Severe Thunderstorm Warning covers Gadsden and Cherokee County until 8:45 p.m. Monday

The short answer: The National Weather Service office in Birmingham issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for eastern Etowah County and Cherokee County at 7:39 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17. It runs until 8:45 p.m. The main threat is wind gusts to 60 mph, strong enough to damage roofs and siding and bring down trees. Gadsden, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Sardis City, Centre and Cedar Bluff are all inside the warned area.

Update, 8:30 p.m.: The line pushed southeast past Gadsden and into Calhoun and Cleburne counties. Forecasters issued a Special Weather Statement at 8:15 p.m. for strong storms along a line from eastern Weiss Lake to Neely Henry Lake, moving southeast at 35 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. That statement runs until 9 p.m. and covers Anniston, Oxford, Jacksonville and Piedmont.

GADSDEN, AL – A line of storms dropping southeast out of DeKalb County put eastern Etowah and Cherokee counties under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning Monday evening, capping a day that had already carried an Extreme Heat Warning.

Forecasters issued the warning at 7:39 p.m. and set it to expire at 8:45 p.m. Radar showed a line of severe thunderstorms stretching from about 8 miles southeast of Ider to near Sardis City, moving southeast at about 35 mph.

The warning was radar indicated, meaning forecasters saw the signature of damaging wind on radar rather than receiving a report from a spotter on the ground.

What is the threat?

Wind, mostly. The Weather Service listed 60 mph gusts as the hazard and put the expected impact plainly: damage to roofs, siding and trees.

Hail was in the forecast too, but small, under three quarters of an inch. That is the size that rattles a window and dents nothing. A 60 mph gust is the part that matters. It is enough to snap limbs, push a tree over onto a line and knock power out to a neighborhood.

Who is in the warned area?

The Weather Service listed these locations inside or along the warned area: Gadsden, Piedmont, Hokes Bluff, Centre, Cedar Bluff, Glencoe, Sardis City, Leesburg, Reece City, Sand Rock, Gaylesville, Pleasant Gap, Blanche and Slackland.

Several outdoor spots fall inside it as well, including Little River Canyon National Preserve, Cherokee Rock Village, Cornwall Furnace Park, Centre Municipal Airport and the eastern side of Weiss Lake.

Anyone on the water at Weiss Lake Monday evening was in the most exposed position of anyone in the warning. A 60 mph gust on open water arrives with no shelter anywhere close.

What should you do during a severe thunderstorm warning?

The Weather Service instruction is short: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

A few other things help:

• Get vehicles under cover if you can do it before the storm arrives, not during.
• Bring in trash cans, chairs and anything else loose in the yard.
• Stay away from windows.
• Charge your phone and keep a flashlight handy in case power drops.
• If you are driving, slow down and watch for limbs and debris in the road.
• Do not drive around barricades or through water on a road you cannot see the bottom of.

Is a severe thunderstorm warning the same as a tornado warning?

No. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning means a storm is producing, or is about to produce, wind gusts of at least 58 mph or hail at least an inch across. A Tornado Warning means rotation has been spotted or indicated on radar.

The difference matters, but so does what they share. Straight line winds at 60 to 80 mph do damage that looks a great deal like tornado damage on the ground, and they cover a wider path. A severe thunderstorm warning is not a reason to go stand on the porch and watch.

What about the heat?

The Extreme Heat Warning for Etowah County ran until 9 p.m. Monday, ending 15 minutes after the storm warning. At 6:53 p.m., ahead of the storms, Gadsden was still sitting at 90 degrees with a heat index near 106.

That combination is the part worth thinking about. If a storm knocks power out, the heat does not leave with the rain. Anyone without air conditioning overnight, particularly older neighbors and people with health conditions, is the first group to check on once the wind passes.

What does the rest of the night look like?

The forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., then partly cloudy skies with a low near 75.

Tuesday turns mostly sunny with a high near 94.

Frequently asked questions

When did the warning expire? 8:45 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17. Warnings can be reissued or extended if the storms hold together, so check the latest before assuming you are clear.

Was Gadsden actually inside the warned area? Yes. The warning covered the eastern half of Etowah County and all of Cherokee County, and Gadsden sat inside it.

What about Attalla and Rainbow City? Both sat just outside the western edge of the severe warning. They were covered instead by a Special Weather Statement issued at 7:24 p.m. for strong storms with gusts up to 50 mph, which ran until 8:30 p.m.

How fast were the storms moving? About 35 mph to the southeast.

Where can I check warnings myself? The National Weather Service office in Birmingham posts active alerts at weather.gov/bmx. A NOAA weather radio, or a phone with wireless emergency alerts turned on, will wake you up for a warning overnight. A website will not.

This story reflects National Weather Service products issued Monday evening, Aug. 17. GadsdenThrive will update it if damage or outages are confirmed.

Read more Gadsden area weather coverage from GadsdenThrive.