The first of two lines of thunderstorms arrived in northwest Alabama during the early afternoon hours producing a couple reports of wind damage. The second and more intense line of thunderstorms arrived during the early evening hours, and produced several reports of wind damage, one tornado in Limestone County, and flash flooding which killed one person.
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.
The first of two lines of thunderstorms arrived in northwest Alabama during the early afternoon hours producing a couple reports of wind damage. The second and more intense line of thunderstorms arrived during the early evening hours, and produced several reports of wind damage, one tornado in Limestone County, and flash flooding which killed one person.
After 2-3 inches of rain in less than two hours, a flash flood occurred along Anderson creek in Lauderdale County, sweeping three cars off of two roads affected. One person was killed, while at least two others were rescued.
A storm survey determined that an EF-0 tornado occurred southwest of Athens.
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 Dec 29, 12:01 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1201 PM CST Sun Dec 29 2019 .UPDATE... For 18Z TAFS. && .NEAR TERM...(Rest of Today) Issued at 1051 AM CST Sun Dec 29 2019 A North American scale water vapor view from above indicated a mature upper low situated over the NE/IA border. The circulation around this low was in part helping to draw a large fetch of subtropical from the tropical east Pacific south of Mexico and 10N. A somewhat diffluent SW-NE upper flow was also evident in the water vapor channels. This system's surface low was over the MN/IA border region, with a couple of fronts draped south of it. The first, weaker one was extending southward across far western Tennessee to near Vicksburg. A stronger front was pushing eastward from central Iowa to NW Arkansas and far SE Oklahoma. Showers associated with this system have affected much of the forecast area already. Light rain/drizzle was moving from east of Birmingham to across NE Alabama. Heavier showers were extending from near the MS River Delta to far NE MS, and were inching eastward. The closest lightning was across LA/AR. The various shorter term guidance, including the CAMs were in generally good agreement with big picture forecasting regarding the approach of the front from the west, with better rain chances this afternoon and evening. They varied in the details on storm strength and timing. Some guidance was suggesting the activity over NE AL should fade for a short time in the late morning and early afternoon. This could result in an increase in heating, with higher instabilities over our western/central areas --- which could lead to strong and severe convection. The main threat looks to be damaging wind gusts over 60 mph, but a short-term increase in shear and instability could spawn a few tornadoes. Areas from far NW AL to the I-65 corridor would be in the higher threat areas far as tornadoes. Timing for this would be in the late afternoon to mid evening. Another scenario which could occur would keep more clouds and light showers in place, which would dampen instability and severe potential. The clouds associated with the clouds moving in from the west could do this. Despite a "cooling" trend brought by more cloud cover, very warm late December conditions prevailed across the greater Tennessee Valley. 10 AM temperatures ranged from the mid 60s to 70. The 70 degrees in Muscle Shoals is only a degree from tying their record high of 70, last set in 1936, 1984 & 1996. Huntsville is 2 degrees away from it's record high of 69, last set in 1923 and 1996. Adjustments for the rest of the day mainly were with timing and chance changes regarding showers. Left most other parameters unchanged. .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Tuesday) Issued at 232 AM CST Sun Dec 29 2019 The cold front will move east of the area between midnight and 3 am Monday, with westerly surface flow limiting the CAA behind the front. The upper trough will lag a bit, with southwesterly flow persisting through the day as well. Temps will be relatively mild, with highs warming into the lower to mid 50s. Conditions will be slightly cooler on Tuesday, as the axis of the broad upper trough finally moves through the area and surface flow becomes a bit more northwesterly. Temps will be near seasonal norms, as lows fall into the lower to mid 30s and highs warm into the upper 40s to lower 50s. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Saturday) Issued at 232 AM CST Sun Dec 29 2019 Our post-frontal airmass with zonal flow aloft will continue into Wednesday with high temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Meanwhile, a cutoff low over the Baja Peninsula will merge with a shortwave digging southward from the Pacific Northwest overnight on Wednesday and become an open wave trough. As a result, lee cyclogenesis will develop a low over the Central Plains that will track toward the TN Valley through the late week with a trailing southwestward cold front. Surface high pressure centered over the northern Gulf of Mexico will advance eastward as the open mid- and upper-level trough tracks eastward over the Southern Plains. Behind the surface high, surface southerly flow will transport Gulf moisture northward and increase warm air advection. Maximum temperatures will steadily rise into the mid 50s Thursday and low 60s on Friday. Ahead of the advancing cold front, expect showers to develop late on Thursday and periodically continue through Friday night into Saturday morning. The GFS and Canadian model guidance are suggesting a secondary surface low may develop over the southern portion of the Gulf Coast states, which could limit moisture transport and any potential destabilization. Forecast total rainfall has slightly increased with this system with expected totals between 2 and 3 inches. This system is still several days out, and heavy rainfall potential is also dependent on whether or not moisture will be cutoff by the development of a secondary low south of our region, but the heavy rainfall potential is worth monitoring as this evolves. Minor flooding of area rivers, creeks, and low lying or poor drainage areas is possible, especially considering high soil moisture content from recent rainfall. Despite slight discrepancies in when the 500 mb trough axis will progress through the TN Valley, zonal flow aloft will continue through next weekend. Consequently, mild temperatures will remain in place both Saturday and Sunday. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon) Issued at 1201 PM CST Sun Dec 29 2019 Mostly inclement flying weather continues into the late night. A storm system over the Central Plains will bring a strong cold front across the area tonight. Numerous to widespread showers and scattered t-storms will precede this boundary. Some of the storms especially from far NW AL to Huntsville could become strong to severe, with damaging wind gusts over 50kt. A tornado or two cannot be ruled out as well. Otherwise MVFR CIGs will at times be reduced to IFR and LIFR in the heavier showers/storms, along with VIS reductions. Stronger winds aloft will work down to the surface in the afternoon and evening, producing southerly winds of 10-20kt and a few higher gusts. Low-level wind shear is forecast above KHSV this evening, with FL020 winds at 200 deg at 50kt. The passage of the front tonight will end rain chances, as well as veer southerly winds to a westerly direction in the late night and on early Monday. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && NEAR TERM...RSB SHORT TERM...73 LONG TERM...30 AVIATION...RSB For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 931 AM CST Sun Dec 29 2019 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-300645- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 931 AM CST Sun Dec 29 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... Thunderstorm coverage and intensity will slowly increase this morning, and should peak in the late afternoon and early evening hours as a cold front tracks eastward through the Tennessee Valley. A few strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible, with the main threat coming from damaging winds. Although confidence is low, a few tornadoes are possible as well. Locally heavy rainfall amounts in the 1 to 2 inch range may lead to rises on rivers and creeks. The threat for storms will end from west to east during the mid to late evening hours. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday... Another storm system will impact the region on Thursday and Friday, bringing locally heavy rainfall and an additional threat for flooding late next week. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is possible this afternoon and evening.
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:26 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down into the road at Grisham Drive at Lee Street in Rogersville.
A tree was knocked down at the intersection of CR 91 and CR 605 in Rogersville.
Trees and power lines were knocked down on Duncan Creek Road past the football stadium. Report obtained via scanner. Time estimated by radar.
Trees and power lines were knocked down near Mahan Avenue and Liberty Avenue. A tree was knocked down onto a home. Relayed via social media. Time estimated by radar.
Three vehicles were swept by flash flooding on Anderson Creek along CR 50 and CR 52. A 20 year old woman was killed in the vehicle. Two others including the victim's mother in the other vehicles were rescued. Time of occurrence from Times Daily news article.
A tornado touched down approximately 0.3 miles west of the intersection of Zelner Road and Ripley Road in southern Limestone County. Upon touchdown the tornado produced tree damage. Tracking to the northeast, the tornado produced damage to a metal barn roof along Bell Road, snapped a tree at the base, and uplifted an attached roof of a porch on a small home. Farther to the northeast, the tornado produced mainly roof and window damage in a mobile home park along the west side of Blackburn Road. On Ham Road, more extensive damage was found to a mobile home, which was pushed back about six feet, detaching it from an awning and cement parking pad. This mobile home was anchored to concrete pads that were sitting on gravel, but the mobile home was left largely intact. The tornado continued to snap trees across Evans Road and Reid Road. As the tornado approached U.S. Highway 72, it produced significant damage to a metal-sided outbuilding, while producing mainly roof and siding damage to a couple of metal building systems on the south side of U.S. Highway 72. The tornado produced damage to a couple of metal signs at a gas station located along the north side of U.S. Highway 72 at the intersection of W. Washington Street. Along W. Washington Street, tree damage continued, with some trees uprooted, including a tree that fell on a vehicle. At the intersection of W. Glenn Valley Drive and W. Washington Road, a large tree branch fell, partly on a house. The tornado appeared to lift near this point, with some minor tree damage farther to the northeast in western portions of Athens.
Water in homes at Creek View Apartments in Town Creek. Residents were evacuated from the complex. Time is when report was relayed via EMA.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood, Lauderdale | 2019-12-29 | 20 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 2019Warnings in Alabama, December 2019
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: 865580, 865581, 865578, 865579, 870174, 864677, 870171.