Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 6, NWS Atlanta, GA

March 5, 1989Troup County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 5, 1989, 9:18 PM EST for Troup County, Georgia. It was in force for 42 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 5, 1989, 9:18 PM EST (02:18 UTC)
Expired
Mar 5, 1989, 10:00 PM EST
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Troup 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 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 190 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 1989-03-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1989-03-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 381 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
559 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
381 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
468 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KATL 060217
SVRATL
GAC285-060300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
918 PM EST SUN MAR 5 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
          ...TROUP
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR AT 9 17 PM EST MOVING
INTO WEST TROUP COUNTY.
 
MOVEMENT IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 37 MPH.
 
MOVEMENT OF THIS STORM WILL TAKE IT THROUGH THE WEST POINT LAKE...
LAGRANGE AND NORTHERN TROUP COUNTY AREAS BEFORE 10 PM.
 
 
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.
 
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, Mar 5, 7:33 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
730 PM EST SUN MAR 5 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EST FOR MOST OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA.
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR NORTH GEORGIA.

AT 730 PM EST THE ATHENS RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER EASTCENTRAL GEORGIA IN THE AUGUSTA VICINITY. THE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED OVER NORTHWEST
GEORGIA...NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE. ALSO STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO WESTCENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA NEAR AIKEN.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS THROUGHOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS
WEATHER SITUATION AND SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY
TO A SAFE AREA IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Mar 5, 7:40 PM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
730 PM EST SUN MAR 5 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EST FOR MOST OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA.
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR NORTH GEORGIA.

AT 730 PM EST THE ATHENS RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER EASTCENTRAL GEORGIA IN THE AUGUSTA VICINITY. THE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED OVER NORTHWEST
GEORGIA...NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE. ALSO STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO WESTCENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA NEAR AIKEN.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS THROUGHOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS
WEATHER SITUATION AND SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY
TO A SAFE AREA IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Mar 5, 7:52 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
750 PM EST SUN MAR 5 1989

 ...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 11 PM EST
AND FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL..SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHCENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL
2AM EST TONIGHT...

AT 745 PM EST COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR WAS SHOWING A SOLID AREA OF
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTHWEST GEORGIA INTO EASTERN
ALABAMA..ACTUALLY OCCURRING FROM DALLAS GEORGIA TO TROY ALABAMA. THE
STRONGEST STORM WAS IN SOUTHERN TALLAPOSSA COUNTY ALABAMA MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. THE WHOLE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT
25 MPH.

PERSONS IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA CAN EXPECT
POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER AND SlHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER WHEN
THESE STORMS APPROCH. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER NEWS
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 5, 9:02 PM EST, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
900 PM EST SUN MAR 5 1989

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 25 CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM MONDAY
MORNING FOR A LARGE PART OF GEORGIA...INCLUDING ALL OF CENTRAL GEORGIA
...AND PARTS OF WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 9 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MACON WAS SHOWING A BAND OF STRONG
TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA...EXTENDING SOUTHWEST
INTO EAST AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THE STORMS IN ALABAMA
WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO PARTS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY
MONDAY MORNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER
INFORMATION ON THESE DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS.
Local storm report, Mar 5, 9:05 PM EST, 13 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
910 PM EST SUN MAR 5 1989

710 PM...TALLAPOOSA P.D. - QUARTER SIZE HAIL...2 BARNS COMPLETELY
         DESTROYED...1 BARN WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. (7 MI N OF
         TALLAPOOSA IN HARALSON CO.)
Special weather statement, Mar 5, 9:10 PM EST, 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
910 PM EST SUN MAR 5 1989

 ...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 11 PM EST
AND FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL..SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHCENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL
2AM EST TONIGHT...

AT 905 PM EST COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR WAS SHOWING A SOLID AREA OF
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTHWEST GEORGIA INTO EASTERN
ALABAMA..ACTUALLY OCCURRING FROM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF ATLANTA SOUTHWEST
TO LUVERNE AND OZARK ALABAMA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN NORTHERN LEE
AND CHAMBERS COUNTY NORTH OF AUBURN...ALSO 10 MILES SOUTH OF UNION SPRINGS
AND NEAR LOUISVILLE ALABAMA. THESE STORM MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH
WHILE THE WHOLE AREA MOVES EAST AT 25 MPH.

PERSONS IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA..INCLUDING
THE COLUMBUS/PHENIX CITY AREA..CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE
HAIL WITH THESE STRONGER STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. REMEMBER ANY STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAN
PRODUCE TORNADOS. YOU SHOULD BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER WHEN THESE
STORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR
OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 5, 7:00 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHaralson60 min
Mar 5, 8:22 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll38 min
Mar 5, 10:06 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCobb, Douglas54 min
Mar 5, 10:40 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCFulton35 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.