On Thursday, July 17, 1980, the Birmingham News carried the sad headlline that much beloved Auburn formed head football coach Shug Jordan had died. GOP Presidential Candidate Ronald Reagan announced that George Bush would be his running mate in the 1980 Election.
But an even bigger news story in Alabama was the heat. Over 100 heat related deaths had been reported across the state through the 16th and the unrelenting heat was continuing.
Emergency shelters in the Magic City were filled to capacity as Birmingham braced for a record 8th consecutive day of 100F+ degree heat. Thunderstorms had dotted the area the day before, but they missed the Airport.
The forecasted high for Thursday was 100F, so it was expected that the streak would continue. And it did as the mercury soared to 105F. The old record for the date was 100F.
It was 108F in Jasper, 107F in Cullman and Muscle Shoals; 103F in Anniston and 102F in Huntsville.
The eight consecutive 100F+ days at Birmingham was a record that stood until the 2007 heat wave.
But one good sign was that afternoon thunderstorms popped up for the second straight day. One of the knocked out power to parts of the Birmingham metro area.
