Alabama’s Top Weather Events of 2009

Here is a list of Alabama weather events from 2009 that deserve consideration for the top ten list for the year. Vote for your top events by commenting below. You can even nominate an event that you feel deserves consideration.

…Brewton and South Alabama flooding on December 14th. Six to ten inches of rain in 24 hours and twenty inches in a week caused severe flooding, especially in East Brewton

…Derechoes on May 3rd and 6th that caused widespread wind damage and tornadoes across Alabama and the Deep South. An EF2 tornado on the 6th at Madison was the strongest in Alabama. Part of 6 straight days of severe weather.

…End of the Drought…rains began before the start of the year. By January 6th, flooding was reported in Walker County. The rain never stopped coming, with many places finishing 20 inches above normal for the year. It would finish as the 4th wettest year ever in Birmingham.

…April 12-13 gravity wave. Powerful winds associated with the gravity wave across North and Central Alabama left over 150,000 people without power.

…February 18th: Softball sized hail in Calhoun County. Large hail, EF1 tornado in Randolph County. Long lived supercell thunderstorm tracked from Livingston to Montgomery.

…It finally snowed in Birmingham: on March 1st, precipitation spread into Alabama early on a Sunday morning and changed to snow as arctic air spread into the state. It was the most widespread snow event since 1993 in Alabama and first measurable snow at BHM in 3,319 days, twice longer than any other snowless streak at here.

… April 19 tornadoes – killed two people – one in Marshall, another in Morgan County

… April 10 tornadoes – long track destructive EF3 tornadoes across Marshall, Jackson and DeKalb Counties. Softball sized hail in Decatur.

… Excessive rainfall during the year. Over 141reports of flash flooding across the state during the year. Three people died, nearly $10M in damage through August.

… Montgomery flash flooding on May 7th killed 1 and caused over $1.8 million in damage.

…September floods – 9/5 Tropical moisture invaded Alabama, setting the stage for incredible rains during the month of September that resulted in serious flooding. 10.69 inches of rain fell over a 22 day period at the Birmingham Airport. Some places received more. It was the third wettest September in Birmingham’s history.

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