Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 64, NWS Atlanta, GA

May 16, 1988Lamar County, Pike County, Upson County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 1988, 4:55 PM EDT for Lamar County, Pike County, Upson County, Georgia. It was in force for 50 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 1988, 4:55 PM EDT (20:55 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1988, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Lamar County, GA, Pike County, GA, Upson 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

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 138 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, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1988-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 543 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1988-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -23 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KATL 162055
SVRATL
GAC171-231-293-162145-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
455 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
          ...LAMAR...SOUTHEASTERN PIKE...UPSON
 
AT 4:55 PM EDT A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENTED FROM NEAR
WOODBURY TO JUST NORTH OF BARNESVILLE. MANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL HAVE
BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THIS LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
 
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 COVkERS 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, 3:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 47 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, 1 hour 39 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, 1 hour 4 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 THUNDERSTORMS CONINTUE IN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
GEORGIA WITH SOME STILL PRODUCING SMALL HAIL.

PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR OTHER WARNINGS IF THEY
BECOME NEEDED...
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:02 PM EDT, 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
400 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988

AT 355 PM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE
FROM JUST NORTH OF MONTICELLO GEORGIA IN JASPER COUNTY AND EXTENDED
WEST IN A LINE TO LAGRANGE GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 15 MPH.

ELSEWHERE ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO
DEVELOPE AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS..HEAVY RAINFALL..
DANGEROUS LIGHTING AND HAIL.

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, 4:19 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE ATLANTA GA
415 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988

AT 410 PM EDT... QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED NEAR GRIFFIN...SPALDING
                 COUNTY.
AT 340 PM EDT... MARBLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN EAST GRIFFIN...SPALDING
                 COUNTY.
AT 402 PM EDT... MARBLE TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IN JACKSON...BUTTS COUNTY.

AT 200 PM EDT...APARTMENT BUILDING UNDER CONTRUCTION IN DEKALB COUNTY.
                HILLANDAL:E AND PANOLA ROAD. PART OF BUILDING OR A WALL
                COLLAPSED DURING GUSTY THUNDERSTORM WINDS.  ONE PERSON
                KILLED.  DELAYED REPORT FROM DEKALB COUNTY C.D.
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:40 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
440 PM EDT MON MAY 16 1988

AT 435 PM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE
FROM EASTONTON GEORGIA IN PUTNAM COUNTY AND EXTENDED WEST TO WOODBURY
IN MERIWETHER COUNTY. ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS NOTED FROM
PERRY GEORGIA AND EXTENDED SOUTHEAST TO HAWKINSVILLE IN PULASKI
COUNTY. MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT
15 MPH.

NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HAIL..STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING HAVE
BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVED THROUGH JASPER
AND HOUSTON COUNTIES.

PERSONS NEAR OR IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMXS SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A
SAFE PLACE IF NECESSARY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 2:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCRockdale26 min
May 16, 2:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCNewton65 min
May 16, 3:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton29 min
May 16, 3:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCElbert52 min
May 16, 3:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta48 min
May 16, 3:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHenry46 min
May 16, 3:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding62 min
May 16, 3:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts62 min
May 16, 4:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGreene, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro56 min
May 16, 4:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCColumbia43 min
May 16, 4:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLincoln56 min
May 16, 5:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCColumbia, McDuffie59 min
May 16, 5:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCJohnson59 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.