Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 11, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1989, 4:21 PM EDT for 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 69 min. 3 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
- Apr 4, 1989, 4:21 PM EDT (20:21 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 4, 1989, 5:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 69 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Banks County, GA, Habersham County, GA, Hall County, GA, Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 4:25 PM EDT | Tornado F2 | Banks, GA | |
| Apr 4, 4:45 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Habersham, GA | |
| Apr 4, 5:00 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Jackson, 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, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 53 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
- 30 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -310 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 670 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 141 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 67 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KAHN 042022
TORAHN
GAC011-137-139-157-042130-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
421 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATHENS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 530 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
...BANKS...HABERSHAM...HALL...JACKSON
DAMAGE REPORTED IN HALL AND BARROW COUNTIES AT THIS TIME
WITH TREES DOWN AND DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES.
STORMS MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOyR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:28 PM EDT, 53 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT CORRECTED FOR THE YEAR 1989 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 327 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989 REPORT FROM WAGA-TV. TREES DOWN IN CARROLL COUNTY NEAR BOWDEN AT 315 PM. TORNADO REPORTED ON GROUND BETWEEN BREMEN AND BOWDEN IN NORTHERN CARROLL COUNTY AT 315 PM DAMAGE TO HOUSES. REPORT BY HARALSON COUNTY EMA. TREES DOWN IN BREMEN AREA ABOUT 315 PM...PUBLIC REPORT. TREES UPROOTED NORTH OF CARTERSVILLE AT 321 PM. TRAINED SPO#TTER REPORT.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 3:35 PM EDT, 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 330 PM EDT TUE APRIL 4 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 90 IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 10 PM EDT... AT 330 PM EDT THE ATHENS RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTHWEST GEORGIA TO NORTHCENTRAL GEORGIA. THIS LINE WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR CARROLLTON TO ELIJAY AND WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. SEVERAL REPORTS OF DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. ALSO REPORTS OF OCCASIONAL TORNADOS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AS THE STORMS MOVED THROUGH NORTHWEST GEORGIA. PERSONS THROUGHOUT THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO GO OVER YOUR SEVERE WEATHER PROCEDURES AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. ELSEWHERE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED FROM CENTRAL ALABAMA ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA INTO EAST TENNESSEE AND WEST NORTH CAROLINA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. KEEP TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR CONTINOUS WEATHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS DURING THIS SEVERE WEATHER POTEN2TIAL.
Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:41 PM EDT, 40 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 340 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989 REPORT FROM WCHK RADIO IN CANTON...CHEROKEE COUNTY TORNADO POSSIBLY ON GROUND WITH MARBLE ZIXE HAIL AND MANY DAMAGE REP8ORTS BEFORE COMMUNICATION LOST. STATION PRESENTLY OFF THE AIR AND PERSONNEL HAVE ASSUMED TORNADO DEFENSIVE READINESS. THE BUILDING SHOOK AND A LOUD ROAR HEARD.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 3:58 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 400 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 91 IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL AND A LARGE PART OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA... AT 350 PM EDT COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR WAS INDICATING A FEW THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED FROM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE TO SOUTH OF TALLASEE.. ALSO JUST EAST OF TUSKEGEE AND SOUTH OF OPELIKA. ALL THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. PERSONS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING LARGE HAIL QAND A FEW TORNADOES. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:58 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 400 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989 60 MPH WINDS MEASURED AT HARTSFIELD AIRPORT JUST BEFORE 4 PM EDT.
Local storm report, Apr 4, 4:11 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA 1610 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989 COUNTY........DAWSON SOURCE........CIVIL DEFENSE LUMPKIN COUNTY TIME..........2005 UT LOCATION......NEAR DAWSONVILLEk GEORGIA TYPE STORM....FUNNEL CLOUD HAIL..........NONE REPORTED DAMAGE........NONE REPORTED INJURIES......NONE REPORTED WARNING.......SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 1945-2045 UT ]
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Chattooga | 54 min |
| Apr 4, 1:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Walker | 49 min |
| Apr 4, 1:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Walker | 41 min |
| Apr 4, 2:18 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Chattooga, Floyd | 42 min |
| Apr 4, 2:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Walker | 49 min |
| Apr 4, 2:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Meriwether | 44 min |
| Apr 4, 2:50 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Bartow, Polk | 55 min |
| Apr 4, 2:50 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Gordon | 55 min |
| Apr 4, 3:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Gilmer, Pickens | 50 min |
| Apr 4, 3:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Carroll, Haralson, Paulding | 50 min |
| Apr 4, 3:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Heard | 50 min |
| Apr 4, 3:23 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Carroll, Haralson, Paulding | 37 min |
| Apr 4, 3:31 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas, Fulton | 59 min |
| Apr 4, 3:36 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Cherokee, Forsyth | 54 min |
| Apr 4, 3:41 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Coweta, Fayette | 49 min |
| Apr 4, 3:44 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett | 46 min |
| Apr 4, 3:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Dawson, Hall, Lumpkin | 56 min |
| Apr 4, 3:58 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Henry, Rockdale, Spalding | 47 min |
| Apr 4, 4:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Banks, Habersham | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 4:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Barrow, Jackson | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 4:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Newton, Walton | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 4:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | White | 63 min |
| Apr 4, 4:33 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Stephens | 57 min |
| Apr 4, 4:34 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Lamar, Pike, Upson | 41 min |
| Apr 4, 4:34 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Butts | 41 min |
| Apr 4, 4:51 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jasper, Monroe | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 4:52 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Oglethorpe | 68 min |
| Apr 4, 4:52 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Greene, Morgan, Oconee, Taliaferro | 68 min |
| Apr 4, 5:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jones, Putnam | 63 min |
| Apr 4, 5:20 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bibb, Crawford | 55 min |
| Apr 4, 5:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Houston, Peach, Twiggs | 66 min |
| Apr 4, 5:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Baldwin, Wilkinson | 66 min |
| Apr 4, 5:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Glascock, Hancock, Warren | 62 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes 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.