Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 19, 1988, 11:16 PM EST for Cobb County, Douglas County, Fulton 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, 11:16 PM EST (04:16 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 20, 1988, 12:00 AM EST
- In force
- 44 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Cobb County, GA, Douglas County, GA, Fulton 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, 11:45 PM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Fulton, 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, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 121 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 200416
SVRATL
GAC057-067-097-121-200500-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
1116 PM EST TUE JAN 19 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
...CHEROKEE...COBB...DOUGLAS
...FULTON
RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTROMS ALONG A LINE FROM NEAR CANTON IN
CHEROKEE COUNTY TO DOUGLASVILL AND TO SOUTHWEST OF FAIRBURN.
THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...2AND 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, 7:02 PM EST, 4 hours 14 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, 2 hours 58 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.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 9:50 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 950 PM EST TUE JAN 19 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA... ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR POLK AND HARALSON COUNTIES IN 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 945 PM EST RADAR INDICATED WIDESPREAD RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA. STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ALONG A LINE FROM JUST EAST OF ROME SOUTH TO NEAR ROCKMART THEN SOUTHWEST TO WEST OF CARROLLTON. < THERE HAS BEEN NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE SO FAR IN GEORGIA. BUT STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. THE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 50 MPH. 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 RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR LATEST INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 10:53 PM EST, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 1050 PM EST TUE JAN 19 1988 ...A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA.... AT 1035 PM EST A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA INTO EAST ALABAMA FROM NEAR CHATSWORTH SOUTH TO CARTERSVILLE THEN SOUTHWEST TO CARROLLTON GEORGIA INTO EAST ALABAMA. LINE MOVEMENT EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN THE MOUNTAINS SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA ESPECIALLY IN UNION AND LUMPKIN COUNTIES CAN EXPECT WITHIN THE HOUR STRONG GUSTY WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL. THROUGHTOUT THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT PERSONS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSILBE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AS PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN MOVE THROUGH THEIR AREA. ELSEWHERE LIGHT RAIN CONTINUED OVER WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND AND NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA. MOVEMENT NORTHEAST AT 65 MILES AN HOUR.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 9:01 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Haralson, Polk | 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.