Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 159, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1990, 2:43 PM EDT for Cobb County, Douglas County, Georgia. It was in force for 47 min. 1 report 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 20, 1990, 2:43 PM EDT (18:43 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 1990, 3:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 47 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Cobb County, GA, Douglas 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 20, 3:00 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Cobb, 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, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 127 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
- 203 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -53 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 798 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 53 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -30 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 KATL 201914 RRA SVRATL GAC057-067-097-201930- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 243 PM EDT SUN MAY 20 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 330 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA ...CHEROKEE COUNTY...COBB COUNTY...DOUGLAS COUNTY AT 243 PM A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS SHOWN FROM NEAR CANOTN TO ACWORTH TO CARROLLTON MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF DOWNED TREES AND POWERE LINES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS IN THE CITY OF ROME DURING THE PAST HOUR. 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 THEP 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, May 20, 12:52 PM EDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
GAZ001-003-201900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 1252 PM EDT SUN MAY 20 1990 ...LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH NORTH ALABAMA TOWARD GEORGIA... A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAS BEEN MOVING EASTWARD THROUGH NORTH ALABAMA DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. AT 1245 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED THIS LINE STRETCHING FROM SCOTTSBORO ALABAMA SOUTHWEST THROUGH GUNTERSVILLE TO BIRMINGHAM TO NEAR CENTREVILLE. THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. WIND DAMAGE AND HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED IN ALABAMA WITH THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THIS LINE OF STORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA BETWEEN 130 AND 230 PM THIS AFTERNOON. IF THESE STORMS CONTINUE WITH THE SAME OR GREATER INTENSITY THEN WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED. PERSONS IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA SHOULD STAY ALERT TO THE CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND/OR TELEVISION STATIONS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 20, 1:52 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
GAZ001-003-201915- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 150 PM EDT SUN MAY 20 1990 ...LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES MOVING EASTWARD TOWARD GEORGIA... A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL ALABAMA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. AT 140 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED THIS LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR FORT PAYNE ALABAMA SOUTH TO NEAR ANNISTON TO SYLACAUGA ALABAMA. MOVEMENT OF THE LINE WAS TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THIS LINE WAS JUST WEST OF PIEDMONT ALABAMA. STRONG GUSTY WINDS CONTINUE TO BE REPORTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FORMED IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA DURING THE PAST HOUR. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN ALABAMA SHOULD MOVE INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES. PERSONS IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN ALERT TO THE WEATHER AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS FOR THE LASTEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 20, 2:40 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
GAZ008-202000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 235 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST ALABAMA AND WEST GEORGIA... AT 230 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR IN COLUMBUS INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST WEST OF ATLANTA GEORGIA TO NEAR LAGRANGE...ALSO IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AROUND ALEXANDER CITY ..LAKE MARTIN AND WETUMPKA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. PEOPLE THROUGHOUT EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL...THE LARGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE STRONG GU7STY WINDS AND THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF SOME HAIL. PLEASE CONTINUE TO LISTEN FOR FURTHER UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Special weather statement, May 20, 2:42 PM EDT, 1 minute before
ALZ012-GAZ005-006-202000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TO HEADING ONLY. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 235 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST ALABAMA AND WEST GEORGIA... AT 230 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR IN COLUMBUS INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST WEST OF ATLANTA GEORGIA TO NEAR LAGRANGE...ALSO IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AROUND ALEXANDER CITY ..LAKE MARTIN AND WETUMPKA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. PEOPLE THROUGHOUT EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL...8THE LARGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF SOME HAIL. PLEASE CONTINUE TO LISTEN FOR FURTHER UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Floyd, Polk | 43 min |
| May 20, 2:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Carroll, Haralson, Paulding | 42 min |
| May 20, 2:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bartow | 42 min |
| May 20, 2:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Cherokee | 47 min |
| May 20, 3:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Forsyth, Fulton | 43 min |
| May 20, 3:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clayton, DeKalb, Henry | 46 min |
| May 20, 3:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Fayette | 46 min |
| May 20, 3:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Gwinnett, Rockdale | 55 min |
| May 20, 3:51 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Hall | 69 min |
| May 20, 6:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Screven | 54 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990
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.