The thunderstorm that prompted the Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Tuscaloosa County has moved westward into the SE corner of Pickens County. The storm that triggered the Walker County warning was over the south edge of Fayette County at 10:25 pm.

Both storms have weakened.

Some sample rainfall amounts from this afternoon/evening:

0.49 in Center Point
0.15 in Huffman
1.44 in NE Trussville (in 35 minutes)
0.38 in Inverness
0.14 in Hoover/Bluff Park
0.35 at Tuscaloosa Airport (between 9 and 10 pm)
0.00 (not a drop) at Helena and Greystone Cove

Nathan Jones, ABC 3340 WeatherWatcher in Helena reports only 0.38 of an inch since July 22 and 0.17 of that fell late Friday.

Shall we call it the Helena Desert?

Well, a bit early for that.

This should be our last update for tonight (we hope)

(Scan down to see earlier posts including Bill Murray's discussion of contrasting hurricane seasons)

1933 is generally regarded to be the busiest North Atlantic Hurricane Season on record. That year, twenty one tropical storms and hurricanes formed. There could have even been more, since that was in the days before satellite surveillance. I have always believed that we could never see another season like that one. We may be in the middle of it now. If we get to twenty two named storms, we will run out of names. In the Pacific, when one list is exhausted, they start using the first name from the next years list. The five busiest season since 1851 and the five least busiest seasons since 1946, when reconnaissance flights began...

Top five busiest seasons:
1993 21 Tropical Storms 10 Hurricanes
1887 19 Tropical Storms 11 Hurricanes
1995 19 Tropical Storms 11 Hurricanes
1969 18 Tropical Storms 12 Hurricanes
1936 16 Tropical Storms 7 Hurricanes
Five least busy seasons (ties sorted by ACE, a ranking of intensity and duration)
1983 4 Tropical Storms 3 Hurricanes
1962 5 Tropical Storms 3 Hurricanes
1946 6 Tropical Storms 3 Hurricanes
1977 6 Tropical Storms 5 Hurricanes
1982 6 Tropical Storms 2 Hurricanes

- Bill Murray

Here we go with another Severe Thunderstorm Warning. The NWS posted it for Tuscaloosa County until 9:45.

Radar indicated a severe thunderstorm near Brookwood, east of the city of Tuscaloosa, and moving SW at 25. It may produce winds over 60 mph.

Much, much lightning in this thunderstorm, which is always very dangerous. Places that may be affected by this severe thunderstorm include Tuscaloosa, Northport, Holt and Fosters.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was also in effect until 9:15 for Walker County. Thunderstorms persist over the western part of Walker County and appear to be quite strong.

Thunderstorms have grown stronger again tonight in areas west and NW of Birmingham.

NWS has posted a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Central Walker County until 9:15 pm. It was located near Jasper moving weat at 20 mph. Places that may be affected:

Jasper, Parrish, Oakman, Carbon Hill.

Thunderstorms over NE Tuscaloosa County also strong, producing locally heavy rain. They are moving WSW generally toward the Tuscaloosa-Northport area.

Off to the east, another line of thunderstorms has crossed the border from Georgia and moving west through East-Central Alabama.

We will keep watch.

What was once a line of strong thunderstorms is now a line of moderate showers to a few heavy storms. At 7:45, they extended from south of Fort Payne, in extreme NE Alabama, SW generally along Interstate 59 to Gadsden, then through West St Clair and East Blount County into North Jefferson.

Although a few areas still getting good rainfall amounts, overall the storms have weakened considerably.

Moderate to heavy rain still over West Bibb County moving slowly west.

Probably our last update unless something big flares again.

(Scan down for other posts, including Brian's dunking pictures)

1.44 inches in only 35 minutes. That's what we got in NE Trussville as the line of storms moved through. Now only sprinkles. Our peak wind gust was about 20 mph.

At 7pm, the line of thunderstorms extended from Gadsden southwestward down Interstate 59 to NE Jefferson County. Still moving WNW. Storms now west of Trussville.

More strong thunderstorms, with very heavy rain, now moving westward into Cherokee County from NW Georgia. Looks like it is pouring around Rome, Ga.

Strong thunderstorms now moving west across Central Bibb County, SW of the Birmingham area.

That line of thunderstorms at 6:40 pm extended from Near Centre, in Cherokee County, southwestward to Gadsden and Springville intio the NE edge of Jefferson County around Trussville. All of them moving WNW.

Very heavy rain continues in Trussville area.

Just gotta be some street flooding in the area by now...if it does not slacken soon, we could easily get an inch.

Whoops! Big bolt of lightning just struck kust a short distance away, about a hundred yards.

Still no wind over 20 mph.

Another thunderstorm has formed west of downtown Birmingham and moving westward.

Also storms over SW Shelby and Eastern Bibb County moving west toward West Blocton, Centreville and Brent. (See earlier posts below)

Those west-moving thunderstorms now moving across the Trussville area in NE Jefferson County. Very heavy rain but, so far, winds only about 15 mph. The lightning is popping but not real frequent. (See earlier post below)

And, like yesterday, they are moving westward.

At 6:15 pm, A broken line of thunderstorms extended from near Gadsden down through St. Clair County to near Pell City. Others were over South Shelby and North Chilton County. They were moving west and WNW.

Lots of lightning.

The more numerous and stronger storms this afternoon have been over the NW counties.

We will standby and watch.

It was probably the coolest booth to work in at KidFest 2005 at the Helena Amphitheater - the dunking booth. KidFest 2005 was sponsored by WHIM, Women of Helena in Motion, and I was invited to participate in the celebrity dunking booth. I really felt honored when I learned that Chuck Johnson was the next victim, er, booth participant right after me. Chuck dunked me twice, but I got revenge by being the first person to dunk him!

Take a look at the pictures!

Getting Dunked!

BIG Splash!

BIG Smile When Contestant Misses!

It was a great time at KidFest 2005, and I was really proud to be able to contribute to my hometown activities.

-Brian-