This Radarscope graphic with Allison House data shows all the lightning from the storms over Central Alabama. John Talbot reports several fire calls for lightning strikes to residences in Shelby County. One recent one in Chelsea on Camino Real. Reports were that the house filled with smoke.
There were also numerous reports of burglar alarm activations across Shelby County as well.
Remember that it takes 58 mph winds or 1 inch hail (or a tornado) for a storm to be severe, so the storms have been below severe limits. But they have packed a punch especially with the lightning and heavy rainfall rates. There was a report of a tree that was knocked down on Overton Road in Vestavia Hills, says John Talbot. Winds have not exceeded 25-30 mph however.
Recently, the Weather Service cleared Blount, Etowah, Fayette and Walker Counties from the tornado watch. The watch continues for Autauga, Bibb, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa Counties until noon.
