Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 85, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 9, 1988, 5:44 PM EDT for Aiken County, South Carolina; Columbia County, Richmond County, Georgia. It was in force for 46 min. 1 report 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
- Jun 9, 1988, 5:44 PM EDT (21:44 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 9, 1988, 6:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 46 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Columbia County, GA, Richmond County, GA, Aiken County, SC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 6:00 PM EDT | Hail 1 | Columbia, 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, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 132 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KAGS 092148 COR
SVRAGS
GAC073-245-SCC003-092230-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING..COR..AIKEN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA
544 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUGUSTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA
...SOUTHERN COLUMBIA...NORTHERN RICHMOND
IN WEST CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
...AIKEN
AT 540 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN COLUMBIA
COUNTY NEAR THE COLUMBIA-RICHMOND COUNTY LINE. THE STORM WAS MOVING
TO THE EAST AT 45 MPH.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING HWIND 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
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 4:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 36 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.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 4:54 PM EDT, 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 454 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT... AT 450 PM EDT MACON RADAR SHOWED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN A NARROW BAND FROM SOUTH OF ATLANTA TO JUST NORTH OF MONTICELLO IN JASPER COUNTY. THE STRONGEST WAS JUST NORTH OF MONTICELLO AND WAS MOVING EAST 40 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS COULD GROW RAPIDLY AND WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND GUST TO NEAR 40 MILES AN HOUR ALONG WITH HAIL. BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN COULD QUICKLY FLOOD LOW AREAS OF URBAN STREETS. PERSONS IN OR NEAR THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF NECESSARY.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 4:58 PM EDT, 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AMD RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 455 PM EDT THU JUN 9 1988 A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED NEAR SOCIAL CIRCLE IN EXTREME SOUTHERN WALTON COUNTY AND WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH. THIS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN WALTON COUNTY AND MORGAN COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR. PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF THIS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM SHOULD BE ALERT FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL. ELSEWHERE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW STRONG WERE INDICATED OVER NORTH GEORGIA EXTENDING INTO ADJACENT AREAS OF EAST ALABAMA...NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA. AND NORTH TO NEAR SHELBY A ND CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 4:59 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 500 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... IN THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA...THE WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF FULTON...CLAYTON...DEKALB...DOUGLAS...FAYETTE... COWETA...CARROLL...ROCKDALE...AND HENRY COUNTIES. AT 455 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM JUST SOUTH OF ATLANTA NEAR JONESBORO EAST ACROSS HENRY COUNTY TO NEAR COVINGTON AND LAKE JACKSON. BRIEF HEAVY RAINS ALONG WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE EAST AT 40 MPH. DANGEROU S LIGHTNING WILL ALSO OCCUR. PEOPLE TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF THE METRO ATLANTA AREA SHOULD BE ALERT AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ON TO THE EAST.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 5:00 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 500 PM EDT JUNE 9 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 10 PM EDT... AT 450 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA JUST EAST OF SOCIAL CIRCLE. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT NEAR 35 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN SOUTHERN WALTON AND MORGAN COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THE NEXT HOUR AS THIS STROM MOVE THROUGH. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 5:02 PM EDT, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 502 PM EDT THU JUNE 9 1988 ...THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 211 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM... WEATHER RADAR LOCATED IN COLUMBUS GA WAS TRACKING A FEW VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM AROUND LANETT AL. TO NEAR HURTSBORO AL. ALSO THERE WAS THUNDERSTOM ACTIVITY LOCATED FROM THOMASTON GA. TO BUENA VISTA GA. THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO NOTED IN THE GEORGETOWN TO CUTHBERT GA. AREA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 35 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THESE THUNDERSTORMS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE...HAIL...LIGHTNING GUSTY WINDS AND TOAD STRANGLING RAINS. PLEASE REMAIN ALERT DURNING THE FEW HOURS FOR FAST CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST IN STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 4:53 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | McDuffie | 52 min |
| Jun 9, 6:18 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Columbia, McDuffie | 57 min |
| Jun 9, 6:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Crisp, Dooly | 47 min |
| Jun 9, 6:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Richmond | 55 min |
| Jun 9, 7:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Turner | 48 min |
| Jun 9, 7:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bibb | 49 min |
| Jun 9, 7:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Houston | 46 min |
| Jun 9, 7:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Twiggs | 49 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1988Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 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.