Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 170, NWS Atlanta, GA

May 21, 1990Dodge County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 1990, 7:07 PM EDT for Dodge County, Georgia. It was in force for 53 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 21, 1990, 7:07 PM EDT (23:07 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 1990, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Dodge 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 21, 7:48 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Dodge, 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, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 198 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 12:00Z on 1990-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 1990-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 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
1302 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMCN 212309
SVRMCN
GAC091-220000-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
707 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MACON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
          ...DODGE
 
AT 705 PM EDT RADAR DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES
WEST OF EASTMAN IN PULASKI COUNTY APPROACHING DODGE COUNTY
AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.  IT WILL BE OVER EASTMAN BY AROUND 730 PM.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN E?MERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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 21, 2:19 PM EDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before
GAZ001>015-212000

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA  GA
218 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM EDT...

A LARGE AREA  OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN
ALABAMA CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST NEAR 40 MPH. AT 210 PM...THE LEADING
EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS LOCATED FROM 20 MILES WEST OF CHATTANOOGE TO
NEAR TALLAPOOSA GEORGIA TO NEAR MONTGOMERY ALABAMA. THE STRONGEST STORMS
WERE SHOWN 25 MILES WEST OF LAGRANGE TO NEAR MONTGOMERY.

AT THIS TIME...THE MAJOR THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IN GEORGIA HAS SHIFTED
TO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE. PERSONS THROUGHOUT ALL
OF THE STATE...BUT ESPECIALLY IN THESE SECTIONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTIONS
IF NECESSARY.
>
AT ITS PRESENT SPEED...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY
RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...DANGER^OUS LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME
HAIL WILL ENTER HEARD...TROUP AND HARRIS COUNTIES BETWEEN 3 AND
4 PM.
Special weather statement, May 21, 2:33 PM EDT, 4 hours 34 minutes before
GAZ004-220100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
230 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 295 IN EFFECT FOR GREENE...MORGAN
AND TALIAFERRO COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR
GREENE...MORGAN AND TALIAFERRO COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM
THIS EVENING.

AN APPROACHING COOL FRONT COMBINED WITH THE MOIST UNSTABLE AIR OVER
GEORGIA WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA THIS EVENING...SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE PRODUCING
STRONG WIND GUST...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN AND
POSSIBLE HAIL.

PERSONS IN THE ABOVE NAMED COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY
THIS EVENING AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF NECESSARY.
Special weather statement, May 21, 2:53 PM EDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before
GAZ006-008-009-212040-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
250 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 295 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT
   FOR A LARGE PART OF MIDDLE GA...

AT 245 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS LOCATED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS
IN SOUTHWEST GA NEAR SMITHVILLE IN SUMTER COUNTY TO NEAR ALBANY TO NEAR
ASHBURN IN TURNER COUNTY.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WIND AND HEAVY RAINFALL SHOULD BE EXPECTED NEAR ANY
OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY PASS NEARBY.
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:09 PM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
GAZ001>004-212230

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA  GA
510 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM EDT...

AT 455 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN BETWEEN COLUMBUS...MACON
AND ALBANY. SINCE THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS SHIFTED WELL INTO
CENTRAL AND SOUTH GEORGIA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 295 HAS BEEN
CANCELLED FOR THE STATE NORTH OF A LINE FROM CRAWFORDVILLE IN TALIAFERRO
COUNTY TO MANSFIELD IN NEWTON COUNTY TO LAKE JACKSON TO LAGRANGE.

HOWEVERE...RAIN WITH THUNDERSTORMS MIXED IN WERE SHOWN IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
FROM BLAIRSVILLE TO JASPER TO JUST WEST OF ATLANTA TO LAGRANGE..AND SPREAD
INTO EASTERN ALABAMA. SOME OF THE STORMS ARE STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVE EAST AT
30 MPH.
>
THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATEMENT ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION UNLESS
CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:46 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
GAZ006-008-009-212340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
545 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 295 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT
   FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL GA...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 298 IN IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT
   FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTH GA...

AT 540 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS LOCATED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS
IN SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTH GEORGIA  MOVING TO THE EAST AT AROUND 25 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE NEAR MONTEZUMA AND OGLETHORPE IN MACON COUNTY AND
IN SOUTHWEST GA NEAR ALBANY AND SYLVESTER.  HAIL TO NEAR ONE HALF INCH
HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WIND AND HEAVY RAINFALL SHOULD BE EXPECTED NEAR ANY
OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY PASS NEARBY.
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:32 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
GAZ005-008-011-ALZ012-212330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
632 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 295 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT
FOR RUSSELL COUNTY ALABAMA AND FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED EAST OF THE CLEARED AREA.

HOWEVER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 298 FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST
AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA REMAINS IN EFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT.
SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PERSIST IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA NEAR
FLORALA. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 6:23 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCDooly52 min
May 21, 6:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrisp35 min
May 21, 6:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCIrwin, Turner46 min
May 21, 6:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWilcox39 min
May 21, 7:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCEmanuel46 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.