Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 84, NWS Atlanta, GA

June 9, 1988McDuffie County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 9, 1988, 4:53 PM EDT for McDuffie County, Georgia. It was in force for 52 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 9, 1988, 4:53 PM EDT (20:53 UTC)
Expired
Jun 9, 1988, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County McDuffie 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 92 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 1988-06-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 49 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 1988-06-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
49 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-207 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1690 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
41 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 KAGS 092053
SVRAGS
GAC189-092145-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA
453 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUGUSTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA
          ...MCDUFFIE
 
AT 445 PM WEATHER RADAR AND A SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTER INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR THOMSON GEORGIA. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO
THE SOUTHEAST AT 40 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 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, Jun 9, 2:21 PM EDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
TTAA0S KATL 091821
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
220 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988

JUST AFTER 2 PM EDT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS STARTED DEVELOPING
RAPIDLY ACROSS GEORGIA. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE ONLY A FEW...THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO BE MORE NUMEROUS ACROSS THE STATE FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THE AFTERNOON.

AT 215 PM...THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE ALABAMA/
GEORGIA STATE LINE WEST OF CARROLLTON. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING
EAST AT 45 MPH.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS
GEORGIA. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE VERY STRONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE SOME HAIL BESICDES THE HEAVY RAIN.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 3:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
TTAA0S KATL 091900
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
300 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
CENTRAL AND SOUTH GEORGIA FROM 3 PM UNTIL 10 PM. THIS INCLUDES
FULTON...CLAYTON...DEKALB...DOUGLAS...FAYETTE...COWETA...CARROLL...
ROCKDALE...AND HENRY COUNTIES IN THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE BUILDING RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA FROM ATHENS
THROUGH THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA TO CARROLTON. AROUND 245 PM THE
FIRE CHIEF AT WINDER IN BARROW COUNTY REPORTED 1/4 INCH HAIL FROM A
THUNDERSTORM.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS
GEORGIA. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE VERY STRONG WITH| LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE SOME HAIL BESIDES THE HEAVY RAIN.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 3:19 PM EDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
TTAA0S KATL 091919
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
320 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
   CENTRAL AND SOUTH GEORGIA AND PARTS OF ALABAMA UNTIL 10 PM...

THE WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF FULTON...CLAYTON...DEKALB...DOUGLAS
...FAYETTE...COWETA...CARROLL...ROCKDALE...AND HENRY COUNTIES IN THE
ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA.

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED TO BUILD RAPIDLY JUST WEST OF THE ATLANTA
METROPOLITAN AREA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT
35 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE ATLANTA AREA BETWEEN 330 PM AND
500 PM EDT.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE VERY STRONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN....DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.
PEOPLE IN THE ATLANTA AREA SHOULD BE ALERT TO THESE STORMS AND TAKE
PRECAUTIONS TO INSURE SAFETY. PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL SHOULD BE ALERT
AND DELAY THEIR PLANS UNTIL AFTER THE STORMS MOVE THROUGH.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 3:56 PM EDT, 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
355 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
   CENTRAL AND SOUTH GEORGIA AND PARTS OF ALABAMA UNTIL 10 PM...

THE WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF FULTON...CLAYTON...DEKALB...DOUGLAS
...FAYETTE...COWETA...CARROLL...ROCKDALE...AND HENRY COUNTIES IN THE
ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA.

A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING THROUGH ATLANTA SHORTLY AFTER 3 PM.
WIND GUSTS OF 52 MPH OCCURRED AT FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT NEAR SIX FLAGS
ABOUT 315 PM.  STRONG GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS ARE
LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AT 35 MPH.
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ALSO OCCUR.

PEOPLE IN THE ATLANTA AREA SHOULD BE ALERT AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS
AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN
SUBURBS OF ATLANTA.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 4:08 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
 405PM EDT JUNE 9, 1988

 TURBLENT WEATHER IS OCCURING ACROSS PORTIONS OF GEORGIA
THIS AFTERNOON AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSTED FOR MUCH
OF THE STATE UNTIL 10 PM.

THUNDERSTORMS CAUSED WIND GUSTS TO 52 MPH AT FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT
THIS AFTERNOON AND THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS
THE STATE.

PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN VERY ALERT TO ANY THUNDERSTORMS SINCE THE
SURFACE WINDS ARE ALREADY STRONG DUE TO PRESSURE CHANGES ALONE.

THE ADDED SPEEDS OF ANY THUNDERSTORM DOWNDRAFTS WILL GREATLY INCREASE
THE SURFACE WINDS TO THE DAMAGING NATURE.

SEVERE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE OCCURING ALONG WITH SOME HAIL
NEAR THE THUNDERSTORMS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 9, 5:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCColumbia, Richmond46 min
Jun 9, 6:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCColumbia, McDuffie57 min
Jun 9, 6:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrisp, Dooly47 min
Jun 9, 6:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCRichmond55 min
Jun 9, 7:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCTurner48 min
Jun 9, 7:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb49 min
Jun 9, 7:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHouston46 min
Jun 9, 7:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCTwiggs49 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.