Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 1988, 3:58 PM EDT for 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 62 min. 3 reports 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
- May 16, 1988, 3:58 PM EDT (19:58 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 1988, 5:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 62 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Lamar County, GA, Meriwether County, GA, Pike County, GA, Spalding 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 4:10 PM EDT | Hail 1 | Spalding, GA | |
| May 16, 4:25 PM EDT | Hail 1.75 | Pike, GA | |
| May 16, 4:50 PM EDT | Hail 0.75 | Pike, 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, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 136 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
- 543 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -124 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1527 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -23 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -19 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 161959
SVRATL
GAC035-255-171-199-231-162100-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
358 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
...BUTTS
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
...SPALDING
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
...LAMAR...MERIWETHER...PIKE
A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM HOGANSVILLE TO GRIFFIN
TO JACKSON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF MARBLE TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL
WITH THESE STORMS.
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 QUICKL$Y 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, May 16, 1:54 PM EDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 155 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988 THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY ACROSS THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. WEATHER CONDITIONS FAVOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL. A THUNDERSTORM NEAR CORNELIA IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA HAD ALREADY PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL AROUND 130 PM. PEOPLE NEAR THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR DARK THREATENING CLOUDS APPROCHING FROM THE NORTHWEST. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS... THEREFORE PERSONS OUTDOORS SHOULD MOVE INSIDE TO A SAFE AREA. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES ON THIS WEATHER.
Special weather statement, May 16, 2:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 245 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988 AT 240 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA. THIS BAND EXTENDED FROM NEAR ACWORTH IN NORTHWEST COBB COUNTY TO DOUGLASVILLE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY TO NEWNAN IN COWETA COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 MPH AND ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF DOWNPOURS...GUSTY WINDS... AND SMALL HAIL. PEOPLE NEAR THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR DARK THREATENING CLOUDS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS... THEREFORE PERSONS OUTDOORS SHOULD MOVE INSIDE TO A SAFE AREA. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES ON THIS WEATHER.
Special weather statement, May 16, 2:51 PM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
250 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988
...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FORMING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...
A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF BUTLER IN AN
AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS OCCURRING FROM 10 MILES
NORTHEAST OF COLUMBUS TO JUST NORTH OF BUTLER. ANOTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER LAKE GEORGE JUST 8 MILES SOUTH OF EUFAULA
ALABAMA. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATING HAIL AND VERY HEAVY
RAIN ON RADAR. ALSO..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL
BE ACCOMPANIED THESE STORMS. PERSONS NEAR THESE STORMS SHOULD BE READY
TO TAKE SHELTER. ALSO BE LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER
NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.Special weather statement, May 16, 3:08 PM EDT, 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
305 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988
...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA...
AT 300 PM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED FROM THOMASTON IN UPSON COUNTY AND EXTENDED SOUTH IN A LINE
TO NEAR FORT VALLEY IN PEACH COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT
15 MPH.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS..
HEAVY RAINFALL..DANGEROUS LIGHTING AND HAIL AS THEY MOVE ACROSS
CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
PERSONS NEAR OR IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A
SAFE PLACE IF NECESSARY.Local storm report, May 16, 3:16 PM EDT, 42 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE ATLANTA GA
316 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988
AT 250 PM EDT... GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED NEAR FAYETTEVILLE
IN FAYETTE COUNTY. FAYETTE COUNTY 911.
AT 305 PM EDT... MARBLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN RIVERDALE...CLAYTON
COUNTY. REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE.
AT 312 PM EDT... MARBLE TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IN JONESBORO...CLAYTON
COUNTY. REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE.
AT 210 PM EDT... 1/4TH INCH DIA HAIL REPORTED AT ATLANTA-HARTSFIELD
AIRPORT.
AT 230 PM EDT... PEA SIZE HAIL IN HAMPTON...HENRY COUNTY.
AT 315 PM EDT... MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT NEWNAN...COWETA COUNTY.Special weather statement, May 16, 3:51 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 4 PM EDT MON MAY 16, 1988 NEWTON AND ELBERT COUNTIES OF GEORGIA HAVE BEEN CLEARED OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS.. VERY STRONG THUNDE RSTORMS CONINTUE IN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA WITH SOME STILL PRODUCING SMALL HAIL. PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR OTHER WARNINGS IF THEY BECOME NEEDED...
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Rockdale | 26 min |
| May 16, 2:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Newton | 65 min |
| May 16, 3:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clayton | 29 min |
| May 16, 3:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Elbert | 52 min |
| May 16, 3:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Coweta | 48 min |
| May 16, 3:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Henry | 46 min |
| May 16, 3:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Butts | 62 min |
| May 16, 4:04 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Greene, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro | 56 min |
| May 16, 4:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Columbia | 43 min |
| May 16, 4:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Lincoln | 56 min |
| May 16, 4:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Lamar, Pike, Upson | 50 min |
| May 16, 5:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Columbia, McDuffie | 59 min |
| May 16, 5:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Johnson | 59 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.