in some areas through the evening of July 6th.
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 4, 9:47 AM CST, 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1047 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013 .UPDATE... LOWERED TEMPS BUT KEPT REST OF THE FCST AS IS FRO NOW. && .DISCUSSION... PLENTY OF MOISTURE MOVING INTO THE TN VALLEY DUE TO THE BERMUDA HIGH OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST AND THE UPPER TROF OVER THE MIDWEST. EXPECT THE RAIN TO CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. THERE MAY BE A FEW HOURS THIS AFTN WHERE THE RAIN MAY TAPER OFF ESPECIALLY OVER NW AL...BASED ON RADAR TRENDS. HOWEVER NEW MODEL DATA COMING IN CONTINUES TO SHOW THAT MORE RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED FOR TODAY. LOWERED TEMPS TO THE MID/UPPER 70S DUE TO CLOUD COVER/RAIN. ATTM NO REPORTS OF ANY LIGHTNING...BUT WILL LEAVE IN THE GRIDS/ZONES THE MENTION OF GUSTY WINDS SINCE 8H WINDS WILL BE BETWEEN 40 TO 50 KTS THIS AFTN. EXCEPT FOR FLOODING CONCERNS..THE THREAT OF SEVERE WX WILL BE LOW TODAY. ATTM NO CHANGES TO THE CURRENT FFA. 07 && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 623 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013/ FOR 12Z TAFS... MVFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS N AL FOR MOST OF THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH SOME DROPS TO IFR/ADDL FUEL REQUIRED POSSIBLE WITH SHRA ACTIVITY CONTINUING THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TIME THE DROPS IN CATEGORY, BUT THERE IS AN INDICATION THAT FURTHER DROPS IN CIGS ARE LIKELY BTWN 14-18Z. SHOULD SEE A BREAK IN SHRA ACTIVITY AFTER 03-05Z BUT CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY NOT IMPROVE. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY FOR ANOTHER DROP IN CIG LATE IN THE PERIOD BUT HAVE NOT INCLUDED AT THIS TIME. IN ADDITION, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOL -TSRA MAINLY BTWN 18-02Z. SL.77 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 541 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013/ AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG SOUTH-SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT PERSISTS ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS MORNING...BETWEEN A LONGWAVE MID-LEVEL TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND A STRENGTHENING SUBTROPICAL MID-LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED BETWEEN BERMUDA AND THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST. VERY LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED IN THIS PATTERN TODAY...WITH MODELS SUGGESTING THAT ANY WESTWARD MOTION OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL BE BLOCKED BY STRONG RIDGING IN PLACE ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN DESERTS. HOWEVER...AS HEIGHTS RISE WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE BERMUDA HIGH...THE RESULTING SOUTHERLY GRADIENT FLOW WILL ALLOW SEVERAL MID-LEVEL WAVES TO ACCELERATE NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FROM THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. STRONG ASCENT ALREADY IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE FURTHER ENHANCED BY THE MID-LEVEL WAVES TO BRING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION TODAY. AS THE FINAL WAVE LIFTS NORTHWARD THIS EVENING...AN INCREASINGLY SUBSIDENT AIRMASS SHOULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN SHOWER/STORM ACTIVITY FROM SOUTHWEST-TO- NORTHEAST. HIGH WINDS THROUGH THE DEPTH OF THE TROPOSPHERE WILL YIELD WIND GUSTS OF 30-40 MPH WITH THE STRONGEST CONVECTIVE CELLS TODAY AND THIS EVENING. CONDITIONS WILL ALSO BECOME FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRIEF LOW-LEVEL MESOCYCLONES AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH LIFTS NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND INDUCES A 35-45 KNOT SOUTH-SOUTHEASTERLY LOW-LEVEL JET. BASED ON LOW LCL HEIGHTS AND PWATS IN THE 1.9-2.1 INCH RANGE...CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW BRIEF TORNADOES -- SIMILAR TO WHAT MIGHT BE EXPERIENCED WITH A LANDFALLING TROPICAL CYCLONE. OTHERWISE...THE FLOOD WATCH WILL BE CONTINUED...BUT WILL NOT BE EXPANDED IN EITHER AREA OR TIME BASED ON UNCERTAINTY IN AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA. THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY CHANGE BY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...AS THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. MID-LEVEL HIGH BEGINS TO EXPAND EASTWARD INTO KANSAS/OKLAHOMA/NORTH TEXAS. THIS WILL FORCE A RESIDUAL MID-UPPER TROUGH ACROSS MISSOURI TO TRANSITION INTO A CUTOFF LOW WHICH IS PROGGED TO SHIFT SLOWLY EAST-NORTHEASTWARD INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY SATURDAY. THIS WILL EFFECTIVELY VEER MID-LEVEL FLOW TO THE SOUTHWEST...ALLOWING A DRIER AIRMASS ALOFT TO SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION. WILL HOLD POPS ON SATURDAY AROUND 60 PERCENT BASED ON THIS REASONING...AND THE FACT THAT STRONGER DEEP-LAYER FORCING FOR ASCENT WILL BE LOCATED TO THE NORTH OF THE REGION AND CLOSER TO THE EASTWARD ADVANCING CUTOFF LOW. THE GENERAL TREND OF A BUILDING RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS FORCING THE MID-LEVEL CUTOFF LOW TO MIGRATE EASTWARD WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD...WITH A RETURN TO A MORE CLIMATOLOGICALLY-FAVORED DIURNAL CONVECTIVE CYCLE EXPECTED. A BROAD ZONALLY-ORIENTED MID-LEVEL RIDGE WILL LIKELY BECOME ESTABLISHED ALONG 35N LATITUDE...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE LOWER 90S AND HEAT INDEX VALUES IN THE 95-100 RANGE. 70/DD && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR ALZ006>010-016. TN...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR TNZ076-096-097. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 421 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-041800- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 421 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE AT TIMES. A FEW STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH. GIVEN THE THREAT FOR REPEATED ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... PERIODS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. BY FRIDAY EVENING...WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. AS A RESULT...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 65. A MORE TYPICAL SUMMER PATTERN OF SCATTERED STORMS IS EXPECTED ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... FORMAL ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...TIMELY REPORTS OF FLOODING AND GUSTY WINDS ARE APPRECIATED.
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:18 UTC.
13 flash flood, 5 flood, 3 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
An apartment complex was evacuated due to high water.
Water was over Mooresville Road. The depth was unknown at this time.
Capshaw Road was closed at Sanderson Road and between Wall Triana and Nance Roads. Several other roads in east Limestone county were also reported closed due to heavy rain and flash flooding.
Lavert Avenue was closed due to flash flooding.
Flash flooding covered Balch and Mill Roads, and Mill Creek Greenway. Walden Glen at Browns Ferry Road was closed.
The bridge was under water over Crooked Creek, on County Road 1059, just north of Jones Chapel.
Danville Road was closed just north of Highway 36 due to a large part of the road being washed away. Significant repairs were necessary to repair this roadway. Other parts of Danville Road were closed due to significant heavy rain and high water.
Flooding affected homes along Chesapeake Trail. A car was nearly completely submerged by water near Ray Avenue. Many sections of Danville Road were flooded.
Country Club Road and Stratford Road was closed, near 6th Avenue SE/Highway 31, due to heavy rain and high water (unknown depth).
Numerous roads, between Main Street and Court Street, were closed in Moulton due to heavy rain and high water. Tankersly Avenue and Sparkman Road were covered with high water and barricaded. In addition, several homes along Main Street, Katherine Avenue and Littrell Circle, sustained water damage from high water.
Water was in several homes and over a foot of water was along Main Street, Katherine Drive and Littrell Circle.
Fifteen area and county roads were closed due to high water in southeastern Limestone county, from near Mooresville Road to along and northeast of Huntsville Browns ferry Road. Water was at least a foot to a foot and a half deep.
Rising water caused a fuel leak in downtown Moulton, Court Street. About 200 gallons of gasoline leaked out due to flood waters. Emergency personnel contained the spill within about 15 minutes. No injuries or additional impacts reported.
Arbor Trace near County Line Road was closed due to flooding. The report was relayed via social media.
Areal flooding persisted on fields and some roadways through the 6th.
Areal flooding persisted on fields and some roadways through the 6th.
Areal flooding persisted on fields and some roadways through the 6th.
Areal flooding persisted on fields and some roadways through the 6th.
Areal flooding persisted on fields and some roadways through the 6th.
Since midnight LST, the public reported a storm total rainfall of 8.21 inches approximately 3 miles northwest of Capshaw. This report was relayed via social media.
Additional heavy rain caused water to rise once again near Stagecoach Road in Monrovia. Several inches of water was over the road there (unknown depth).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, July 2013
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: 471607, 471622, 471606, 471684, 471609, 471611, 471612, 471682, 471613, 471614, 471615, 471616, 471617, 471618, 471694, 471695, 471696, 471699, 471764, 471620, 471621.