Alert archive / Georgia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Atlanta, GA

June 20, 1989Henry County, Rockdale County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 20, 1989, 1:19 PM EDT for Henry County, Rockdale County, Georgia. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 20, 1989, 1:19 PM EDT (17:19 UTC)
Expired
Jun 20, 1989, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Henry County, GA, Rockdale 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, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 85 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 1989-06-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 328 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 1989-06-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 103 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
328 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
695 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KATL 201721
FFWATL
GAC121-135-151-247-202045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
119 PM EDT TUE JUN 20 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
          ...FULTON...GWINNETT...HENRY...ROCKDALE
 
WEATHER RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
AND MOVING ACROSS THE SAME METRO ATLANTA COUNTIES. CREEKS AND STREAMS
WILL BE RISING RAPIDLY ACROSS MUCH OF METRO ATLANTA AND MANY WILL BE
OVERFLOWING THEIR BANKS THIS AFTERNOON.
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2.5 INCHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN JONESBORO IN
CLAYTON COUNTY SINCE 7 AM TUESDAY AND OVER 2 INCHES HAS FALLEN AT
ATLANTAS HARTSFIELD AIRPORT.
 
PEACHTREE CREEK IS INCLUDED IN THIS WARNING. PEACHTREE CREEK IS
EXPECTED TO CREST AT 17 TO 18 FEET LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE RAIN
THAT HAS FALLEN ALREADY. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WOULD RESULT IN
A HIGHER CREST. THIS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF WOODWARD WAY AND
PARTS OF THE BOBBY JONES GOLF COURSE IN NORTH ATLANTA.
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A
SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 20, 8:11 AM EDT, 5 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
810 AM EDT TUE JUN 20 1989

   ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TODAY FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

AT 8 AM EDT A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINSHOWERS WERE
INDICATED IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA EXTENDING FROM GRIFFIN TO
LAWRENCEVILLE TO NEAR CLEVELAND. THIS BAND WAS 8 MILES WIDE AND MOVING
NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN HALL...WALTON...BARROW...BANKS...WHITE AND HABERSHAM COUNTIES
OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS
FOR HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSILBE FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AREAS.
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 8:38 AM EDT, 4 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
832 AM EDT TUE JUN 20 1989

   ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TODAY FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

AT 830 AM EDT A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINSHOWERS WERE
OCCURRING OVER NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA EXTENDING FROM BARNESVILLE TO
CONYERS TO LULA. THIS BAND WAS 10 MILES WIDE AND MOVING NORTH AT 30
MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE SCATTERED PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE
OCCURRING OVER NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF GEORGIA...NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.

PERSONS IN HALL...WALTON...BARROW...BANKS...WHITE AND HABERSHAM COUNTIES
OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS
FOR HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSILBE FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AREAS.
Local storm report, Jun 20, 9:05 AM EDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
910 AM EDT MON JUN 20 1989

COUNTY..... TWIGGS
SOURCE....  JEFFERSONVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
TIME......  414 PM EDT JUNE 19, 1989
LOCATION... JEFFERSONVILLE GEORGIA.
TYPE STORM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
WIDTH...... NA
LENGTH..... NA
HAIL....... NONE
DAMAGE..... POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN AND NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES AROUND
            CITY.
TREES...... NUMEROUS LARGE LIMBS BLOWN DOWN.
INJURES.... N*ONE
COST....... UNKNOWN
WATCHES.... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 515.
WARNINGS... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM 358 PM TO 445 PM EDT.
            6/19/89.
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 10:03 AM EDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
1000 AM EDT MON JUNE 20 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NORTHEAST..CENTRAL..AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
   FOR TODAY...

AT AT 950 AM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS
WITH A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS WEST-CENTRAL AND NORTH
GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE STATE TODAY.
WITH THE SOIL ALREADY SATURATED FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS ANY HEAVY
RAINS DURING THE DAY COULD RESULT IN RAPID RISES ON STREAMS AND
CREEKS RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING.

REMEMBER..A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITHIN
THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS SHOULD KEEP INFORMED AND BE READY TO RESPOND
QUICKLY IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

PERSONS WITHIN OR CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THE
THE LASTEST WEATHER INFORMATION BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO.
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 11:25 AM EDT, 1 hour 54 minutes before
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
1125 AM EDT MON JUN 19 1989

     .....SOAKING RAINS THREATEN METRO ATLANTA.....

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED TO DROP SUBSTANTIAL
RAINFALL OVER THE ENTIRE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA. MORE THAN AN INCH
OF RAIN FELL BETWEEN 10 AM AND 11 AM AT THE ATLANTA AIRPORT. 2.10
INCHES WAS MEASURED IN FAYETTE COUNTY SINCE AROUND 8 AM. RADAR
CONTINUES TO SHOW A WIDE AREA OF RAIN LATE THIS MORNING OVER WEST
CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA.

THE PRESENT HEAVY RAINFALL RELEASE IS OCCURRING OVER WELL SATURATED
GROUND. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS MUCH MORE RAIN IS AVAILABLE FOR
IMMEDIATE RUNOFF. THIS GREATLY ENHANCES THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

PERSONS IN THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA SHOULD BE ALERT TO THIS
THREAT. SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS AS WELL AS LOW LYING AREAS PRONE TO
QUICK FLOODING SHOULD BE AVOIDED. MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN DUE TO THE
DANGER OF HYDROPLANING. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS WEATHER SITUATION BY
LISTENING TO THIS RADIO STATION FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND OTHER
STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 12:45 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
 1240 PM EDT TUE JUN 20, 1989

...HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS NOW OCCRING IN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

NARROW BAND OF HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURING FROM NEAR TOCCOA TO JUST
NORTH OF JEFFERSON TO JUST NORTH OF GRIFFIN , GEORGIA.

STROMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ALONG THE SAME AREA CASUSING HEAVY SHOWER
AFTER HEAVY SHOWER WITH RAINFALL RATES GREATER THAN AN INCH AN
HOUR.

PERSONS IN LOW LYING AREAS AND NEAR SMALL STREAMS SHOULD BE
VERY WATCHFUL TO THE AREA AROUND THEM . WITH SUCH HEAVY RAINFALL
RATES THE WATER CAN RISE VERY QUICKLY CUTTING OFF ROUTES OF ESCAPE.

DO NOT PUT OFF MOVING OUT IF RAINFALL RATES ARE HEAVY IN YOUR AREA.
YOUR LIFE MAY COUNT ON YOUR PROMPT ACTION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 20, 12:41 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCClayton, Fayette4 hr
Jun 20, 12:41 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCDeKalb4 hr
Jun 20, 1:19 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCFulton, Gwinnett3 hr
Jun 20, 2:08 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCStephens3 hr
Jun 20, 2:08 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCBanks, Barrow, Jackson2 hr
Jun 20, 2:08 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCHabersham2 hr
Jun 20, 2:08 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCWalton3 hr
Jun 20, 2:08 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCHall3 hr
Jun 20, 3:38 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCClarke, Madison, Oglethorpe47 min
Jun 20, 3:38 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCOconee47 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Georgia, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989

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.