Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 152, NWS Atlanta, GA

July 16, 1988Hamilton County, Tennessee

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 16, 1988, 3:00 PM EDT for Hamilton County, Tennessee. It was in force for 45 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 16, 1988, 3:00 PM EDT (19:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 16, 1988, 3:45 PM EDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Hamilton County, TN

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 16, 3:20 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Hamilton, TN

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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 167 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1988-07-16Temperature 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1988-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -29 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-9 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 KCHA 161902
SVRCHA
TNC065-161945-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
300 PM EDT SAT JUL 16 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHATTANOOGA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE
          ...SOUTHERN HAMILTON
 
AT 256PM EDT THE WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
ALONG THE GEORGIA TENNESSEE LINE JUST SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF
CHATTANOOGA.  THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD ATHE NORTH
NORTHEAST AT AROUND 10 MPH.  PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT
FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN FALL
AND DANGEROUS FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
 
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

Local storm report, Jul 16, 12:21 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
DELAYED STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
1220 PM EDT SAT JUL 16 1988

REF STORM ACTIVITY.....FRIDAY JUL 15 1988

COUNTY..... DOUGHERTY-LEE
SOURCE..... GEORGIA STATE PATROL-SUMTER ELECTRIC-WALB TV (ABY)
TIME....... 700 TO 715 PM EDT
LOCATION... NEAR LEESBURG AND ACROSS SOUTH LEE COUNTY.
            IN ALBANY AND ACROSS NORTH DOUGHERTY COUNTY.
TYPE STORM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
HAIL....... MARBLE TO DIME SIZE IN THE CITY OF ALBANY. DIME SIZE HAIL
            (NORTH) DOUGHERTY.
DAMAGE..... TRAFFIC LIGHTS OUT IN ALBANY CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS.
            POWER OUTAGES LEE COUNTY AND (NORTH) DOUGHERTY.
TREES...... SEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN NEAR LEESBURG.
INJURIES... NONE
WATCHES.... NONE
WARNINGS... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FOR DOUGHTERTY AND LEE COUNTIES FROM
            6.54 PM EDT UNTIL 8.00 PM EDT.
Local storm report, Jul 16, 1:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
DELAYED STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
145 PM EDT SAT JUL 16 1988

REF STORM ACTIVITY.....FRIDAY JUL 15 1988

COUNTY..... RANDOLPH-TERRELL
SOURCE..... PATAULA ELECTRIC-SUMTER ELECTRIC
TIME....... ABOUT 730 PM EDT
LOCATION... SCATTERED ACROSS RANDOLPH AND TERRELL COUNTIES
TYPE STORM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
HAIL....... NONE
DAMAGE..... SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES DUE TO LARGE TREE LIMBS BREAKING OFF
            INTO POWER LINES AND DUE TO LIGHTNING STRIKES (RANDOLPH CO.)
            A FEW POWER OUTAGES DUE TO LIGHTNING STRIKES (TERRELL CO.)
INJURIES... NONE
WATCHES.... NONE
WARNINGS... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FOR RANDOLPH AND TERRELL COUNTIES FROM
            7.11 PM EDT UNTIL 8.15 #PM EDT.
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 1:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  ATLANTA GA
145 PM EDT SAT JUL 16 1988

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA...

SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE NORTHWEST GEORGIA
THIS AFTERNOON. AT 140 PM... THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED JUST
WEST AND NORTHWEST OF ROME NEAR THE TOWNS OF CAVE SPRINGS AND
LA FAYETTE. HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE SLOWLY NORTH AT 5 MPH.

TALLAPOOSA POLICE DEPARTMENT IN HARALSON COUNTY REPORTED THREE
TREES DOWN WITH A STORM THAT MOVED ACROSS THEIR AREA AROUND 1240 PM
THIS AFTERNOON.

WITH THE INTENSE HEAT AND MUGGY AIR OVER THE REGION.!..OTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WILL POP UP ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON.

PEOPLE IN THE AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR DARK THREATENING CLOUDS
...AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE INSIDE TO A SAFE AREA.
Local storm report, Jul 16, 2:26 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
DELAYED STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
225 PM EDT SAT JUL 16 1988

REF STORM ACTIVITY.....FRIDAY JUL 15 1988

COUNTY..... QUITMAN
SOURCE..... GEORGETOWN POLICE-PATAULA ELECTRIC
TIME....... AROUND 8 PM EDT
LOCATION... IN GEORGETOWN AND SCATTERED ACROSS QUITMAN COUNTY
TYPE STORM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
HAIL....... NONE
DAMAGE..... SEVERAL DOWNED TREES AND NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES CAUSING
            POWER OUTAGES. LIGHTNING STARTED A HOUSE FIRE IN GEORGETOWN
            AND KNOCKED OUT AN ENTIRE SUBSTATION (MANY WITHOUT POWER ALL
            NIGHT).
INJURIES... NONE
WATCHES.... NONE
WARNINGS... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FOR QUITMAN COUNTY FROM
            7.37 PM EDT UNTIL 8.30H PM EDT.
Local storm report, Jul 16, 2:41 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
DELAYED STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
240 PM EDT SAT JUL 16 1988

REF STORM ACTIVITY.....FRIDAY JUL 15 1988

COUNTY..... TIFT
SOURCE..... GEORGIA STATE PATROL-TIFTON POLICE
TIME....... AROUND 830 TO 845 PM EDT
LOCATION... IN TIFTON AND ACROSS TIFT COUNTY
TYPE STORM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
HAIL....... NONE
DAMAGE..... DOWNED TREES JUST EAST OF TIFTON ON HIGHWAY 82.
            TREE DOWN ACROSS MOORE HIGHWAY.
            HEAVY RAION FLOODED I-75 (CARS HAD TROUBLE DRIVING THROUGH
            LOW WATER CROSSING...BACKED UP TRAFFIC)
INJURIES... NONE
WATCHES.... NONE
WARNINGS... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FOR QUITMAN COUNTY FROM
            8.20 PM EDT UNTIL 9.15 PM EDT.
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 2:51 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  ATLANTA GA
250 PM EDT SAT JUL 16 1988

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA.
AT 250 PM... THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED NORTH OF ATLANTA IN
CHEROKEE COUNTY NEAR CANTON.  INTENSE LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
AND HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM AS IT DRIFTS
SLOWLY TO THE NORTH.  ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS
LOCATED BETWEEN ROME AND CHATTANOOGA.

THE AFTERNOON HEAT WILL CONTINUE TO TRIGGER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
NORTHWEST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON.

PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND MOVE INSIDE IF THVREATENING
WEATHER DEVELOPS IN YOUR AREA.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 4:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMcMinn52 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 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.