Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 64, NWS Atlanta, GA

December 15, 19874 counties in Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 15, 1987, 7:32 AM EST for 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 58 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Dec 15, 1987, 7:32 AM EST (12:32 UTC)
Expired
Dec 15, 1987, 8:30 AM EST
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Barrow County, GA, Clarke County, GA, Jackson County, GA, Oconee 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, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 21 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 1987-12-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1987-12-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 257 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
550 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
87 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
257 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
418 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAHN 151232
SVRAHN
GAC013-059-157-217-219-297-151330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
732 AM EST TUE DEC 15 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  830 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
          ...BARROW...CLARKE...JACKSON
          ...NEWTON...OCONEE...WALTON
 
AT 731 AM EST...ATHENS RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING SOUTHWARD FROM WALTON COUNTY TO NEWTON
COUNTY.
 
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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, Dec 15, 5:35 AM EST, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
535 AM EST TUE DEC 15 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE HEADED FOR GEORGIA...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
NORTH AND WEST GEORGIA UNTIL 10 AM. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD
OF A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WERE MOVING INTO WEST GEORGIA FROM
ALABAMA IN THE PREDAWN HOURS. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY HAVE
DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL AS THEY MOVE THROUGH GEORGIA THIS MORNING.
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TREES AND POWER LINES BEING DOWNED BY STRONG
WINDS WERE RECEIVED ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA DURING THE NIGHT WITH
THE STORMS. A FEW REPORTS OF HAIL WERE ALSO RECEIVED.

THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH WHILE
THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT NEARLY
50 MPH. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR
TELEVISION STATION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING
WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 5:36 AM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..CORRECTED..
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
5:35AM EST TUE DEC 15 1987

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 567 IN EFFECT 5:00 UNTIL 10:00 AM EST...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED VALID UNTIL 10:00 AM EST FOR
THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL GEORGIA COUNTIES: TAYLOR...UPSON...BIBB...MONROE
...CRAWFORD...PEACH...DOOLY...AND JONES.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS
SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND LISTEN FOR
LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

AT 5:OO AM EST THE THUNDERSTORM AREA WAS APPROACHING WESTERN GEORGIA
NEAR COLUMBUS.
!
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 6:20 AM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
620 AM EST TUE DEC 15 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EAST
   ALABAMA AND WEST GEORGIA UNTIL 10 AM EST...

AT 615 AM EST COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST ALABAMA AND WEST GEORGIA. THE STRONGER
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF LANETT AND 8 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF OPELIKA IN ALABAMA.

PEOPLE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD
BE PREPARED FOR VERY STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AS THESE STORMS MOVE
THROUGH THE AREA. THESE STORMS ARE ALSO LIKELY TO PRODUCE FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. REMEMBER...THESE THUNDERSTORIMS HAVE
THE CAPABILITY TO BECOME SEVERE.

BE PREPARED TO PUT INTO OPERATION YOUR PERSONAL OR FAMILY ACTIONS
PLAN IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 6:23 AM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
620 AM EST TUE DEC 15 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EAST
   ALABAMA AND WEST GEORGIA UNTIL 10 AM EST...

AT 615 AM EST COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST ALABAMA AND WEST GEORGIA. THE STRONGER
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF LANETT AND 8 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF OPELIKA IN ALABAMA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 40 MPH.

PEOPLE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD
BE PREPARED FOR VERY STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AS THESE STORMS MOVE
THROUGH THE AREA. THESE STORMS ARE ALSO LIKELY TO PRODUCE FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.J REMEMBER...THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
THE CAPABILITY TO BECOME SEVERE.

BE PREPARED TO PUT INTO OPERATION YOUR PERSONAL OR FAMILY ACTIONS
PLAN IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 6:38 AM EST, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
6:35AM EST TUE DEC 15 1987

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 567 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10:00 AM EST...

AT 6:30 AM EST MACON RADAR SHOWED A LARGE BAND OF RAIN WITH A FEW
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING MONROE AND CRAWFORD COUNTY FROM
THE SOUTHWEST. STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST 30 MILES AN HOUR.
A LARGE THUNDERSTORM WAS 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORSYTH MOVING
DIRECTLY TOWARD FORSYTH...SHOULD BE THERE BY NEAR 7 AM EST.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF VERY HEAVY
RAIN. AVOID LOW AREAS SUBJECT TO STREET FLOODING UNTIL LATE MORNING.
STAY ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND LISTEN FOR
LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 6:39 AM EST, 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
635 AM EST TUE DEC 15 1987

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 567 IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF EAST
ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTHERN GEORGIA.

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA EXTENDING
FROM NEAR ELLIJAY TO JUST WEST OF ATLANTA TO NEAR LAGRANGE.

THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS.

ELSEWHERE TIN NORTH GEORGIA RAIN WAS SCATTERED OVER MOST OF THE
AREA NORTH OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO NEAR MACON ATHENS AND HARTWELL.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 15, 5:52 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDouglas, Paulding53 min
Dec 15, 6:03 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee, Cobb, Forsyth, Fulton42 min
Dec 15, 6:43 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett47 min
Dec 15, 6:43 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCForsyth47 min
Dec 15, 6:52 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHabersham, Rabun53 min
Dec 15, 7:32 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCNewton, Walton58 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.