Today's severe weather event is over. Some thoughts:

*Pretty decent job with our forecast, but we the timing was off. I figured the main line of storms would sweep through the state between 6:00 and midnight; turned out it was between 3:00 and 9:00. As we always say, with thunderstorms, "expect the unexpected"!

*Wind damage seems to be fairly widespread across Lamar County. Other damage was reported in Fayette, Marion, Walker, and Winston Counties. Live in this damaged area? Send us a digital picture and we will post on the blog: coolpix@jamesspann.com

*A bow echo was associated with most of the damage.

*Minor injuries were reported in Eldridge and Lynn... due to falling trees.

*As opined here, dewpoints never made it into the mid 60s. In fact, the dewpoints were mostly in the 50s today. That prevented this event from getting out of hand.

Thanks to lots of people:

Bill Castle and Brian Peters for their work in the field in horrible weather conditions
J.B. Elliott and Bill Murray for keeping the blog fresh during the event
John Oldshue and Jason Simpson for their support here in the weather office at ABC 33/40
Our reporters who were out in the field providing live reports for us.

Thanks to YOU for being "weather aware" and reading the blog and watching our coverage on ABC 33/40 TV and the streaming coverage on the web. Today's severe storms and damage wasn't a surprise for our readers here.

Now I can focus on the next potential severe weather event Monday night of next week. While this system won't be strong as the one today, I do think this one will have 65 degree dewpoint air to work with.

I will have a full post and fresh map discussion video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow...

A severe thunderstorm watch continues until midnight for the following counties in East Alabama...Calhoun... Chambers... Cherokee... Clay... Cleburne... Coosa... Randolph... Talladega and Tallapoosa Counties.

And until 9 p.m. for Chilton... DeKalb... Etowah... Jackson... and Marshall Counties.

But counties are being dropped faster than we can post them. Just figure that if the line has passed your location, you are in the clear.

Our line of storms extends from eastern Cherokee County to west of Piedmont to Anniston to east of Sylacauga to southeast of Clanton on into South Central Alabama. It will still be associated with strong gusty winds. Behind the line, winds will drop back to 10-20 mph and gradually diminish overnight.

A 100 mile wide band of rain continues behind the line of storms. The bank side of the precipitation area extends from west of Huntsville to west of Jasper to west of Tuscaloosa. Ahead of the line, temperatures are in the 70s, but fall 15 degrees in quick order behind it.

Skies will become partly cloudy overnight. There might be a little fog in areas that clear sufficiently to allow good radiational cooling. Temperatures will remain in the 50s overnight.

Look for a great day tomorrow, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures warming well through the 70s to near 80 degrees in some locations.

Late damage reports...

Cherokee County reported spotty tree damage from non thunderstorm winds ahead of the line.

Several reports of downed trees and large limbs across Cleburne County.

A person in a house was injured by a falling tree on Dicky Springs Road near Bessemer around 5:45 p.m.

Storms are weakening as they move east into more stable air tonight...

The thin line of storms is still packing a punch, though with strong gusty winds in front of and along the line. It extends from DeKalb and Jackson Counties (where Huntsville maintains a severe thunderstorm warning) through the city of Gadsden then to just west of Pell City to eastern Shelby County near Vincent and Harpersville to near Columbiana to west of Jemison and Maplesville.

No warnings are in effect at this time for Central Alabama.

A severe thunderstorm watch does remain in effect ahead of the line, however. Counties are being cleared as soon as the line passes.

The National Weather Service has announced they will be sending crews to Lamar, Marion, Fayette, Winston and Walker Counties tomorrow to survey damage from today's storms.

Our line of thunderstorms is weakening a bit as it moves into slightly more stable air.

It extends from east of Guntersville to west of Ashville to just west of Leeds to just west of Chelsea to just west of Montevallo.

The Jefferson County warning has expired as has the Bibb County warning.

Still, strong winds up to 65-70 mph are occurring along and ahead of the line. In addition, winds of 40 mph are occurring ahead of the line. These winds can cause minor to significant wind damage. Be in a safe shelter as the line approaches and passes your location.

A tree has been reported down in the town of Talladega. Trees are reported down over St. Clair and Talladega Counties. There are numerous other reports of wind damage across the state, including some significant damage over Northwest Alabama.

A new severe thunderstorm watch (#56) has been issued for East Alabama. It goes until 12;00 midnight and includes: Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, Talladega and Tallapoosa Counties.

Severe thunderstorm watch number 53 remains in effect for the following counties...Bibb... Chilton... Dallas... DeKalb... Etowah... Jackson... Madison... Marshall... Perry... St. Clair and Shelby Counties. But the severe weather threat ends as soon as the line passes your location, and the Watch will be cancelled early for all Alabama counties.

Line of intense thunderstorms moving into Birmingham Metro...

Severe thunderstorm warning for Jefferson until 630 p.m., and Shelby until 6:45 p.m. Bibb COunty also under warning until 6:30 p.m.

The line of storms extends from Blount County to just west of downtown Birmingham. It becomes stronger as it extends down through Southwest Jeffersoin County ot about 10 miles west of Centerville in Bibb County. It extends on to just east of Greensboro.

The line is moving east at about 45 mph.

It is accompanied by very strong winds gusing as high as 75 mph. This can cause significant damage. Rainfall will be torrential for a brief duration and some deadly lightning is being observed.

Out ahead of the main line, winds are gusting to 40 mph at times, and have been causing minor damage and downing some trees.

A severe thunderstorm watch continues until 9 p.m. for much of Northern and Western Alabama, but Greene, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Walker Counties have been cleared, as well as other counties west of the line.

Roof damage was just reported from Coaling in Tuscaloosa County. This is from the storm that is in the Vance area now.

A severe thunderstorm warning is now being issued for Shelby County until 6:45 p.m.

The strongest activity extends from southwestern Jefferson County to extreme southeastern Tuscaloosa County. It is crossing into Bibb County, where a severe thunderstorm warning is in effect.

Jefferson County is also under severe thunderstorm warning until 6:30 p.m.

Tuscaloosa and Hale County warnings have expired.

Our line of intense thunderstorms is approaching the Birmingham metro area at 5:30 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Jefferson and Bibb Counties until 6:30 p.m.

It extends from east of Cullman southwestward to along the Jefferson/Walker County to 15 miles west of downtown Birmingham then to west of Vance and onto just west of Greensboro.

Winds will gust to 50-60 mph all along the line, with stronger storms producing gusts to 75 mph or higher. This is capable of producing significant damage. Take cover as this line approaches your location. This line of storms means business!

The storms also contain deadly lightning and torrential rains.

The good news is that the line appears to be weakening just a bit. It should continue to do so as it moves into slightly more stable air over East Alabama.

Tuscaloosa and Hale County warnings go until 5:45 p.m. The severe thunderstorm watch goes until 9 p.m.

Severe thunderstorm warning for Hale County until 5:45 p.m. This storm looks especially dangerous. It is at the tail end of the line and has access to more unstable air.

Severe thunderstorm warning until 5:45 p.m. for Tuscaloosa County. Thunderstorms are very intense over Tuscaloosa County.

At 5:15 p.m., the line of intense thunderstorms extends from near Cullman to Cordova to just east of Tuscaloosa then to just east of Akron in Hale County.

Numerous trees and power lines are reported down across the norhern end of Tuscaloosa County.

Winston County EMA reports numerous trees and power lines down.

The rough weather should arrive in the City of Birmingham before 6 p.m. Storms are coming into NW Jefferson County now.

Winds will gust to 75 mph or higher, which can cause significant damage. Damage can be as bad as a small tornado.

Ahead of the line, winds are gusting to 35-40 mph. This is causing some damage out even ahead of the line.

Good news...winds over East Alabama will be a little lower hopefully as the line moves into more stable air and weakens.

Behind the line, severe thunderstorm watch has been dropped for Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Winston Counties. It goes for most of the remainder of western and northern Alabama until 9 p.m.

A line of intense thunderstorm moving eastward...

A line of severe thunderstorms now extends from the Morgan/Cullman County line just west of I-65... southwestward across western Cullman County... across Walker County just east of Jasper... then into Tuscaloosa County... approaching the City of Tuscaloosa... and then along the Greene/Hale County line when the line falls apart.

Significant wind damage is reported across Lamar... Fayette... southeast Marion... northwest Walker and into Winston County. Roofs are off of houses and businesses. An elementary school in Sulligent reportedly lost its roof. Numerous trees and powerlines are down. Many roads are blocked. Power outages are widespread.

There is one report of an injury at Platinum Homes in Lynn  A roof is off a house on Highway 37 near Lynn.

The line is reaching Tuscaloosa now. It is approaching western Jefferson County and will reach the Birmingham area within the next hour.

Radar shows increasing shear markers in southern Tuscaloosa County, and this storm's structure indicates it might become more capable of producing concentrated wind damage. Also the storms over the Greene/Hale County line area are becoming more discrete and could become more dangerous.

The line is moving east at over 45 mph and the individual storms are moving northeast as fast at 70 mph.

Take cover as this line approaches. It will produce wind gusts of over 58 mph all along the line, with some gusts of 75 mph and higher. This can produce tornado like damage and can be deadly.

Line of intense thunderstorms moving across West Alabama...

The head of a significant bow echo that has produced significant wind damage across West Alabama is in eastern Winston County. It is east of Double Springs and moving toward Arley and Addison.

It extends souhtward across Walker County between Carbon Hill and Jasper.

It then extends into eastern Fayette County near Berry.

It is just inside northwestern Tuscaloosa County, extending then into eastern Pickens County near Gordo.

It then extends into Sumter County.

Wind damage is possible all along this line as it continues to move to the east at 45 mph.

Take cover as this dangerous line of storms approaches. Winds of 75 mph or higher or possible. This can cause tornado like damage.