Isolated but intense thunderstorms erupted during the midday hours, and lingered into the early evening hours. A few of the thunderstorms became severe, producing damaging winds.
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 but intense thunderstorms erupted during the midday hours, and lingered into the early evening hours. A few of the thunderstorms became severe, producing damaging winds. A particularly strong downburst affected the southeast portion of Decatur, where dozens of homes were damaged, including fallen trees and power lines. The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge sustained significant tree fall damage.
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 Jun 12, 11:33 AM CST, 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1233 PM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021 .UPDATE... For 18Z TAFS. && .NEAR TERM...(Rest of Today) Issued at 1015 AM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021 Fog that was prevalent across the area this morning is still dissipating/lifting...but some patchy fog remains mainly in portions of Morgan and Cullman Counties, especially along the higher terrain. Otherwise, sky conditions are gradually clearing with some cu noted to be forming in NE and SW portions of the area that have experienced more insolation thus far. The main larger scale feature of interest is a shortwave that will be traversing the area from NW- SE during this afternoon, which may help instigate showers and thunderstorms. It is still difficult to determine what areas may ultimately be favored for development with somewhat mixed signals between dynamic forcing and thermodynamic instability. Nevertheless, western areas do appear slightly favored overall and scattered POPs will be continued there for this afternoon with isolated POPs in far eastern locations. Shear profiles are generally not supportive of strong cell organization and small, multi-cell clusters would seem to be favored. However, fairly steep low-lvl lapse rates along with high PW values would indicate a good threat for strong wind gusts from any stronger cells today. Generally small adjustments were made to the ongoing forecast with no significant changes at this time. .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Monday) Issued at 250 AM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021 Drier conditions are forecast tonight as daytime heating comes to an end and the trough pushes to the south of the area. Patchy fog may develop again tonight with light winds and mostly clear skies. Regardless, another mild night is forecast with lows in the upper 60s and low 70s. Sunday will feature anticyclonic flow aloft with the trough exiting to the south. However, the atmosphere will once again be highly unstable with SBCAPE values climbing into the 2000-4000 J/Kg range. However, there is no shortwave trough like today and the atmosphere is slightly drier. Therefore, expect storms will be a bit more isolated to scattered on Sunday. Storms should be able to form on outflow and differential heating boundaries by mid to late afternoon. Highs will once again climb into the upper 80s to low 90s. Again, there could be some strong to marginally severe storms on Sunday afternoon as well but think the setup looks better today. Heat indices will once again be near 100 degrees on Sunday. Showers/storms will generally come to an end Sunday night with the loss of daytime heating. Mild temperatures are forecast overnight with lows in the upper 60s to low 70s. Ridging aloft will continue on Monday ahead of a trough that will dive southeastward out of the Great Lakes Region. These higher heights aloft will lead to poor mid-level lapse rates with a cap persisting throughout much of day. Due to this, left the forecast dry with sunny skies. Highs will once again be in the upper 80s to low 90s. .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Friday) Issued at 250 AM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021 A cold front associated with the approaching trough will move through the forecast area late Monday night into early Tuesday. This front will usher in a true airmass change for mid-June. As mentioned above, the atmosphere will be rather dry ahead of this front. Therefore, do not expect any precipitation with this frontal passage. Drier air will move in behind the boundary with a noticeable difference in the humidity throughout much of the long-term forecast. Temperatures will also drop a few degrees with highs generally in the mid 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows Wednesday and Thursday morning will be in the upper 50s to low 60s. Overall, rather pleasant weather is forecast for mid- June throughout much of the long-term forecast period. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1230 PM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021 An upper-lvl system will be moving southward across the area this afternoon, instigating SHRA/TSRA development. In fact, an area of SHRA/TSRA has already developed and will likely impact KHSV through ~21Z. Given sctd nature of TSRA activity, TEMPO group will address threat/impact for KHSV. If the strongest part of cell impacts the location, vis/ceiling impacts could be further decreased to IFR range. SHRA/TSRA may develop near KMSL later as upr-low moves SWRD across the area, but lower confidence in impacts there. SHRA/TSRA activity is expected to decrease with the loss of daytime heating and as the upr-lvl system begins to move away especially after 21-00Z. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && NEAR TERM...KDW SHORT TERM...MA LONG TERM...MA AVIATION...KDW For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1051 AM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-130700- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 1051 AM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... A few strong to marginally severe storms will be possible this afternoon with locally damaging wind gusts possible. These storms will also produce heavy rainfall with localized flash flooding possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... Scattered afternoon storms are expected again on Sunday with gusty winds possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
1231 PM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021
TNZ076-096-121815-
Moore TN-Lincoln TN-
1231 PM CDT Sat Jun 12 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL MOORE AND
NORTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES UNTIL 115 PM CDT...
At 1230 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Petersburg, or 12 miles southwest of Shelbyville, moving south at 10
mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Belleville, Mulberry, Chestnut Ridge, Mimosa, Booneville and Howell.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Very heavy rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3535 8654 3536 8650 3521 8641 3519 8665
3531 8665 3533 8660 3536 8660 3537 8657
TIME...MOT...LOC 1730Z 351DEG 10KT 3534 8657
GHThe Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:06 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree limb was snapped in New Market, about two miles east of Walker Lane and U.S. Highway 231. Time estimated by radar.
Power poles were knocked down between Sherwood Drive and 13th Street. Time estimated by radar.
A powerful small-scale downburst occurred in southeast Decatur, including the Point Mallard neighborhood. Based on newspaper reports and photos, winds were estimated up to 75 mph. The winds produced significant tree damage, including numerous fallen trees, some on area homes. Several power poles were snapped and power lines were down, knocking out power to hundreds of residents in the area.
Further south and across Highway 67/Beltline Road, the downburst knocked down numerous trees within the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). At the visitors Center complex, a tree was knocked onto the building causing roof and water damage. Several trees blocked roads and hiking trails which had to be closed for cleanup. Time estimated by radar.
A couple of power poles were snapped near the intersection of State Highway 67 and Mountainview Drive in Priceville. Time estimated by radar.
An off-duty NWS employee reported a single tree down along the side of Interstate 65. A metal road sign was also bent over in the same location. Time estimated by radar.
A downburst knocked down numerous trees within the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center complex. One tree was knocked onto the building causing roof and water damage. Several trees blocked roads and hiking trails which had to be closed for cleanup. Time estimated by radar.
Multiple trees were knocked down in the Anderson community. Time estimated by radar.
A CoCoRaHS observer reported that multiple trees were knocked down by thunderstorm winds over a couple of miles along CR 51 just off Highway 72. 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, June 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: 969363, 969373, 975496, 969366, 969368, 971791, 969375, 971792.