Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 36, NWS Atlanta, GA

April 25, 19884 counties in Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 25, 1988, 5:35 PM EDT for 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 30 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 25, 1988, 5:35 PM EDT (21:35 UTC)
Expired
Apr 25, 1988, 6:05 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Clayton County, GA, DeKalb County, GA, Henry County, GA, Rockdale 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

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 291 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1988-04-25Temperature 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1988-04-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 88 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1827 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
437 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KATL 252134
SVRATL
GAC089-247-151-063-252205-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
535 PM EDT MON APR 25 1988

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  605 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
          ...CLAYTON...DEKALB...ROCKDALE...HENRY

AT 530 PM EDT RADAR WAS INDICATING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN THE
NORTHWEST PART OF THE ATLANTA METRO AREA NEAR SIX FLAGS IN EASTERN
DOUGLAS COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS GENERALLY TO THE EAST AT 65 MPH.
LARGE HAIL AND INTENSE LIGHTNING HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.

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, Apr 25, 4:33 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
430 PM EDT MON APR 25 1988

COUNTY........ NEWTON

SOURCE........ CD

TIME.......... 425 PM EDT

LOCATION...... COVINGTON

TYPE STORM.... SVR TST"M

HAIL.......... ONE INCH

DAMAGE........ NONE

INJURIES...... NONE

WARNING....... SVR TSTM WARNING IN EFFECT
                          ]
Special weather statement, Apr 25, 4:37 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
430 PM EDT MON APR 25 1988

...TORNADO WATCH 84 AND 85 COVERS MUCH OF GEORGIA INCLUDING ALL OF
CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 800 PM.

AT 430 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN MACON PRODUCING
MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS INCLUDING THE MACON AIRPORT.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE 15 MILES NORTH AND EAST OF MACON NEAR
GRAY AND SOUTH OF GORDON.  IN JASPER COUNTY A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS
10 MILES NORTH OF MONTICELLO.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 45 MILES AND HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN WITH FLOODING
OF SOME CITY STREETS. MOTORIST SHOULD AVOID DRIVING THROUGH STANDING
WATER.  GUSTY WINDS AND SMAL(L HAIL IS ALSO LIKELY.
Special weather statement, Apr 25, 4:50 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
445 PM EDT MON APR 25 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 83 AND TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 84
IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM EDT...TORNADO WATCH 85 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11PM EDT.
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.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NEWTON .. MORGAN..
AND WALTON COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. STORMS HAVE WEAKEN AT
THIS TIME HOWEVER WATCHS FOR SEVERE WEATHER REMAIN IN EFFECT..

NEWTON COUNTY HAD 1 INCH HAIL DU4RING THE PAST HOUR...

LISTEN TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER WARNINGS..
Special weather statement, Apr 25, 5:24 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
525 PM EDT MON APR 25 1988

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE WEAKEN IN THE ATHENS .. GAINESVILLE..AND MADISON
GEORGIA AREAS .. HOWEVER..

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 83 AND TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 84
IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM EDT...TORNADO WATCH 85 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11PM EDT.
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWESTx FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

LISTEN TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER WARNINGS..
Special weather statement, Apr 25, 5:26 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
515 PM EDT MON APR 25 1988

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST  CENTRAL SOUTH WEST AND
SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM EDT...

WEATHER RADAR  AT COLUMBUS SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH
WEST GEORGIA NEAR COLEMAM IN RANDOLPH COUNTY. THIS THUNDERSTORMS
WAS MOVING EAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...D{EADLY 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 DO NOT DRIVE INTO
AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
Local storm report, Apr 25, 5:29 PM EDT, 6 minutes before
STORM REPORT...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA, GA
530 PM EDT MON APR 25 1988

3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL REPORTED I-20 WEST AND THORNTON RD AT 525 PM.
1/4 INCH -1/2 INCH HAIL IN COBB COUNTY AT 520 PM.
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN LAGRANGE AT 525 PM EDT.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 3:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Douglas25 min
Apr 25, 3:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Monroe53 min
Apr 25, 3:17 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCCarroll, Coweta, Fulton43 min
Apr 25, 3:38 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCClayton, Fayette37 min
Apr 25, 3:55 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCCarroll35 min
Apr 25, 3:59 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCCarroll31 min
Apr 25, 4:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHenry, Rockdale23 min
Apr 25, 4:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMorgan, Newton, Walton66 min
Apr 25, 4:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta, Fayette, Fulton33 min
Apr 25, 4:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHaralson, Paulding, Polk25 min
Apr 25, 4:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLamar, Upson25 min
Apr 25, 4:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMonroe33 min
Apr 25, 5:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMeriwether, Troup30 min
Apr 25, 5:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHeard30 min
Apr 25, 5:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCobb, Douglas, Fulton27 min
Apr 25, 5:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDeKalb27 min
Apr 25, 5:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCEmanuel65 min
Apr 25, 5:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMeriwether, Pike, Upson28 min
Apr 25, 6:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLamar, Upson24 min
Apr 25, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Monroe64 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.