A small complex of strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon hours and moved east across north Alabama. The storms produced a few reports of damage in northwest into north central Alabama and southern middle Tennessee.
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 small complex of strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon hours and moved east across north Alabama. The storms produced a few reports of damage in northwest into north central Alabama and southern middle Tennessee.
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 Aug 18, 11:55 AM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1255 PM CDT Wed Aug 18 2021 .NEAR TERM...(Tonight) Issued at 1255 PM CDT Wed Aug 18 2021 An upper level impulse now over southern AR will lift northeast into the lower OH valley this evening in advance of a shortwave trough axis in MO and northern AR. The shortwave trough will then drop slowly southeast late tonight into western middle TN and northern MS. This feature will likely keep clusters of showers and thunderstorms going at times, especially along and near a stationary boundary stretching from north MS through southern and middle TN. Rather high CAPE values building this afternoon will help sustain some threat of severe weather early, but overnight, expect the threat to favor very heavy rainfall in a few areas, due to PWs around 2 inches (note inflow dew points to our southwest in the middle to upper 70s), and some tendency for echo training. Fortunately, mid level flow will increase into the 15-20kt range to keep storms moving along better. .SHORT TERM...(Thursday through Friday night) Issued at 1255 PM CDT Wed Aug 18 2021 Clusters of showers and thunderstorms will continue Thursday as the shortwave drops southeast. The weak front will also edge southeast as well. Plenty of debris clouds will keep instability down, so thunderstorm chances may lessen somewhat during the middle part of the day, with the main axis shifting southeast. Thus, PoPs are in the likely range, but there remains some uncertainty through the entire day. Some clearing may yield heating and redevelopment of a few thunderstorms in the afternoon in middle TN and north MS that also drop southeast during the afternoon and evening. Temperatures as a result will stay in the 80s for highs. Northwest flow aloft at 5h and a ridge at 8h and a very moist and at least slight to moderately buoyant airmass will keep chances of showers and thunderstorms at times through Friday. A weak westerly LLJ at 8h may help aid nocturnal thunderstorms Friday night as well. Heavy rainfall (possibly excessive in a few spots) will continue to be the main issue through Friday. Highs will again be in the 80s on Friday. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Tuesday) Issued at 1255 PM CDT Wed Aug 18 2021 Multiple MCS clusters will be draped from the eastern corn belt and lower OH valley south through AL to the Gulf Coast on Saturday. These will be aided by a either MCVs or weak shortwave impulses dropping over the upper ridge in the Plains and south- southeast into the southeast region. It remains difficult to say if a more dominant singular MCS will drive southeast through the area, or multiple smaller clusters. In either case, the main hazards will be gusty outflow winds with any larger scale cold pools that can develop on Saturday, along with locally heavy rainfall. The ridge may build a bit further east by Saturday night into Sunday, lowering chances of showers and thunderstorms. As the ridge builds east through early next week, a return to more seasonably hot and humid conditions with isolated diurnally driven thunderstorms. Highs will likely reach the lower 90s with lows still in the upper 60s to lower 70s. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 1118 AM CDT Wed Aug 18 2021 VFR flight weather conditions will last until SHRA and TSRA move through north AL and southern TN later this afternoon into tonight. Conditions will deteriorate to 3-5SM visibility (MVFR likely) and possibly IFR with 1/2-1SM visibility. Activity should become more SHRA than TSRA after 00-03Z. Ceilings may lower into the 010-030agl (MVFR) range and possibly below 010agl (IFR) by 12Z with continued SHRA possible through the end of the period. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && NEAR TERM...17 SHORT TERM...17 LONG TERM...17 AVIATION...17 For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 227 PM CDT Wed Aug 18 2021 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-191030- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 227 PM CDT Wed Aug 18 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight... Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening. Main concerns with any stronger storms will be locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday... Chances for showers and thunderstorms each afternoon and evening Thursday through Tuesday. Main concerns with any stronger storms will be locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is not anticipated at this time.
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:15 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down at 6565 Underwood Mountain Road at the Little Creek Missionary Baptist Church. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down at New Cut Road at Milk Springs Road. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down in the 9000 block of Riverton Rose Trail. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down in the 800 block of Ligon Road. Time estimated by radar.
Trees were knocked down into power lines along Market Street, between Shannon Street and Hine Street. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down across Crestview Street. Time estimated by radar.
A social media photo indicated a tree was knocked down across Highway 53 just south of Toney Road. Time estimated by radar.
Strong outflow winds from a thunderstorm knocked a tree down onto a home on Yancy Road in Madison. Time estimated by radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2021
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: 978827, 978828, 978829, 978831, 978830, 978832, 978833, 978834.