Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 50, NWS Atlanta, GA

July 21, 1986Coweta County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 1986, 7:30 PM EDT for Coweta County, Georgia. It was in force for 45 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 21, 1986, 7:30 PM EDT (23:30 UTC)
Expired
Jul 21, 1986, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Coweta County, GA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 21, 7:40 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Coweta, GA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 151 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1986-07-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 798 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1986-07-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -25 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
798 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-96 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1668 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-25 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
59 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KATL 212330
SVRATL
GAC077-220015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
730 PM EDT MON JUL 21 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTY OF

NORTHWEST GEORGIA...COWETA

AT 725 PM RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN THE NORTH PART OF
COWETA COUNTY JUST NORTH OF NEWNAN. MOVEMENT WAS SLOWLY SOUTH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS DEFINED AS HAVING WINDS AT LEAST 58 MPH
AND/OR HAIL 3/4 INCH DIAMETER OR LARGER. IF THREATENING WEATHER
APPROACHES...TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS.

 IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES..YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE.

THIS STORM IS ACCOMPANIED BY FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 21, 3:06 PM EDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
3 PM EDT MON JUL 21 1986

....STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER PORTIONS OF GEORGIA....

AT 250 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER A LARGE PORTION OF GEORGIA INCLUDING
CENTRAL AND SOUTHCENTRAL SECTIONS.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHCENTRAL TELFAIR..
WHEELER..BEN HILL..AND TURNER COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS..VERY HEAVY
RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL AS THEY DEVELOP
AND DRIFT SOUTHEAST DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

MOTORIST SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT FOR SUDDEN HEAVY RAIN AND WET
ROADS.
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 3:48 PM EDT, 3 hours 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
345 PM EDT MON JUL 21 1986

AT 345 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHEAST
GEORGIA JUST NORTH OF CLEVELAND IN WHITE COUNTY AND OVER THE NORTH
END OF LAKE OCONEE IN GREENE COUNTY.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DRIFTING
TO THE SOUTHEAST AT LESS THAN 10 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA...ESPECIALLY WHITE..HABERSHAM AND GREENE
COUNTIES...SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE THREATENING WEATHER
FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 4:34 PM EDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS, GA
435 PM EDT MON JUL 21 1986

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORMING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...

 THE VERY INTENSE HEAT WAS CAUSING THUNDERSTORMS TO BUILD NEAR SEVERE
LIMITS AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON. A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS JUST 5
EAST OF CUTHBERT GEORGIA. ANOTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS IN
EXTREME NORTHEAST MITCHELL COUNTY GEORGIA WHERE GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL
FELL YESTERDAY. THIS STORM WAS ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES
OF BACONTON AND DOERUN. MOVEMENT HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE TO THE SOUTHEAST.

 PERSONS NEAR THESE STORMS SHOULD BE READY TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTION.
WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MILES AN HOUR WITH HALF INCH HAIL IS VERY
PROBABLE. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND BLINDING RAIN WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY
THESE STORMS. DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND
SMALL STREAMS WILL ALSO BE A THREAT.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER4 NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:01 PM EDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
440 PM EDT MON JUL 21 1986

COUNTY......TELFAIR
SOURCE......EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
TIME...... .3PM EDT
LOCATION....WORKMORE GEORGIA..SOUTH OF MCRAE.
TYPE STORM..SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WIDTH.......UNKNOWN
LENGTH......APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES.
HAIL........NONE REPORTED.
DAMAGE......NEAR $60,000...MOSTLY TO MOBILE HOME AND A FEW OLDER HOMES.
TREES.......FEW PECAN TREES UPROOTED.
INJURIES....NONE REPORTED.
WATCHES.....NONE
WARNINGS....NONE

COUNTY......TELFAIR

SOURCE......EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
TIME...... .320 PM EDT.
LOCATION....EAST OF WORKMORE AND SOUTHEAST OF MCRAE.
TYPE STORM..SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
WIDTH.......UNKNOWN
LENGTH......UNKNOWN
HAIL........NONE REPORTED.
TREES.......FEW PECAN AND AN OAK TREE UPROOTED.
INJURES.....NONE REPORTED.
COST........NOT REPORTED.
WATCHES.....NONE
WARNINGS....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT 310PM EDT - 415 EDT.
            FOR TELFAIR AND WHEELER COUNTIES.

COUNTY......WHEELER
SOURCE......WHEELER COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE.
TIME........325 PM EDT
LOCATION....EAST OF ALAMO
TYPE STORM..SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WIDTH.......NOT REPORTED
LENGTH......LESS THAN ONE MILE

HAIL........NONE REPORTED                                                       TREES.......FEW OAK TREES UPROOTED.
INJURES.....NONE REPORTED
WATCHES.....NONE
WARNINGS....SEVERE THUNDSERSTORM WARNING FOR TELFAIR AND WHEELER
            COUNTIES IN EFFECT FROM 310 PM EDT - 415 PM EDT.
Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
540 PM EDT MON JUL 21 1986

COUNTY........ NW HABERSHAM

SOURCE........ BARRY CHURCH, CIVIL DEFENSE DIRECTOR

TIME.......... 350 PM EDT

LOCATION...... 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLARKSVILLE GEORGIA

TYPE STORM.... POSSIBLE TORNADO

HAIL.......... NONE

DAMAGE........ TWO TREES WERE TOPPED OUT.

INJURIES...... NONE

WARNING....... SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AT 345 PM EDT.                                                                 ]
Local storm report, Jul 21, 7:07 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
7 PM EDT MON JUL 21 1986

COUNTY........ CLARKE

SOURCE........ NWS ATHENS GA

TIME.......... 626 PM EDT

LOCATION...... ATHENS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT

TYPE STORM.... THUNDERSTORM, WIND GUST TO 78 MILES AN HOUR

HAIL.......... NONE

DAMAGE........ A C152 AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER,NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS BROKEN
OFF.
INJURIES...... NONE

WARNING....... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED AT 635 PM EDT.                                 }                                ]

The office that day

Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 21, 3:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCTelfair, Wheeler65 min
Jul 21, 4:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCScreven69 min
Jul 21, 6:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe55 min
Jul 21, 7:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLamar30 min
Jul 21, 7:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGreene, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro68 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.