Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 147, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 30, 1988, 5:04 PM EDT for Laurens County, Georgia. It was in force for 56 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
- Jun 30, 1988, 5:04 PM EDT (21:04 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 30, 1988, 6:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Laurens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 5:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Laurens, 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 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 169 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
- 1390 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -80 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1236 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 90 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 130 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMCN 302105
SVRMCN
GAC175-271-309-302200-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
504 PM EDT THU JUN 30 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MACON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
...LAURENS...TELFAIR...WHEELER
AT 503 PM RADAR SHOWED A VERY LARGE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR HELENA
MOVING EAST AT 25 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, Jun 30, 2:35 PM EDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECT TIMES... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 235 PM EDT THU JUN 30 1988 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 257 CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM EDT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL GEORGIA...PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA...AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. AT 230 PM RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURING OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA AS WELL AS PARTS OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. STRONGEST STORMS IN CENTRAL GEORGIA WERE LOCATED IN PUTNAM COUNTY NEAR EATONTON. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25 MPH. ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS IN BLECKLEY COUNTY EAST OF COCHRAN. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS WELL AS STRONG GUSTY #WINDS. RADAR SHOWED THAT HAIL WAS ALSO OCCURING IN THE STORMS NEAR EATONTON.
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 2:45 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 250 PM EDT THU JUN 30 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 257 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL GEORGIA INCLUDING METRO ATLANTA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 900 PM EDT... AT 245 PM EDT... SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA... WITH THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY IN A SHORT LINE FROM NORTH OF ANNISTON ALABAMA TO TALLAPOOSA AND ROCKMART GEORGIA. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA UP TO 245 PM. SHOWERS AND PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN WERE SCATTERED ACROSS MUCH OF THE REST OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA. THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY IN THE STATE REMAINED IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA BETWEEN EATONTON AND MILLEDGEVILLE... AS WELL IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AROUND BLAKELY. < MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA3 SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND WEATHER CONSCIOUS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS TODAY AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOP OR A WARNING BE ISSUED.
Local storm report, Jun 30, 3:06 PM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 305PM EDT THU JUN 30, 1988 COUNTY........ GREENE SOURCE........ RAYLE EMC TIME.......... 1330 EDT JUN 30, 1988 LOCATION...... WEST PART OF GREENE COUNTY TYPE STORM.... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAIL.......... NONE DAMAGE........ TREES DOWN OVER POWER LINES INJURIES...... NONE WARNING....... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN EFFECT 1PM TO 2 PM ] H
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 3:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 325 PM EDT JUN 30 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EAST ALABAMA...WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM EDT... AT 320 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN EAST ALABAMA...WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN CLAY AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES OF GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 20 MPH. PEOPLE IN OR CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREAS NEED TO BE ALERT TO WEATHER CHANGES UNTIL THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT HAS ENDED. YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...BUT ESPECIALLY TO STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL AS THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS OF TODAYS STORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAS ALREADY BEEN OBSERVED BY RADAR IN EARLY COUNTY OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. ANYONE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD FIND A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING CLOUDS APPROACiH. BOATERS SHOULD MOVE OFF AREA LAKES. PLEASE STAY CLOSE TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND MONITOR IT FOR THE LATEST ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
Local storm report, Jun 30, 3:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION ON COUNTY NAME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
335PM EDT THU JUN 30, 1988
COUNTY........ TALIAFERRO
SOURCE........ RAYLE EMC
TIME.......... 1330 EDT JUN 30, 1988
LOCATION...... WEST PART OF TALIAFERRO COUNTY
TYPE STORM.... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
HAIL.......... NONE
DAMAGE........ TREES DOWN OVER POWER LINES
INJURIES...... NONE
WARNING....... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN EFFECT
p ]Special weather statement, Jun 30, 4:05 PM EDT, 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 400 PM EDT THU JUN 30 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 257 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL GEORGIA INCLUDING METRO ATLANTA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 900 PM EDT... AT 355 PM EDT... SHOWERS AND SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA. HOWEVER THE STRONGEST THUNDER- STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA BETWEEN ATHENS AND MACON AND THEN SOUTHEASTWARD BETWEEN MACON AND VIDALIA. THESE THUNDER- STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. AT THE PRESENT TIME IT APPEARS THE ATLANTA AREA WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT RAIN FROM THIS SYSTEM. HOWEVER RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR ANY SUDDEN CHANGES IN THE WEATHER. IT IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP AND AFFECT A FEW LOCAL AREAS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 12:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Greene, Taliaferro | 66 min |
| Jun 30, 1:32 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Morgan | 31 min |
| Jun 30, 3:32 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Wilkinson | 43 min |
| Jun 30, 4:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Crisp, Wilcox | 2 hr |
| Jun 30, 4:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Ben Hill | 45 min |
| Jun 30, 5:04 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Telfair, Wheeler | 56 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.