On Thursday, July 17, 1980, the Birmingham News carried the sad headline that much beloved Auburn former 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.
Birmingham braced for a record 8th consecutive day of 100+ degree heat. Thunderstorms had dotted the area the day before, but they missed the Airport in Birmingham. The forecast high for Thursday was 100, so it was expected that the streak would continue. And it did as the mercury soared to 105. The old record for the date was 100.
It was 108 in Jasper, 107 in Cullman and Muscle Shoals; 103 in Anniston and 102 in Huntsville.
The eight consecutive 100+ 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.
