Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 151, NWS Atlanta, GA

August 17, 1989Bibb County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 17, 1989, 1:04 PM EDT for Bibb County, Georgia. It was in force for 41 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
Aug 17, 1989, 1:04 PM EDT (17:04 UTC)
Expired
Aug 17, 1989, 1:45 PM EDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Bibb 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 17, 1:25 PM EDTHail 0.75Bibb, 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, 5.1 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1989-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 831 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 1989-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 13 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
831 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-88 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
872 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMCN 171705
SVRMCN
GAC021-171745-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
104 PM EDT THU AUG 17 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MACON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  145 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
          ...BIBB
 
AT 1:00 PM MACON RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF MACON MOVING EAST 25 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM
CONTAINS HAIL.
 
 
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, Aug 17, 9:14 AM EDT, 3 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
915 AM EDT THU AUG 17 1989

AT 915 AM RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA.
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE PAULDING AND CARROLL COUNTY BORDER
BETWEEN DALLAS AND VILLA RICA. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST
AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THE STORM SHOULD MOVE INTO THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF
DOUGLAS COUNTY WITH THE NEXT HALF HOUR.

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCINoG HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE ADVISED TO
SEEK SHELTER TO AVOID THE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 10:02 AM EDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
1000 AM EDT THU AUG 17 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE METRO AREA...

AT 1000 AM RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA.
THIS STORM EXTENDED FROM SOUTHERN COBB COUNTY...ALONG THE CHATTAHOOCHEE
RIVER TO NEAR FAIRBURN IN SOUTHERN FULTON COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. THE STORM SHOULD MOVE OVER THE FULTON
COUNTY AND HARTSFIELD AIRPORTS WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR AS IT HEADS EAST
OVER FULTON...COBB...AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF CLAYTON COUNTY.

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM
ARE ADVISED TO SEEK SHELTER TO AVOID THE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 12:23 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
1223 PM EDT THU AUG 17 1989

    ...THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING CENTRAL GEORGIA...

AT 1215 PM MACON WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
FROM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORSYTH IN LAMAR COUNTY TO NORTH OF
ROBERTA IN CRAWFORD COUNTY TO 5 MILES WEST OF MASHALLVILLE IN MACON
COUNTY. THE STORMS HAD VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
THEY WERE MOVING EAST 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS DEVELOPED RAPIDLY AND MAY APPROACH SEVERE INTENSITY
SOON. STAY TUNED TO RADIO FOR WARNINGS OR FURTHER STATEMENTS  ON
THE PROGRESS OF THESE STORMS. PERSONS IN PEACH...CRAWFORD...AND MONROE
COUNTIES BE VERY WATCHFUL ESPECIALLY TO WEATHER APPROACHING UFROM
THE WEST.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 17, 2:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Jones54 min
Aug 17, 5:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBurke, Richmond58 min
Aug 17, 5:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBurke52 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1989Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.