Some people fear change in the television industry. After all, we are under “attack” from all sides, including satellite and cable TV and the Internet. Actually, I don’t fear change, I embrace it. And, I consider digital technology to be my friend, not the enemy. Yesterday was a great example as severe storms rolled through the eastern half of Alabama.

As of late last night, I had received over 100 digital photographs of severe weather; mainly large hail. These pictures came from “citizen journalists” armed with digital cameras. We have posted a number of them to our web site, and used many of them on ABC 33/40 news last night, and during our long form tornado coverage when St. Clair and Talladega counties were under a tornado warning. Sure, as always we had excellent work from our crews in the field, but with a TV news department you can’t be everywhere at the same time. I think the role of the public will continue to increase as we use their photos.

In addition to still pictures, we also received many nice video clips of large hail and high winds from a number of different Alabama counties. With a majority of Alabama homes how enjoying high speed Internet access, sending digital video doesn’t take long, and once again, it gives us a great advantage with our on-air coverage.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to send in images yesterday and last night. We aren’t able to use all of them in our coverage, but they sure help us understand what kind of weather is going on around the state. Want to help? If you have some interesting digital pictures or video of weather in your neighborhood, just e-mail them as an attachment to: weatherpix@abc3340.com

You can become a big part of our severe weather coverage! I will post many more pictures here on the blog tomorrow... in the meantime scroll down to see pictures from earlier today.

Jason Elliott, a forecaster with the NWS, Huntsville, reported late tonight that Cullman County (or parts thereof) has been under 10 separate severe weather warnings today.

I don't ever remember that occurring before, but I suppose it is possible.

Exhaustion encroaching but the show must go on...

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings:

...for Walker County until 10:15 pm
...for SE Coosa County until 9:45
...for Cullman County until 10
...for North Chilton County until 10

Intense thunderstorms continue in these areas. They are...for the most part...moving SE but there is redevelopment and back-building in some areas.

We are going to hear of a lot of three inch-plus rainfall amounts.

And, I am afraid more hail damge to roofs and automobiles than we want to believe

Tornado Watch expired at 9 pm

Severe Thunderstorm Watch continues.

In my 40 years of weather work, this is one of the most widespread hail events I can remember...especially with so many areas getting large hail.

* One foot of water covering Edmonson Road and downtown Hanceville, Cullman County

* Jim McCravey, Co-op observer for Hanceville reports 1.30 inches since 7:45 pm with a storm total so far of 2.60 inches

* At 9:30 pm, Breeman, in Cullman County had hail almost to one inch in diameter with wind gusts to 40 mph

* Nickle size hail with trees down near Childersburg

(NOTE: Above is only a brief sample. Many, many more reports of severe weather)

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings:

North Central Jefferson County until 9:30
South Cullman County until 9:15
Walker County till 9:15
Shelby County till 9:15
Chilton County until 10

At 9 pm a broken line of severe thunderstorms extended from North and East Walker County down across the Birmingham area into Shelby and Coosa County.

Overall the movement is toward the southeast but often the thunderstorms are back-building or redeveloping over the same area.

Still getting reports of large hail and excessive lightning.

Public reported power out in the heart of Clay (NE Jefferson County)
Also in Roebuck Springs in the NE part of Birmingham

A Flash Flood Warning continues for Cullman County until 11:15.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch for much of West and Central Alabama until midnight.

Sitting on a Continental Embraer jet at the gate in Houston about to push back for a flight back home to Birmingham...looking at all those storms to the north of Birmingham...heading south towrd the airport...

Could be a great light show landing...

Or could be landing somewhere else...hopefull my next post will be from Birmingham...

Traveling is often an adventure...

Looks like we might do this again tomorrow also...

Warnings...

Southern Cullman until 8:45...
Strong storm south of Cullman...moving southeast...
Northern edge of severe complex eastern Walker, extreme SW Blount and northern Jefferson County extends up into extreme southern Cullman County...will continue to affect extreme southern Cullman...

North Central Jefferson County until 8:30...
Northeastern Walker until 8:30...
Blount until 8:30...
The northern Walker County storms are quite strong and will move across northern jefferson County shortly, including the Warrior...Kimberly and Morris areas.
Strong storms over NE Jeffersoin to the NW of I-59 will move SE toward Pinson...Trussville..the Airport...Center Point...Roebuck..Huffman and Tarrant areas...eventually toward Leeds and Irondale...

Southwestern Talladega County until 8:30...
Severe storm cluster is over area form Sylacauga to Childersburg to Wilsonville...moving southeast...

Western Tallapoosa until 8:30...
Coosa until 8:15...
Strongest storm in state is 7 ENE of Rockford in Coosa County. It is moving SE or SSE. It shows signs of rotation and shoudl straddle the Coosa...Tallapoosa County line...ostensibly passing west of Dadeville and east of Rockford...residents in eastern Coosa and western Tallapoosa County should seek shelter now...

Eastern Shelby until 8:15 Strong to severe storms continue from south of Leeds down through Chelsea. They are also moving southeast.

All storms are capable of large hail...damaging winds...dangerous lightning and torrential rains. The stronger storms could sitll produce a tornado. Take shelter if any storm approaches your area.

A tornado watch is in effect until 9 p.m. for East Central Alabama. This watch will likely be extended southeastward soon...

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect for West Central Alabama until midnight.

Strong to severe storms continue over much of Central and North Alabam tonight...

The main activity is roughly along a line from Walker through southern Blount County...down through Jefferson and Shelby Counties...into northeastern Coosa County.

The most dangerous storm is over eastern Coosa County between Rockford and Alexander City. It is moving southeast and will move into Tallapoosa County. This storm is a supercell that is capable of producing damaging winds, very large hail and even a possible tornado as it tracks southeastward.

This storm is moving into prime instability that has not seen any storms and it will maintain strength or even intensify.

Rundown of warnings...
Southern Cullman until 8:45
North Central Jefferson County until 8:30
Southwestern Talladega County until 8:30
DeKalb County until 8:15
Western Tallapoosa until 8:30
Northeastern Walker until 8:30
Blount until 8:30
Eastern Shelby until 8:15
Coosa until 8:15

The area of storms should remain strong for the next few hours as it moves southeastward. It will eventually begin to diminish as we lose the heating of the day and instability levels decrease.

A tornado watch remains in effect for much of East Central Alabama until 9 p.m. CDT.

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect for West Central and Central Alabam until midnight.

New severe thunderstorm warning for northern DeKalb County until 815 pm CDT...

This storm is exiting eastern sections of the County into Georgia...

Another strong storm is ten miles northwest of Scottsboro, moving southeast toward that area.

The severe thunderstorm over eastern Coosa County is looking especially dangerous.

It even exhibited a Tornado Vortex Signature on Doppler Radar for one radar scan a moment ago.

It seems to be turning right a bit, which could indicate it is becoming even more dangerous.

It will pass between Rockford and Alexander City...

Residents of eastern Coosa County should take cover immediately...

A tornado watch remains in effect...