Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 69, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 1988, 2:15 PM EDT for Screven County, Georgia. It was in force for 45 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 17, 1988, 2:15 PM EDT (18:15 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 1988, 3:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Screven 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
Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 152 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
- 253 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -122 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1306 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 52 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 61 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KAGS 171815
SVRAGS
GAC251-SCC005-171900-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA
215 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUGUSTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 300 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA
...NORTHERN SCREVEN
IN WEST CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
...ALLENDALE
NATION WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 215 PM EDT INDICATES A VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHERN SCREVEN COUNTY, GEORGIA. THIS THUNDERSTORM
CONTAINS HAIL AND IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 40 MPH.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.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, May 17, 9:18 AM EDT, 4 hours 57 minutes before
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
915 AM EDT TUE MAY 17 1988
...DELAYED STORM REPORTS...
REF STORM ACTIVITY OF MONDAY MAY 16 1988
.COUNTY...SUMTER CO GEORGIA
.TYPE STORM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
.TIME...ABOUT 730 PM EDT.
.LOCATION...LAKE BLACKSHEAR AREA OF EASTERN SUMTER COUNTY.
.DAMAGE...MANY PINE AND OAK TREES BLOWN DOWN..NEAR 200 RESIDENTS
WITHOUT POWER FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.
.WIND...VERY STRONG ESTIMATED GREATER THAN 50 MPH.
.HAIL...SIZE OF QUARTERS.
.SOURCE...GEORGIA POWER EMPLOYEE IN AMERICUS WHO LIVES IN
LAKE BLACKSHEAR AREA.
.INJURIES..NONE KNOWN.
.WATCHES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 136.
.WARNINGS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 708 UNTIL 745 PM EDT.
.HAIL... 3/4 OF AN INCH.
.WATCHES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 122.
.WARNINGS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM 621 UNTIL 715 PM EDT.
.SOURCE...BAKER COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
.COUNTY...COLQUITT
.TYPE STORM...TORNADO.
.TIME...725 PM EDT
.LOCATION...TOWN OF FUNSTON GEORGIA ABOUT 6 MILES WEST OF MOULTRIE.
.DAMAGE...6 TO 8 TREES UPROOTED OR DOWNED...SOME BLOCKING ROADS.
ONE MOBILE HOME MOVED OFF OF FOUNDATION.
SEVERAL POWER LINES DOWN...GENERAL POWER OUTAGES THROUGHOUT
CENTRAL PART OF COLQUITT COUNTY INCLUDING CITY OF MOULTRIE.
.HAIL...SIZE UNKNOWN BUT CONSIDERABLE CROP DAMAGE FUNSTON AREA.
.INJURIES...NONE
.WATCHES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NUMBER 122 AND 126.
.WARNING...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 721 TO 800 PM EDT...SUPERCEDED BY
TORNADO WARNING 725 TO 800 PM EDT.
.SOURCE...COLQUITT EMA...COLQUITT SHERIFFS OFFICE...WALB-TV ALBANY GA
.COMMENTS...TORNADO WARNING BASED UPON SEVERAL FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTS
AND ONE REPORT OF TORNADO TOUCHING GROUND.c INFO FROM GENERAL
PUBLIC.Local storm report, May 17, 9:26 AM EDT, 4 hours 49 minutes before
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
915 AM EDT TUE MAY 17 1988 CORRECTION
ONE REPORT ONLY
...DELAYED STORM REPORTS...
REF STORM ACTIVITY OF MONDAY MAY 16 1988
.COUNTY...SUMTER CO GEORGIA
.TYPE STORM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
.TIME...ABOUT 730 PM EDT.
.LOCATION...LAKE BLACKSHEAR AREA OF EASTERN SUMTER COUNTY.
.DAMAGE...MANY PINE AND OAK TREES BLOWN DOWN..NEAR 200 RESIDENTS
WITHOUT POWER FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.
.WIND...VERY STRONG ESTIMATED GREATER THAN 50 MPH.
.HAIL...SIZE OF QUARTERS.
.SOURCE...GEORGIA POWER EMPLOYEE IN AMERICUS WHO LIVES IN
LAKE BLACKSHEAR AREA.
.INJURIES..NONE KNOWN.
.WATCHES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER q136.
.WARNINGS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 708 UNTIL 745 PM EDT.Local storm report, May 17, 1:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE ATLANTA GA 1250 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 1988 UPDATED INFORMATION ON STORM DAMAGE... SURVEY CONDUCTED BY NWS METEOROLOGIST... A THUNDERSTORM WITH WINDS ESTIMATED AROUND 50 MILES AN HOUR STRUCK AN APARTMENT COMPLEX UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEAR LITHONIA GEORGIA IN DEKALB COUNTY (NEAR PANOLA ROAD AND HILLANDALE DRIVE). STORM OCCURRED ABOUT 210 PM EDT MONDAY MAY 16TH. ONE UNIT COLLAPSED RESULTING IN ONE DEATH AND 4 INJURIES. THE UNIT HAD A ROOF ON IT BUT THE FRAMING WAS EXPOSED WITH NO SIDING ON THE BUILDING YET. THE BUILDING'S BROADSIDE WAS FACING WEST AND ACCORDING TO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS THE WIND BLEW VERY STRONG FROM THE WEST FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES. ZTHE COMPLEX WAS SITUATED IN AN EAST-WEST ORIENTED VALLEY. THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANY DAMAGE TO OTHER BUILDINGS. NUMEROUS TREES WERE BEHIND THE UNIT BUT ONLY ONE SMALL BRANCH WAS BROKEN.
Special weather statement, May 17, 1:23 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 122 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 1988 THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED FOR HABERSHAM COUNTY OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA AT 1245 PM EDT HAS BEEN CANCELLEuD. THE THUNDERSTORM HAS MOVED EASTWARD INTO SOUTH CAROLINA.
Local storm report, May 17, 1:30 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 130 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 1988 COUNTY........ HABERSHAM SOURCE........ HABERSHAM EOC TIME.......... 1250 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 LOCATION...... 10 MILES yNORTH OF CORNELIA GEORGIA TYPE STORM.... THUNDERSTORM HAIL.......... 1/2 INCH HAIL COVERING GROUND DAMAGE........ NONE INJURIES...... NONE WARNING....... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN EFFECT
Special weather statement, May 17, 1:59 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 158 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN PART OF CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FROM 2 PM EDT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTHERN GOERGIA. INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE TAYLOR...PEACH...HOUSTON... TWIGGS...LAURENS AND ALL COUNTIES TO THE SOUTH OF THOSE MENTIONED. AT 150 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA SOUTH OF AUGUSTA THROUGH LAURENS COUNTY IN CENTRAL GEORGIA AND SOUTHWEST TO NEAR ALBANY IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED BETWEEN HAWKINSVILLE AND EASTMAN IN PULASKI COUNTY. SMALL HAIL WAS REPORTED FROM THIS STORM BY THE PULASKI COUNTY C.D. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE NECESSARY SAFETY MEASURES.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 12:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Habersham | 57 min |
| May 17, 1:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Burke, Emanuel, Jefferson | 56 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.