On Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9 and 10, scattered, diurnally driven thunderstorms developed across the area in a tropical airmass. This resulted in heavy rainfall and isolated flash flooding.
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.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9 and 10, scattered, diurnally driven thunderstorms developed across the area in a tropical airmass. This resulted in heavy rainfall and isolated flash flooding.
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 9, 2:09 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 309 PM CDT TUE JUL 9 2013 .DISCUSSION... FINALLY MUCH OF THE AREA HAS SEEN ABUNDANT SUNSHINE TODAY. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS BEEN LIMITED BY SLIGHTLY DRIER AND WARMER AIR ALOFT. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD BE DIURNALLY DRIVEN AND DIMINISH IN COVERAGE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. MODELS AGREE THAT WEAK HEIGHT FALLS SHOULD OCCUR ON WEDNESDAY AND ALLOW FOR GREATER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. THE BEST CHANCE SHOULD BE ACROSS THE EAST WHERE A WEAKNESS IN THE MID-LEVEL RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. A TROUGH SWINGING THROUGH THE NORTHEAST STATES WILL ALLOW A WEAK COLD FRONT TO MOVE INTO THE REGION ON THURSDAY WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND STORMS EXPECTED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. HIGH PRESSURE AND NORTHERLY FLOW IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WILL LEAD TO COOLER AND DRIER CONDITIONS FOR FRIDAY WITH ONLY MINIMAL RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FRINGE OF THE CWA. EASTERLY FLOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS PART OF THE UPPER TROUGH BREAKS OFF AND MOVES WESTWARD AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF A CENTRAL U.S. RIDGE. THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR MOISTURE RETURN INTO OUR REGION AND A MODEST INCREASE IN RAIN CHANCES BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY. 87/GRANTHAM && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. THE EARLY MORNING IFR CIGS WERE SLOW TO LIFT AND BURN OFF...BUT CIGS DURING THE EARLY PORTION OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE MVFR...BECOMING VFR BY 20Z. THE AIR MASS IS VERY MOIST AND ISOLD SHWRS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE SHWRS WILL LIKELY INCREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE AFTN AND BECOME MAINLY TSTMS BY 21Z. DECIDED TO ADD VCSH/VCTS TO FIRST SIX HOURS OF TAF CYCLE TO ACCOUNT FOR DECENT COVERAGE OF CONVECTION. THE CONVECTION SHOULD DISSIPATE QUICKLY AFTER 00Z. THERE IS A LOW LEVEL HIGH OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO WITH CENTRAL ALABAMA UNDER THE NORTHERN TIP OF THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS...PRODUCING A PREVAILING WESTERLY FLOW. HOWEVER...PRESSURE GRADIENT IS SO WEAK THAT WINDS HAVE BEEN VRBL AND EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE. THERE WILL LIKELY BE ANOTHER ROUND OF STRATUS WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT WHICH AREAS WILL EXPERIENCE IFR CIGS..AND JUST INCLUDED LOW CIGS FOR ALL TAF SITES TOWARDS THE END OF THE TAF CYCLE. 58/ROSE && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 70 88 72 88 67 / 30 60 50 60 20 ANNISTON 71 90 71 88 70 / 30 70 50 60 30 BIRMINGHAM 73 90 73 89 68 / 30 60 50 70 30 TUSCALOOSA 74 92 74 91 69 / 30 50 50 70 30 CALERA 73 89 72 88 70 / 30 60 50 70 30 AUBURN 72 88 71 87 70 / 30 60 50 60 40 MONTGOMERY 73 91 73 88 73 / 30 60 50 60 40 TROY 72 90 72 88 72 / 30 70 40 60 40 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 87/58
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 100 PM CDT TUE JUL 9 2013 ALZ011>015-017>050-101115- MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-CHEROKEE- CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR-TALLADEGA- CLAY-RANDOLPH-SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON-COOSA-TALLAPOOSA- CHAMBERS-MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE-MONTGOMERY-MACON- BULLOCK-LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR- 100 PM CDT TUE JUL 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED.
The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:29 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall rates of nearly 2 inches per hour led to approximately 2 feet of water across Woodley Road at the intersection of Narrow Lane.
Several thunderstorm outflow boundaries collided, resulting in a prolonged heavy rain event over portions of southeast metro Birmingham, where radar estimated over four inches of rain fell. This resulted in over 12 inches of water covering U.S. Highway 280, at the Inverness Center Drive intersection. Numerous cars were trapped in quickly rising waters, and the heavily traveled highway was closed during rush hour. Additionally, Brookhighland Parkway became flooded, with several cars trapped.
Up to 6 inches of flowing water was covering portions of Highway 119, at the Broken Bow subdivision, near Briarwood High School.
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: 468645, 468648, 468651.