Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS Atlanta, GA

July 30, 1987Stephens County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 30, 1987, 9:02 PM EDT for Stephens County, Georgia. It was in force for 58 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 30, 1987, 9:02 PM EDT (01:02 UTC)
Expired
Jul 30, 1987, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Stephens 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 30, 9:10 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Stephens, 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 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 67 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 00:00Z on 1987-07-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 530 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 00:00Z on 1987-07-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 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
530 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-88 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1363 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAHN 310102
SVRAHN
GAC257-310200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
902 PM EDT THU JUL 30 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY OF

NORTHEAST GEORGIA...STEPHENS

AT 9PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR TOCCOA
GEORGIA IN STEPHENS COUNTY OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS STORMe
IS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST 10 MPH.

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

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 30, 6:11 PM EDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
610 PM EDT THU JUL 30 1987

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...

AT 605 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR WAS SHOWING AND VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF TALBOTTON TO JUNCTION CITY IN WEST
CENTRAL GEORGIA. ANOTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS IN SOUTHWEST
GEORGIA JUST WEST OF COLQUITT IN MILLER COUNTY. THE STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS NEAR THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO TAKE PROTECTED ACTION. VERY
STRONG WINDS..SMALL HAIL..AS WELL AS DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL
ACCOMPANY THE HEAVY RAIN. MANY TREES HAVE BEEN BLOWN DOWN FROM
THESE TYPE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING LOST OF POWER. CAUTION IS ADVISED
UNTIL THESE STORMS DECREASE.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 7:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
705 PM EDT THU JUL 30 1987

VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO BUILD WITHIN A 25 MILE RADIUS
OF ATHENS GEORGIA. WINDS OF 53 MILES AN HOUR HAVE BEEN RECORDED AT
THE ATHENS WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

PEOPLE IN THE ATHENS AREA AND TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF ATHENS SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT FOR BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS..FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING..STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL FROM
THESE THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL 8 PM EDT.
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 7:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
710 PM EDT THU JUL 30 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN BLECKLEY...DODGE...AND LAURENS COUNTIES...

AT 705 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MACON SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUING FROM NEAR COCHRAN TO DUBLIN AND SOUTH TO NEAR EASTMAN.
MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH
DEADLY LIGHTNING. HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE LARGER STORMS.

THE STORMS ARE MOVING SLOWLY SO AREAS IN THE PATH OF THE STORMS
WILL EXPERIENCE VERY HEAVY RAIN WHICH WILL CAUSE TEMPORARY FLOODING
OF ROADS AND LOW LYING POOR DRAINAGE AREAS THAT USUALLY FLOOD IN
HEAVY RAINS.
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 8:11 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
805 PM EDT THU JUL 30 1987

VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF
NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO MORGAN..
GREENE AND TALIAFERRO COUNTIES.

PEOPLE IN THE ABOVE COUNTIES SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR BRIEF HEAVY RAIN..
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND
POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL 9 PM! EDT.
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 8:25 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
825 PM EDT THU JUL 30 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING PUTNAM AND BALDWIN COUNTIES...

AT 820 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MACON SHOWED A SMALL AREA OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS JUST EAST AND NORTHEAST OF EATONTON...AND VERY NEAR
LAKE SINCLAIR. THE STORMS WERE DRIFTING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.

STONG GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS
AS THEY DRIFT SOUTH.

BOATERS+ ON LAKE SINCLAIR ARE ADVISED TO HEAD FOR SHORE BEFORE THESE
STORMS APPROACH.
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 8:54 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
855 PM EDT THU JUL 30 1987

A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAS DEVELOPED OVER NORTH STEPHENS COUNTY
OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM ISY MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN STEPHENS  COUNTY SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR BRIEF HEAVY RAIN..
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND
POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL FROM THIS THUNDERSTORM UNTIL 10 PM EDT.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 31, 7:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCNewton59 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.