Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 99, NWS Atlanta, GA

November 20, 1986Paulding County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 20, 1986, 8:51 AM EST for Paulding County, Georgia. It was in force for 54 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
Nov 20, 1986, 8:51 AM EST (13:51 UTC)
Expired
Nov 20, 1986, 9:45 AM EST
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Paulding 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
Nov 20, 8:55 AM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Paulding, 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, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 145 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 1986-11-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1986-11-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 594 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
504 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
73 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
594 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
760 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 
TTAAOO KATL 201351
SVRATL
GAC097-121-223-201445-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
851 AM EST THU NOV 20 1986
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
 
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
          ..DOUGLAS..SOUTHERN FULTON..PAULDING

A FAST MOVING LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS
NORTHWEST GEORGIA AT 855 AM THIS MORNING. IT WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING
THE DOUGLASVILLE AREA AND EXTENDED IN A LINE TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH.
 
THE THUNDERSTROMS HAVE PRODUCED SOME TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE IN
WESTERN GEORGIA.
 
THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 55 MPH.
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH,
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL, DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.  FOR YOUR
PROTECTION MOVE T!O AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DON'T DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, Nov 20, 4:21 AM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS, GA
420 AM EST THU NOV 20 1986

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL
GEORGIA...

AT 415 AM EST COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...INCLUDING
THE COLUMBUS/PHENIX CITY AREA.  THE MOST INTENSE STORMS AT THAT TIME
WERE JUST WEST OF PHENIX CITY AND ALSO IN THE TALBOTTAN GEORGIA AREA.

PEOPLE IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD EXPECT
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING FROM
THESE FAST MOVING THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO...AND LISTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER LOCAL RADnIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS
FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Nov 20, 4:30 AM EST, 4 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TO ADD MOVEMENT OF STORMS.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS, GA
429 AM EST THU NOV 20 1986

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL
GEORGIA...

AT 415 AM EST COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...INCLUDING
THE COLUMBUS/PHENIX CITY AREA.  THE MOST INTENSE STORMS AT THAT TIME
WERE JUST WEST OF PHENIX CITY AND ALSO IN THE TALBOTTAN GEORGIA AREA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

PEOPLE IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD EXPECT
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING FROM
THESE FAST MOVING THUNDE	RSTORMS FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO...AND LISTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS
FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Nov 20, 8:41 AM EST, 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
840 AM EST THU NOV 20 1986

A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA
THIS MORNING.  THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM JUST SOUTH OF ROME
TO CARROLONTON AND LAGRANGE AT 835 AM.

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN BREMEN IN HARALSON COUNTY REPORTED STRONG
GUSTY WINDS OF 45 MPH AS THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH
AT 8 30 AM.

THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING RAPIDLY EAST AT 45 MPH AND SHOULD
APPROACH THE WESTERN SUBURBS OF ATLANTA BETWEEN 9 AND 9 30 AM.

PEROPLE IN THE AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO
50 MPH AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES IN FROM THE WEST.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 20, 8:51 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDouglas, Fulton54 min
Nov 20, 9:04 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCobb, Fulton56 min
Nov 20, 9:13 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDeKalb, Henry, Rockdale62 min
Nov 20, 9:13 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCForsyth, Gwinnett62 min
Nov 20, 9:40 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBarrow, Walton60 min
Nov 20, 9:40 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCNewton60 min
Nov 20, 10:05 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClarke, Oconee35 min
Nov 20, 10:05 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMorgan35 min
Nov 20, 10:30 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGreene, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro20 min
Nov 20, 12:25 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Houston, Twiggs35 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.