Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 5, 1989, 4:43 PM EDT for Lamar County, Upson County, Georgia. It was in force for 32 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 5, 1989, 4:43 PM EDT (20:43 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 1989, 5:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 32 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Lamar County, GA, Upson 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, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 138 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
- 200 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -27 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 610 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 29 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 157 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KATL 052043
SVRATL
GAC171-293-052115-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
443 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
...LAMAR...UPSON
AT 4:35 P.M. WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERWSTORMS JUST SOUTH
OF THOMASTON IN UPSON COUUNTY AND JUST NORTHEAST OF BARNESVILLE IN
LAMAR COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE EAST AT 45 MPH.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. 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, May 5, 3:48 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 347 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 9PM EDT... AT 340 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EAST LEE COUNTY OF ALABAMA. THIS PLACES THE STORM JUST WEST OF MUSCOGEE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO OVER MERIWETHER COUNTY AND A WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR THAT COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM EDT. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 40 MPH. PERSONS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR THEIR COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING QUITE RAPIDLY SO WARNING LEAD TIME MAY BE SMALL. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...STAY INSIDE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED...THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN YOUR BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR A PIECE OF STURDY FURNITUARE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...GO TO THE INNER MOST PART OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
Special weather statement, May 5, 3:49 PM EDT, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 345PM EDT FRI MAY 5, 1989 LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR ATLANTA TO NEAR COLUMBUS AT 345PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON EXPECTED TOB MOVE THROUGH THE ATHENS AREA BETWEEN 5 PM AND 530 PM THIS AFTERNOON.. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 183 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT.. PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN VERY ALERT TO WEATHER CONDITIONS INTO THE EVENING HOURS ...
Special weather statement, May 5, 3:59 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 400 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED FOR FULTON COUNTY HAS EXPIRED. AT 4 PM RADAR SHOWED THE LINE OF TUHUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM THE EASTERN SURBURBS OF ATLANTA TO GRIFFIN TO MANCHESTER. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH AND WEST GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING.
Special weather statement, May 5, 4:14 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 415 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL GEORGIA... AT 410 PM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON GEORGIA SHOWED STRONG THUNDER- STORM MOVING ACROSS WEST AND NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE NEAR ATLANTA GEORGIA SOUTH TO JUST WEST OF THOMASTON GEORGIA IN UPSON COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS..HEAVY RAINFALL..HAIL AND LIGHTING WILL BE IN THESE STORMS. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO JASPER COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD REMAINo ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF NECESSARY.
Local storm report, May 5, 4:22 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 420 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 TROUP COUNTY... REPORT FROM SHERIFF DEPARTMENT... TIME...2:50-3:00 PM. AT THE ALABAMA-GEORGIA STATE LINE NEAR STATELINE ROAD SCATTERED POWER LINES AND TREES WERE DOWN. THE LOCATION WAS ABOUT 12 MILES FROM DOWNTOWN LAGRANGE. MERIWETHER COUNTY... REPORTS FROM SHERIFF AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS... TIME...3:40-400 PM. TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. SPALDING COUNTY... TIME...3:45-4:00 PM. SCATTERED POWERLINES AND TREES DOWN NEAR GRIFFIN. DEKALB COUNTY... REPORTS FROM DEKALB COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CITIZEN. TIME...4:00-4:10 PM. CITIZEN REPORTED TORNADO WITH ABOUT 10 TREES DOWN ON PROPERTY. POLICE REPORTED THAT WIDESPREAD TREES AND POWERLINES WERE DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY.
Local storm report, May 5, 4:36 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA COUNTY........ HALL SOURCE........ CD TIME.......... 420PM EDT LOCATION...... HALL COUNTY TYPE STORM.... PUBLIC REPORTED TORNADO HAIL.......... DAMAGE........ INJURIES...... WARNING....... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCH ]
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 3:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Meriwether | 50 min |
| May 5, 4:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Pike, Spalding | 44 min |
| May 5, 4:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Barrow, Hall, Jackson | 55 min |
| May 5, 4:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Newton, Walton | 55 min |
| May 5, 4:13 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Butts | 47 min |
| May 5, 4:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clarke, Morgan, Oconee | 63 min |
| May 5, 4:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Madison | 63 min |
| May 5, 4:38 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jasper | 52 min |
| May 5, 5:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Elbert, Franklin, Hart | 64 min |
| May 5, 5:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Stephens | 64 min |
| May 5, 5:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Putnam | 46 min |
| May 5, 5:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jones | 69 min |
| May 5, 5:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Hancock | 46 min |
| May 5, 5:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Baldwin | 51 min |
| May 5, 6:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Glascock, Jefferson, Washington | 65 min |
| May 5, 6:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Columbia | 41 min |
| May 5, 6:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Richmond | 31 min |
| May 5, 6:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Columbia | 31 min |
| May 5, 7:17 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Richmond | 58 min |
| May 5, 7:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Laurens | 47 min |
| May 5, 7:51 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Burke | 54 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.