The 2001 North Atlantic Hurricane Season wasted no time in getting started as Tropical Storm Allison formed quickly in an area of disturbed weather over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on just the fifth day of the season.

Allison would make landfall near Houston with top winds near 60 mph, but the main impact from the storm would be heavy rains. The storm circulation would remain intact over land for nearly two weeks, dumping nearly 36 inches of rain in parts of the Houston area and up to 25 inches over parts of Southeast Louisiana. The 35.94 inches of rain that fell at Greens Bayou, near Houston, is the third highest rainfall total in U.S. history, behind the 45 inches that fell from 1979’s Tropical Storm Claudette and the 40 inches that fell at Thrall, Texas in 1921. The 29.86 inches of rain that fell at Thibodeaux LA ranks as one of the top 5 storm total rainfalls in Louisiana history. Baton Rouge LA picked up 21.36 inches rain for the month, nearing breaking their all time June record.

Catastrophic flooding occurred in the Houston area. More flooding would occur from Georgia to Pennsylvania as the remnants of Allison slowly spun into the Mid Atlantic states. Twenty two people would die from the floods and some tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana and another nine in Florida with four storm-related deaths in Philadelphia. Allison would become the costliest Tropical Storm in United States history, with preliminary damages near $2.5 billion.

Those strong thunderstorms that moved down from Tennessee into North and Central Alabama have weakened.

Earlier Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were issued for a number of North Alabama counties, however damage has been minor--mostly some trees and power lines down.

Probably the worst case was a report of numerous trees uprooted along US-278 in Cullman County. At 6:25 pm only moderate storms remain over Cullman and Blount Counties as well as Western Lamar County along the Mississippi border. The stronger storms are now further south from near Montgomery northeastward to Western Lee County.

This will probably be our last update unless the storms reintensify.

Cullman County storms weakened just a bit so the Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Cullman County was allowed to expire at 5:30.

Numerous trees reported down along U.S 278 in Cullman County. U.S 278 is the main east-west route across the county.

Trees also reported down at West Point which is on Alabama Route 157 NW of Cullman.

Strongest storms now east and SE of the city of Cullman.

Appears that a thunderstorm is trying to form along the north edge of Jefferson County.

Still some scattered fairly strong thunderstorms further south over Central Alabama.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning continues for Cullman County in North-Central Alabama until 5:30 pm. The strongest storms at 5:20 were in the vicinity of Cullman, New Hope and over the north part of Smith Lake. They were moving SE at about 20 mph.

Trees and power lines are down in the Baldwin and West Point communities in Cullman County. Earlier trees were also uprooted on Danville Road in Decatur.

Away from those, a strong storm was over West Tuscaloosa County and down in Central Alabama a few strong ones near Lake Martin and along the Chilton-Autauga County line.

The North Alabama storms now in Cullman and Winston Counties may affect Blount and Walker Counties later and could eventually reach Birmingham.

At 4:45, a line of strong storms extended from Huntsville southwestward to Moulton, Haleyville and Vernon. The storms were moving SE at 20 mph. Several Severe Thunderstorm Warnings have been issued as these storms move SE. The latest is a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Cullman County until 5:30. Radar indicated a severe thunderstorm, possibly producing penny-size hail and damaging winds over 60 mph. It was located 19 miles NW of Cullman moving SE at 20.

This storm was moving generally toward Cullman and Good Hope.

There is considerable lightning in these thunderstorms and, of course, the possibility of hail and damaging winds. Some of these storms may reach the Birmingham area later this afternoon.

As these storms move down through the Tennessee Valley, these reports:

* Thunderstorm wind damage at Anderson, Lauderdale County. One tree down and power lines down.

* Wind estimated to 50 mph in the Cairo community of Limestone County. A tree was also uprooted in Athens in Limestone County.

* In Lawrence County, a tin roof was blown off a shed.

Here is the latest:

The NWS-Huntsville has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for:

* Limestone and Madison Counties in North-Central Alabama.

* Lawrence County in NW Alabama

Until 4:30 p.m.

A line of severe storms, may be producing penny-size hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 mph, was located along a line from Harvest to 21 miles west of Athens moving SE at 20. Some communites affected:

Athens
Hazel Green
Meridianville
Moores Mill
Huntsville
Redstone Arsenal

The Storm Prediction Center now has the north half of Alabama under a slight risk of severe thunderstorms because of these. To the south, other scattered storms were located near Centreville in Bibb County and also over the SE edge of Chilton County and the SW corner of Talladega County. Those, too, were moving SE.

NWS, Huntsville posts Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Franklin County in NW Alabama until 4:15.

The possible severe storm was near Phil Campbell, moving SE at 20 mph.

The Storm Prediction Center, in an updated outlook, has extended the slight risk area for severe thunderstorms southward to cover the entire north half of Alabama. This includes places like Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Anniston, Talladega and maybe as far south as Clanton.

Scattered storms also are in progress in Central Alabama but the stronger ones are over the NW.

Earlier these storms:

* Uprooted trees at Waynesboro, Tenn., one on a car and one on a house.

* Blew shingles off a house at Waynesboro also

* Trees down at Madisonville, Tenn.

Thunderstorms increasing over Extreme NW Alabama.

NWS, Huntsville has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Colbert and lauderdale County in the NW corner of Alabama until 4 pm.

Severe thunderstorm was near Underwood-Petersville. Moving SE 20 mph.

This storm headed for:

Sheffield
Tuscumbia
Muscle Shoals
Leighton

May have penny size hail and gusts to 60 mph.

Down in Central Alabama, scattered thunderstorms were in progress across:

Shelby County
North Chilton County
North Bibb County
East edge of Tuscaloosa County
North Hale County near Moundville

Those also moving southward.

The Storm Prediction Center, Norman, Okla., has placed Extreme North Alabama under a slight risk for severe thunderstorms...mainly the Tennessee Valley counties.

Showers and thunderstorms have broken out this afternoon over North and Central Alabama.

A disturbance pushing southeastward over the Tennessee Valley has triggered thunderstorms over Tennessee down into Central Alabama. The SPC has outlooked the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama with a slight risk of severe weather for this afternoon and tonight.

At 3:20 p.m. a few storms were scattered from Randolph County in the east back to southern Jefferson, Shelby County and over to Hale County.

The main concentration of storms is over Northwest Alabama. This is part of a thunderstorm complex that is moving southeastward from the Northwest Corner of Alabama. A couple of severe thunderstorm warnings were in effect in Tennessee. Look for other warnings as the complex moves down into the slightly unstable airmass over Alabama.

Showers and storms will overspread the rest of North and Central Alabama this afternoon and continue into the overnight hours.

J.B. will keep the blog updated for the rest of the afternoon and this evening. Thanks JB!

The Sunday morning map discussion video is on the server at:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

Wow, what a fabulous day we had yesterday with highs only reaching the lower 80s for most locations in Central Alabama. And then a wonderfully crisp feel to the cool, dry air this morning as the mercury fell back into the mid and upper 50s for many places - some only the lower 60s. JB reported 58 in Trussville which was the same low I recorded in Helena.

And it sure looks like we are on track for another beautiful day. Enjoy it because we are about to enter that time of the year when cold fronts become very rare events in the Southeast US.

The work week will start out dry, but a new wrinkle has been introduced into the forecast. A fairly strong disturbance is expected to develop about Tuesday and move south-southeast bringing a fairly significant chance of rain to Mississippi and Alabama on Wednesday and into early Thursday. Timing may adjust slightly as the event gets closer.

After that disturbance passes, we'll return to dry weather. And by the start of next weekend, the main storm track moves northward putting much of the southern tier of the US under high pressure. The Gulf is forecast to open up and with the increased moisture comes a pattern of afternoon and early evening showers and thunderstorms. We'll also see a warm up as temperatures again begin flirting with the 90s.

It's been an enjoyable five days of doing the web map discussions. James Spann will be back in the saddle again bright and early tomorrow morning.

-Brian-