Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 185, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 16, 1989, 12:02 AM EST for Laurens County, Georgia. It was in force for 43 min. 2 reports 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
- Nov 16, 1989, 12:02 AM EST (05:02 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 16, 1989, 12:45 AM EST
- In force
- 43 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Laurens 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 12:20 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Laurens, GA | |
| Nov 16, 12:40 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Laurens, 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, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 169 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
- 813 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -15 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 916 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 232 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 322 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.2
- Supercell composite
- 7.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMCN 160506
SVRMCN
GAC091-175-315-017-160545-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
1202 AM EST THU NOV 16 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MACON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
...DODGE...LAURENS...WILCOX
IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
...BEN HILL
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM WEST OF DUBLIN TO WEST OF
FITZGERALD. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH. TREES HAVE BEEN
REPORTED BLOWN DOWN BY THESE STORMS.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR LAURENS COUNTY. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.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, Nov 15, 9:52 PM EST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 950 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 755 IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE NORTH HALF OF GEORGIA UNTIL 1 AM THURSDAY... AT 940 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS LOCATED A 25 MILE WIDE BAND OF WEATHER CONTAINING NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR COLUMBUS TO ATLANTA TO NORTH OF ATHENS GEORGIA. PRECIPITATION AREAS WERE DEVELOPING SLOWLY EAST AND SOUTHEAST WHILE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA DURING THE NEXT TWO HOURS. SHOWERS WERE STARTING TO DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA AS OF 950 PM. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED DA%MAGE IN ALABAMA AND NORTH GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
Local storm report, Nov 15, 10:13 PM EST, 1 hour 49 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
1013 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989
934 PM...GA DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION REPORTED NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED ON
INTERSTATE 85 IN NORTH COWETA AND SOUTH FULTON COUNTIES. DAMAGE
OCCURRED AROUND 730-745 PM EST.
949 PM...ATLANTA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED POWER LINES DOWNED AND
SEVERAL HOUSES DAMAGED IN SOUTHWEST ATLANTA OFF MAYES DRIVE.
HOUSE DAMAGED ENOUGH ON FLAMINGO ROAD :FOR A FAMILY TO EVACUATE.
DAMAGE OCCURRED ABOUT 930 TO 940 PM EST WITH STRONG WINDS...
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SAID POSSIBLE DOWNBURST.Special weather statement, Nov 15, 10:32 PM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 1030 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989 TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 753 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR NORTHWEST GEORGIA. THE AREA NORTH AND WEST OF ATLANTA IS NO LONGER IN THE WATCH. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 753 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TOWNS...WHITE...HALL HABERSHAM AND RABUN COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 11 PM EST. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 755 CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST AND INCLUDES PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTR^AL GEORGIA. THUNDERSTORMS MOVED QUICKLY EAST AND EXTENDED FROM NORTH OF ATHENS TO WEST OF MACON AT 1025 PM EST.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 10:35 PM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 1030 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EST THURSDAY MORNING FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS. A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA FROM TOCCOA TO COMMERCE AND COVINGTON. THIS LINE WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS. THIS LINE SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE ATHENS AREA AROUND 11 PM EST. ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORgGIA AND EXTEND INTO THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 10:40 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 1040 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 755 IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE NORTH HALF OF GEORGIA UNTIL 1 AM THURSDAY... AT 1030 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA FROM THE WEST. STORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS WERE JUST WEST OF MACON NEAR LAKE TOBESOFKEE. THEY WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THEY WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE MACON AREA AND INTO JONES COUNTY NEAR GRAY BEFORE 11 PM TONIGHT. HEAVY RAIN WITH THESE STORMS COULD CAUSE STREET FLOODING. STRONG GUSTY WINDS COULD POSSIBLY BREAK SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BLOW OVER LOOSE TRASH CANS AND nPATIO FURNITURE.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 11:31 PM EST, 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 1130 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 755 CONTINUES FOR MOST OF THE NORTH HALF OF GEORGIA UNTIL 1 AM THURSDAY... AT 1125 PM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA. THEY WERE PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS FROM ATHENS SOUTHWEST TO MACON AND FURTHER SOUTH TO NEAR ALBANY. WINDS TO 40 MPH OCCURRED AT THE MACON AIRPORT BETWEEN 1115 AND 1120 PM. ATHENS REPORTED A WIND GUST JUST AFTER THE HOUR OF 59 MPH. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE EAST OF MACON THROUGH MIDDLE GEORGIA. ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED IN CENTRAL GEORGIA...THE WINDS WITH THESE STORMS CAN BREAK SMALL LIMBS FROM TREES AND MOVE LIGHT OBJECTS SUCH AS PATIO FURNITURE AND TRASH CANS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 7:20 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Fayette, Fulton | 40 min |
| Nov 15, 7:34 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Gilmer, Gordon, Pickens | 56 min |
| Nov 15, 7:34 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Murray | 56 min |
| Nov 15, 8:19 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | DeKalb, Gwinnett | 41 min |
| Nov 15, 8:34 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Barrow, Hall, Jackson | 56 min |
| Nov 15, 8:38 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Fulton, Paulding | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 8:38 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 11:09 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Greene, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro | 66 min |
| Nov 15, 11:09 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Elbert | 66 min |
| Nov 15, 11:18 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Lincoln, McDuffie, Warren, Wilkes | 57 min |
| Nov 15, 11:18 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Columbia | 57 min |
| Nov 16, 12:02 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Ben Hill, Dodge, Wilcox | 43 min |
| Nov 16, 12:12 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Irwin, Turner | 63 min |
| Nov 16, 12:27 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Telfair, Wheeler | 63 min |
| Nov 16, 12:27 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Montgomery, Treutlen | 63 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.