Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 42, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 1, 1989, 1:39 PM EDT for Dooly County, Georgia. It was in force for 66 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
- May 1, 1989, 1:39 PM EDT (17:39 UTC)
- Expired
- May 1, 1989, 2:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 66 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Dooly 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2:00 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Dooly, GA | |
| May 1, 2:25 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Dooly, 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, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 205 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
- 261 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 584 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 64 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 80 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMCN 011740
SVRMCN
GAC093-011845-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
139 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MACON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 245 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
...DOOLY
RADAR LOCATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER DOOLY COUNTY TO THE WEST OF
VIENNA AT 135 PM EDT.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS REPORTED TO HAVE PRODUCED A TORNADO OVER LEE
COUNTY WITHIN THE PAST 45 MINUTES.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PROD UCE 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, May 1, 9:48 AM EDT, 3 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 945 AM EDT MON MAY 1 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 150 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AS WELL AS PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 11 AM EDT... AT 940 AM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH SEVERAL EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL... AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE 5 MILES WEST OF LUMPKIN IN STEWART COUNTY GEORGIA...AND NEAR ELLAVILLE IN SCHLEY COUNTY GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST FOR THESE AREAS THROUGH TONIGHT. THE RAIN MAY BECOME QUITE HEAVY AT TIMES. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE THROUGH SPOTS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. ALSO...CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT. STAY CALM BUT PLEASE PfREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER. LISTEN TO NOAA WEAHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 1, 10:02 AM EDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 1000 AM EDT MON MAY 1 1989 ...LARGE AREA SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL GEORGIA.. A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS HAS MOVED INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA FROM THE SOUTH. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN A LONG LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO 10 MILES NORTH OF MACON TO JEFFERSONVILLE. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST 30 MILES AN HOUR. SOME OF THE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VE~RY HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WIND ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. BE ALERT TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS THROUGH YOUR AREA IN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. DRIVE CAREFULLY IN HEAVY RAIN OR WAIT OUT THE SHOWER BEFORE PROCEEDING.
Special weather statement, May 1, 11:02 AM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 11AM MON MAY 1, 1989 THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD NORTHEAST GEORGIA FROM THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST... ONE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO NEWTON...MORGAN... GREENE AND TALIAFERRO COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR AND EXPECTED TO REACH THE ATHENS AREA WITHIN 2 TO 3 HOURS.. ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDRSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO HALL...BARROW... AND JACKSON COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR. ALTHOUGH NONE OF THESE STORMS ARE SEVERE AT THIS TIME A CLOSE WATCH SHOULD BE KEPT AS THEY COULD BECOME STRONGER IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME... STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL STATIONS FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS....
Special weather statement, May 1, 11:41 AM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 1140 AM EDT MON MAY 1 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 151 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTHERN AND EASTERN GEORGIA...PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA UNTIL 5 PM EDT... AT 1135 AM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH SEVERAL EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL... AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE 8 MILES EAST OF AMERICUS IN SUMTER COUNTY GEORGIA...AND NEAR COLEMAN AND BLAKELY IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST FOR THESE AREAS THROUGH TONIGHT. THE RAIN MAY BECOME QUITE HEAVY AT TIMES. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE THROUGH SPOTS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. ALSO...CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT. STAY CALM BUT PLEASE PREPAR?E YOURSELF FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER. LISTEN TO NOAA WEAHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 1, 12:23 PM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 1223 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTH GA UNTIL 5 PM... AT 1230 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS LOCATED SEVERAL VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GA. AT THAT TIME THE STRONGEST WAS LOCATED NEAR ATLANTA. RADAR ALSO LOCATED A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWEST GA BETWEEN COLUMBUS AND ALBANY. THUNDERSTORMS AND PRECIPITATION MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 1, 12:44 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 1245 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1989 ...HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING IN THE METRO ATLANTA AREA... VERY HEAVY RAINS HAVE BEEN FALLING THE METRO ATLANTA AREA DURING THE PAST ONE TO TWO HOURS... PRODUCING OVER AN INCH AND A QUARTER AT HARTSFIELD AIRPORT IN THE HOUR BETWEEN 1130 AM AND 1230 PM. SINCE MIDNIGHT... OVER AN INCH AND A HALF HAS BEEN MEASURED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE AT THE AIRPORT. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER SEVERAL HOURS THIS AFTERNOON... AND TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED BEFORE THE RAIN SLACKENS THIS EVENING. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL PRODUCE LOCAL FLASH FLOODING ON LOW ROADS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES AS WELL AS UNDERPASSES AND POORLY DRAINED PARKING LOTS. WITH RAINS TOTALLING 2 TO 3 INCHES... SOME OF THE FLASHIER CREEKS AND STREAMS AROUND THE CITY CAN BE EXPECTED TO RISE SHARPLY AS WELL... INCLUDING PEACHTREE CREEK AND NANCY CREEK IN FULTON AND DEKALB COUNTIES AND SOPE CREEK IN COBB COUNTY. PERSONS WITH POTENTIAL FLOOD PROBLEMS FROM POOR DRAINAGE OR SHARPLY RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS IN THE ATLANTA METRO AREA SHOULD KEEP ALERT THIS AFTERNOON FOR RISING WATER AND BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AND QUICK ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Twiggs | 65 min |
| May 1, 3:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Laurens | 41 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.