Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 19, 1988, 9:01 PM EST for Haralson County, Polk County, Georgia. It was in force for 44 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
- Jan 19, 1988, 9:01 PM EST (02:01 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 19, 1988, 9:45 PM EST
- In force
- 44 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Haralson County, GA, Polk 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 9:39 PM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Polk, 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, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 175 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 456 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 95 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 582 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 799 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 200201
SVRATL
GAC143-233-200245-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
901 PM EST TUE JAN 19 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
...HARALSON...POLK
AT 900 PM EST RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR HEFLIN
ALABAMA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
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, Jan 19, 4:56 PM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 457 PM EST TUE JAN 19 1988 ...CORRECTION TO TORNADO WATCH IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM EST TO 11 PM EST FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA. INFORMATION RELEASED EARLIER INCORRECTLY INDICATED THAT THE WATCH WOULD GO INTO EFFECT AT 6 PM EST. REPEAT...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 GOES INTO EFFECT AT 5 PM EST...
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 7:02 PM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 703 PM EST TUE JAN 19 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EST FOR THAT PORTION OF GEORGIA NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE CONNECTING CARROLLTON...JASPER...AND BLUE RIDGE IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA. ROME...DALTON...CHATSWORTH AND CARTERSVILLE ARE INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH. AT 650 PM EST RADAR INDICATED WIDESPREAD RAIN AND THUNDERSHOWERS OVER THE WATCH AREA. STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN ALABAMA IN A LINE STRETCHING FROM JUST EAST OF HUNTSVILLE TO NEAR BIRMINGHAM. THESE STRONG...AND SOMETIMES SEVERE... THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST TOWARD NORTHWEST GEORGIA AT ABOUT 20 MPH. TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS. < PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA ARE URGED TO STAY ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA TONIGHT WILL QUICKLY PRODUCE STREET FLOODING. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH ON ROADWAYS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR LATEST INFORMATIO7N.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 8:18 PM EST, 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 819 PM EST TUE JAN 19 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EST FOR THAT PORTION OF GEORGIA NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE CONNECTING CARROLLTON...JASPER...AND BLUE RIDGE IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA. ROME...DALTON...CHATSWORTH AND CARTERSVILLE ARE INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH. AT 815 PM EST RADAR INDICATED WIDESPREAD RAIN AND THUNDERSHOWERS OVER MOST OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA. STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN ALABAMA IN A LINE STRETCHING FROM THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE TO GADSDEN TO TALLADEGA. MANY OF THESE STRONGER STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WIND DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES. THERE WAS ALSO A REPORT OF A POSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN CULLMAN...MIDWAY BETWEEN BIRMINGHAM AND HUNTSVILLE. THESE STORMS CONTINUE TO PUSH EAST AND SHOULD BEGIN TO MOVE INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST GEORGIA BEFORE 9PM EST. < PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA ARE URGED TO STAY ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA TONIGHT WILL QUICKLY PRODUCE STREET FLOODING. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH ON ROADWAYS. PERSONS LIVING NEAR SMALL STREAMS AND IN FLOODPRONE AREAS SHOULD KEEP A CHECK ON WATER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION SHOULD FLOODING OCCUR. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER R~ADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR LATEST INFORMATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 11:16 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Cobb, Douglas, Fulton | 44 min |
| Jan 19, 11:16 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Cherokee | 44 min |
| Jan 19, 11:43 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Coweta, Heard | 47 min |
| Jan 19, 11:53 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | DeKalb, Gwinnett | 67 min |
| Jan 19, 11:53 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Forsyth | 67 min |
| Jan 20, 12:20 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clayton, DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton | 40 min |
| Jan 20, 12:44 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Coweta, Fayette | 31 min |
| Jan 20, 12:58 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Gwinnett, Rockdale | 32 min |
| Jan 20, 1:39 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Henry, Spalding | 36 min |
| Jan 20, 1:39 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Rockdale | 36 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1988
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.