Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 245, NWS Atlanta, GA

July 23, 1990Rockdale County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 23, 1990, 5:55 PM EDT for Rockdale County, Georgia. It was in force for 50 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
Jul 23, 1990, 5:55 PM EDT (21:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 23, 1990, 6:45 PM EDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Rockdale 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
Jul 23, 6:10 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Rockdale, 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, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 75 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 1990-07-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1687 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 1990-07-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 47 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1687 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
617 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
3 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 KATL 232155
SVRATL
GAC247-232245-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA  GA
555 PM EDT MON JUL 23 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA  HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  645 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
 
   ...ROCKDALE COUNTY
 
AT 552 PM...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN EASTERN DEKALB COUNTY
NEAR LITHONIA MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO
ROCKDALE COUNTY BY 610 PM. THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED MARBLE TO GOLFBALL
SIZE HAIL WITHIN THE PAST HOUR.
 
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 EMERGENCY 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, Jul 23, 3:16 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
GAZ006-008-009-232100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
315 PM EDT MON JUL 23 1990

......THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA.....

AT 310 PM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
IN NORTH OF MONTICELLO IN JASPER COUNTY AND NEAR MILLEDGEVILLE IN
BALDWIN COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 20 MPH.

HEAVY RAINFALL..GUSTY WINDS..DANGEROUSI CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
AND HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON.

IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INDOORS
UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. REMEMBER LIGHTNING IS THE UNDER-RATED
KILLER IN THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 3:26 PM EDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
GAZ001-003-232100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA  GA
330 PM EDT MON JUL 23 1990

AT 315 PM...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR ROME TO
TALLAPOOSA IN HARALSON COUNTY TO NEAR BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA. THE STRONGEST
STORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTHWEST OF CARTERSVILLE AND NEAR TALLAPOOSA.

ELSEWHERE...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST WEST OF ATLANTA AND
NEAR GRIFFIN AND WOODBURY. MOVEMEMT OF ALL STORMS WAS EAST AT 25 MPH.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST
GEORGIA THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. THIS COULD POSSIBLY CREATE
RUSH HOUR PROBLEMS...AS HEAVY RAIN REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS^...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY
SOME HAIL WILL OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS.

PERSONS LEAVING THE CITY OF ATLANTA BETWEEN 4 AND 6 PM SHOULD ALLOW EXTRA
DRIVING TIME AS STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO SOON ENTER THE METRO AREA.
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 4:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
GAZ006-008-009-232230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
440 PM EDT MON JUL 23 1990

AT 435 PM WEATHER RADAR IN MACON SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOTED IN WILKINSON COUNTY NEAR MCINTYRE AND IN
HOUSTON COUNTY BETWEEN PERRY AND WARNER ROBINS. MOVEMENT WAS EAST
AT 20 MPH.

HEAVY RAINFALL..GUSTY WINDS..DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
AND HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON.

IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INDOORS
UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. REMEMBER LIGHTNING IS THE UNDER-RATED
KILLER IN THUNDERSTORMS.
Local storm report, Jul 23, 5:20 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA, GA
520 PM EDT MON JUL 23 1990

COUNTY......  COBB
SOURCE......  COBB COUNTY POLICE
TIME........  ABOUT 450 PM EDT...23 JULY 90
LOCATION....  NEAR SPRING VALLEY AND SOUTH COBB DR.  ALSO NEAR MOZELLE
              STREET
TYPE STORM..  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
DAMAGE/TREES..TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
              ALSO NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES AROUND COUNTY...ESPECIALLY
              NEAR WINDY HILL...GAMLLERIA AREA.
              ALSO DOBBINS AFB REPORTS 1/4 INCH HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO
              35 KNOTS.
INJURIES....  NONE KNOWN
DEATHS......  NONE KNOWN
COSTS.......  UNKNOWN
Local storm report, Jul 23, 5:28 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA, GA
525 PM EDT MON JUL 23 1990

COUNTY......  DEKALB COUNTY
SOURCE......  HAM RADIO SPOTTER
TIME........  ABOUT 528 PM EDT...23 JULY 90
LOCATION....  SHeALLOWFORD ROAD NEAR I-85.
TYPE STORM..  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...WINDS EST. 60-65 MPH...1/2 INCH
              DIAMETER HAIL.
Local storm report, Jul 23, 5:30 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA, GA
525 PM EDT MON JUL 23 1990

COUNTY......  DEKALB COUNTY
SOURCE......  FROM WAGA T.V. 5
TIME........  ABOUT 528 PM EDT...23 JULY 90
LOCATION....  CLAhIRMONT RD. NEAR I-85.
TYPE STORM..  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 22, 8:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLumpkin, White63 min
Jul 22, 9:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHabersham, Stephens63 min
Jul 23, 3:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts, Spalding47 min
Jul 23, 4:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHenry50 min
Jul 23, 4:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCobb52 min
Jul 23, 4:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta, Fayette48 min
Jul 23, 5:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFulton30 min
Jul 23, 5:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDeKalb, Gwinnett49 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.