Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 157, NWS Atlanta, GA

August 25, 1989Greene County, Oglethorpe County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 25, 1989, 10:12 PM EDT for Greene County, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. It was in force for 53 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 25, 1989, 10:12 PM EDT (02:12 UTC)
Expired
Aug 25, 1989, 11:05 PM EDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Greene County, GA, Oglethorpe 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 25, 10:30 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Greene, 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 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 29 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 00:00Z on 1989-08-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2275 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1989-08-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 17 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
2275 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1356 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
34 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 KAHN 260221
SVRAHN
GAC133-211-219-221-297-260315-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
1012 PM EDT FRI AUG 25 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATHENS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
          ...GREENE...MORGAN...OCONEE...OGLETHORPE...WALTON
 
AT 1010 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN ATHENS INDICATED
A CLUSTER OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WALTON...OCONEE AND
OGLETHORPE COUNTIES MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT 10 MPH.
 
THESE STORMS WILL ENTER MORGAN AND GREENE WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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 25, 6:12 PM EDT, 4 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
613 PM EDT FRI AUG 25 1989

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM STEPHENS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST
GEORGIA HAS BEEN CANCELED.

AT 613 PM EDT...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN STEPHENS COUNTY HAD
DISSIPATED.

HOWEVER...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO FORM IN THE
AFTERNOON HEAT OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY
REACH SEVERE LEVELS.

PERSONS IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER AT THE FIRST SIGN
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

STAY TUNED TO N.O.A.A. WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
FOR ANY ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 25, 6:14 PM EDT, 3 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT  ...CORRECTION TO TEXT...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
613 PM EDT FRI AUG 25 1989

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM STEPHENS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST
GEORGIA HAS BEEN CANCELED.

AT 613 PM EDT...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN STEPHENS COUNTY HAD
DISSIPATED.

HOWEVER...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO FORM IN THE
EVENING HEAT OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY
REACH SEVERE LEVELS.

PERSONS IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER AT THE FIRST SIGN
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

STAY TUNED TO N.O.A.A. WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
FOR ANY ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Aug 25, 6:35 PM EDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
630PM EDT FRI AUG 25 1989

COUNTY........ STEPHENS

SOURCE........ RADIO STATION W N E G

TIME.......... APROX 530 PM EDT

LOCATION...... 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOCCOA, GA

TYPE STORM.... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM

HAIL.......... NICKEL SIZE REPORTED AT TRANSMITTER SITE

DAMAGE........ NONE

INJURIES...... NONE

WARNING....... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING VT 25/1718 EDT TO 25/1818 EDT
Special weather statement, Aug 25, 8:16 PM EDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
815 PM EDT FRI AUG 25 1989

...DANGEROUS HEAT CAN PRODUCE NEAR SEVERE STORMS...

SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FORMED IN THE COLUMBUS-PHENIX CITY AREA
AND WERE MOVING VERY SLOWLY SOUTHEAST. THE STORMS  WERE IN SOUTH
COLUMBUS..5 MILES NORTH OF SEALE ALABAMA AND BETWEEN OPELIKA AND
PHENIX CITY ALABAMA.

DUE TO THE VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
ALSO DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT..LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING
AREAS IS POSSIBLE. PLEASE TAKE PRECAUTIONS IF THESE STORMS APPROCH
YOU. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER POSSIBLE STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Aug 25, 8:47 PM EDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
846 PM EDT FRI AUG 25 1989

...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS IN
   PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...

AT 840 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE THUNDERSTORM
IN DOUGHERTY COUNTY WAS NO LONGER SEVERE. HOWEVER...THERE WERE A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS STILL OCCURRING IN PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL
GEORGIA. THE MOST NOTEABLE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER EAST DOUGHERTY
COUNTY...AND EAST OF TIFTON IN TIFT COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS VERY SLOWLY
EAST SOUTHEAST.

THESE STORMS WERE LIKELY PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN A BRIEF PERIOD
OF TIME. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS WEARE PROBABLY ACCOMPANYING
THESE STORMS AS WELL. THE STORM IN DOUGHERTY COUNTY PRODUCED WIND GUSTS
OVER 60 MPH AND RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR THIS STORM EARLIER BUT HAS NOW EXPIRED AS OF
830 PM.
Special weather statement, Aug 25, 9:53 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
950 PM EDT FRI AUG 25 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING OVER OCONEE
...GREENE AND MORGAN COUNTIES...

AT 950 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT ATHENS SHOWED A CLUSTER
OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER OCONEE...GREENE AND MORGAN COUNTIES.  THE
LARGEST OF THESE STORMS WAS LOCATED OVER THE CITY OF WATKINSVILLE.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH AND MAY PRODUCE HEAVY
RAINS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

STAY TUNE TO N.O.A.A. WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 25, 10:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMorgan, Oconee, Walton53 min
Aug 26, 6:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee66 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.