Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 1987, 5:41 PM EDT for Rockdale County, Georgia. It was in force for 34 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 4, 1987, 5:41 PM EDT (21:41 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 1987, 6:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Rockdale County, GA
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
The nearest sounding before it
Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 75 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 25 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -193 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1219 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 12 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 37 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 66 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KATL 042141
SVRATL
GAC247-042215-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
541 PM EDT MON MAY 4 1987
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
...ROCKDALE
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR AT 535 PM EDT NEAR
CONYERS GEORGIA. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO 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, May 4, 4:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 405 PM EDT MON MAY 4 1987 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM FOR MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. AT 4PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MACON SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED OVER A LARGE PART OF NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 10 MPH. STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE WERE IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA NEAR REYNOLDS AND BUTLER. PERSONS IN CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TV FOR THE LATEST WATCH INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 4, 4:11 PM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS, GA 410 PM EDT MON MAY 04 1987 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 84 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 9PM EDT. AT 4 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN NORTHEAST LEE COUNTY OF ALABAMA. SEVERAL VERY STRONG STORMS WERE SCATTERED FROM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF OPELIKA EAST TO NEAR THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER ACROSS NORTHERN LEE COUNTY. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 10 MILES SOUTH OF BUTLER IN SOUTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY GEORGIA. ALL THIS ACTIVITY WAS MOVING JUST A LITTLE SOUTH OF DUE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS CONTAIN HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN AS WELL AS DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. UNPLUG TELEVISIONS AND STAY OFF TELEPHONES AND AWAY FROM FENCES OR OPEN SPACES OUTSIDE DURING THUNDERSTORMS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 4, 4:29 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 428 PM EDT MON MAY 4 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP ACROSS MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. AT 425 PM, WEATHER RADAR IN ATLANTA INDICATED THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE JUST WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTROMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH OF AUSTELL AND WILL BE MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN ATLANTA BETWEEN 430 AND 530 PM. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...AND AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS HAVE REPORTED THAT THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF HAIL DURING THE PAST HOUR...RADAR INDICATES THAT SEVERAL OF THE STORMS ARE PRODUCING SMALL HAIL. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BRIEFLY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. PERSONS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT AND TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AS THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH.
Special weather statement, May 4, 4:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 430 PM EDT MON MAY 4 1987 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 84 IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA EXCEPT FOR UNION, TOWNS AND RABURN COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS MONDAY EVENING. AT 430 PM EDT THE ATHENS RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH GEORGIA...SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE AND WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH OF ATHENS AND SOUTHWEST OF ATLANTA...IN GEORGIA. ALSO IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST EAST OF PICKENS...OVER ABBEVILLE AND JUST EAST OF LAKE GREENWOOD. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 4, 5:38 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 530 PM EDT MON MAY 4 1987 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 84 IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA EXCEPT FOR UNION, TOWNS AND RABURN COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS MONDAY EVENING. AT 530 PM EDT THE ATHENS RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FROM CENTRAL ALABAMA...ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA...INTO SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE AND WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR CONYERS AND NORTH OF COVINGTON...IN GEORGIA. ALSO IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST EAST OF PICKENS AND EAST OF THE CLARK HILL RESEVOIR. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 4, 5:41 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 545 PM EDT MON MAY 4 1987 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM FOR MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. AT 540 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MACON SHOWED RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERING A LARGE PART OF NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA. STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN ATLANTA AND ATHENS AND MIDWAY BETWEEN COLUMBUS AND MACON...NEAR BUTLER. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 10 MPH. THERE WERE STILL NO THUNDERSTORMS IN THE IMMEDIATE CENTRAL GEORGIA AREA. PERSONS IN THE CENTRAL GEORGIA AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TV FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 1:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Banks, Hall | 21 min |
| May 4, 4:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clarke, Madison, Oglethorpe | 66 min |
| May 4, 4:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jackson | 66 min |
| May 4, 4:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | DeKalb | 47 min |
| May 4, 6:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Morgan | 65 min |
| May 4, 7:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Crisp | 49 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.