Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 78, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 24, 1988, 4:36 PM EDT for Twiggs County, Georgia. It was in force for 69 min. 2 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 24, 1988, 4:36 PM EDT (20:36 UTC)
- Expired
- May 24, 1988, 5:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 69 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Twiggs 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 24, 4:40 PM EDT | Hail 1 | Twiggs, GA | |
| May 24, 5:36 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Twiggs, 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, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 143 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
- 426 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -46 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 828 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 99 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 186 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 KMCN 242037
SVRMCN
GAC289-242145-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
436 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MACON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 545 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
...TWIGGS
AT 430 PM EDT PUBLIC REPORTS FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR BONAIRE GEORGIA IN
HOUSTON COUNTY MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR HOUSTON COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.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 24, 2:48 PM EDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 245 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 1988 ..TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 170 IS IN EFFECT ACROSS CENTRAL AND A PORTION OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING.. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA ARE INCLUDED IN THE THE WATCH AREA..NEWTON..TALIAFERRO..CLARKE..OCONEE..WALTON..ELBERT.. MADISON..OGLETHORPE..GREENE..AND MORGAN COUNTIES. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ATHENS..ELBERTON..MADISON AND COVINGTON. NUMEROUS VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS WERE INDICATED ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND EXTENDED INTO SOUTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN LINES FROM UNION SOUTH CAROLINA TO WASHINGTON GEORGIA AND FROM NEAR CONYERS GEORGIA TO THE ALABAMA BORDER NEAR COLUMBUS GEORGIA.
Special weather statement, May 24, 3:02 PM EDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 303 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 1988 ...AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH PARTS OF PHENIX CITY ALABAMA AND COLUMBUS GEORGIA... AT 3 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH PARTS OF PHENIX CITY ALABAMA AND COLUMBUS GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS QUITE CAPABLE OF SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA. THEREFORE PEOPLE NEAR THIS STORM SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR VERY THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS. BE READY TO PUT INTO OPERATION YOUR PERSONAL OR FAMILY ACTIONS PLAN IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FUTURE STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 24, 3:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 325 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 1988 ..TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 170 IS IN EFFECT ACROSS CENTRAL AND A PORTION OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING.. NUMEROUS VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS WERE INDICATED ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND EXTENDED INTO SOUTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN LINES FROM CHESTER SOUTH CAROLINA TO CRAWFORDVILLE GEORGIA AND FROM NEAR WATKINSVILLE GEORGIA TO THOMASTON GEORGIA. OTHERWISE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA. LINE MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR WHILE CELLS MOVED TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 24, 3:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 330 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 170 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA... AT 325 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WERE 10 MILES SOUTHWEST AND NORTHWEST OF HURTSBORO ALABAMA... AND IN SOUTHWEST STEWART COUNTY IN GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. RESIDENTS OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA NEED TO BE ALERT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING TO HAZARDOUS WEATHER. MANY REPORTS OF SMALL HAIL HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED AS WELL AS VERY GUSTY WINDS. PERSONS INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD SEEK A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. BOATERS SHOULD MOVE OFF LAKES TO NEARBY SHELTER. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
Special weather statement, May 24, 4:29 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 428 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 170 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA... AT 425 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED IN SOUTH AN EAST ALABAMA AND IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR EUFAULA ALABAMA AND IN STEWART COUNTY GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. PEOPLE IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING UNTIL THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION PASSES. ANY THUNDERSTORM IN THE AREA MAY PRODUCE AT LEAST SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND GUSTY WINDS. YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE OF THE HAZARDS OF LIGHTNING. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...DO NOT STAND UNDERNEATH A TALL ISOLATED TREE OR TELEPHONE POLE. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT.
Special weather statement, May 24, 4:32 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 428 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 170 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA... AT 425 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED IN SOUTH AND EAST ALABAMA AND IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR EUFAULA ALABAMA AND IN STEWART COUNTY GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. PEOPLE IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING UNTIL THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION PASSES. ANY THUNDERSTORM IN THE AREA MAY PRODUCE AT LEAST SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND GUSTY WINDS. YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE OF THE HAZARDS OF LIGHTNING. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...DO NOT STAND UNDERNEATH A TALL ISOLATED TREE OR TELEPHONE POLE. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 3:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Butts | 40 min |
| May 24, 3:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bibb, Jones | 42 min |
| May 24, 4:03 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Houston, Peach | 57 min |
| May 24, 4:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Pulaski | 66 min |
| May 24, 5:08 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Richmond | 52 min |
| May 24, 5:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Ben Hill, Irwin | 55 min |
| May 24, 6:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Turner | 69 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.