Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 23, NWS Atlanta, GA

June 3, 1987Columbia County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 3, 1987, 6:14 PM EDT for Columbia County, Georgia. It was in force for 46 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 3, 1987, 6:14 PM EDT (22:14 UTC)
Expired
Jun 3, 1987, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Columbia 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, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 106 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 1987-06-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1442 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 1987-06-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 23 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
1442 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1235 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
2 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 KAGS 032214
SVRAGS
GAC073-032300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA
614 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA
          ...NORTHWEST COLUMBIA
 
AT 610 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR AT AUGUSTA INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WAS OVER NORTHWEST COLUMBIA COUNTY NEAR APPLING. THIS STORM HAS
SHOWED VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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, Jun 3, 4:47 PM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
343 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987

...SEVERAL VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER PARTS OF SOUTH
   WEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...

AT 340 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. AT THIS
TIME...THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WERE NEAR LEESBURG IN SOUTHERN LEE
COUNTY...12 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALBANY...AND 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF TIFTON.
MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 5 MPH.

GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE NEAR
THESE THUNDERSTORMS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE ARbEAS. IN ADDITION...
LIGHTNING HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE KILLER IN GEORGIA OF ALL WEATHER
RELATED DEATHS. BE SMART AND MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER IF A THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPS NEAR YOU.
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 4:48 PM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT(CORRECTION TO TIME)
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
443 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987

...SEVERAL VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER PARTS OF SOUTH
   WEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...

AT 440 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. AT THIS
TIME...THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WERE NEAR LEESBURG IN SOUTHERN LEE
COUNTY...12 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALBANY...AND 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF TIFTON.
MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 5 MPH.

GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE NEAR
THESE THUNDERSTORMS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYcING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. IN ADDITION...
LIGHTNING HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE KILLER IN GEORGIA OF ALL WEATHER
RELATED DEATHS. BE SMART AND MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER IF A THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPS NEAR YOU.
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 4:52 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
435 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987

AT 435 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN MADISON...
OGLETHORPE AND GREENE COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO INDICATED IN WEST GEORGIA
FROM NEAR LAGRANGE EAST TO NEAR GRIFFIN. SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDER
STORMS WERE ALSO INDCIATED BETWEEN MACON AND AUGUSTA AND JUST TO THE
SOUTH OF COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW STRONG WERE INDICATED OVER
GEORGIA MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDARTOWN TO COMMERCE GEORGIA AND
EXTENDED INTO EAST ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. LITTLE MOVEMENT
INDICATgED.

PERSONS IN THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE NEXT FEW
HOURS FOR PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL.
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 5:30 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
525 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987

...SEVERAL VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF WEST
CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 520 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER RUSSELL AND LEE COUNTIES IN EAST ALABAMA AND HARRIS...
MUSCOGEE...AND CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTIES IN WEST GEORGIA.  AT THAT TIME...
STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR SEALE AND 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF SEALE IN
RUSSELL COUNTY ALABAMA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE NEAR
THESE THUNDERSTORMS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
THESE STORMS ARE ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF PERIODS OF BLINDING
RAIN. IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND ENCOUNTER THIS CONDITION...PULL OVER TO
A SAFE PLACE AND WAIT UNTIL THE RAIN INTENSITY DECREASES.
Local storm report, Jun 3, 5:48 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA

COUNTY........ CLAYTON

SOURCE........ AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR

TIME.......... 1745 EDT JUN 3, 1987

LOCATION...... MORROW GEORGIA

TYPE STORM.... THUNDERSTORM

HAIL.......... 3/4 INCH

DAMAGE........ UNKNOWN

INJURIES...... NONE
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 6:00 PM EDT, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
600 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987

AT 555 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED AN AREA OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA FROM NEAR VIDALIA SOUTH
TO NEAR ALBANY.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF VIDALIA
NEAR SOPERTON AND IN TELFAIR COUNTY BETWEEN HELENA AND LUMBER CITY.
VERY LITTLE MOVE WAS INDICATED.

THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG
 GUSTY WINDS
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND SMALL HAIL.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 3, 3:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHouston39 min
Jun 3, 5:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Fayette, Fulton68 min
Jun 3, 5:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDeKalb, Henry, Rockdale63 min
Jun 3, 6:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWheeler49 min
Jun 3, 6:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGwinnett40 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.