Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 302, NWS Atlanta, GA

August 21, 1990Gwinnett County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 21, 1990, 6:53 PM EDT for Gwinnett County, Georgia. It was in force for 52 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
Aug 21, 1990, 6:53 PM EDT (22:53 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 1990, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Gwinnett 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
Aug 21, 7:20 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Gwinnett, 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, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 67 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 1990-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1505 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1990-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -6 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
1505 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-69 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1149 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
9 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 212252
SVRATL
GAC135-149-212345-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA  GA
653 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA  HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
 
   ...GWINNETT COUNTY...HEARD COUNTY
 
AT 650 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST WEST OF
LAWRENCEVILLE GEORGIA MOVING EAST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR.
 
ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED NEAR FRANKLIN GEORGIA IN
HEARD COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS ALSO MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

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, Aug 21, 2:46 PM EDT, 4 hours 7 minutes before
GAZ002-004-211930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
245 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 667 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM
EDT FOR PART OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE
COUNTIES OF BANKS...HALL...RABUN...WHITE...ELBERT...HART...STEPHENS
FRANKLIN...LUMPKIN...TOWNS...HABERSHAM...MADISON AND UNION.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING OVER NORTH
AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. THIS ACTIVITY EXTENDED FROM EXTREME NORTH
GEORGIA INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN TENNESSEE AND WESTERN NORTH
CAROLINA.

ANOTHER AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO ATHERNS GE`ORGIA AND TO
GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA.

LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS INDICATED.
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:00 PM EDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
GAZ001-003-212100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA  GA
301 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF NORTHERN
GEORGIA UNTIL 10 PM ...

AT 250 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST
STORMS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN CHATTNOOGA AND ROME...JUST WEST OF ROCKMARIN POLK COUNTY...NEAR JASPER IN PICKENS COUNTY AND NEAR GRIFFIN IN
SPALDING COUNTY.

ALL OF THE STORMS WERE DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTHEAST.

PERSONS THROUGHOUT NORTH GEORGIA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR
THUNDERSTORMS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF
NECESSARY. DUE TO VERY WARM TEMPERATURES AND THE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE..THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
IN THIS AREA OF THE STATE.

VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND EVEN SOME HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITlH THE
STRONGER STORMS.

PERSONS ARE ADVISED TO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV
AND RADIO STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:34 PM EDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
GAZ002-004-212030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
330 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 667 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM
EDT FOR PART OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE
COUNTIES OF BANKS...HALL...RABUN...WHITE...ELBERT...HART...STEPHENS
FRANKLIN...LUMPKIN...TOWNS...HABERSHAM...MADISON AND UNION.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED OVER EXTREME NORTHWEST GEORGIA...
NEAR ELBERTON GEORGIA...AND FROM MACON TO MILLEDGEVILLE GEORGIA.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL GEORGIA EXTENDING INTO THE ADJACENT AREAS OF EASTERN
ALABAMA...EASTERN TENNESSEE AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.

LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS INDICATED.
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 5:33 PM EDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
GAZ001-003-212100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA  GA
530 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN
GEORGIA UNTIL 10 PM ...

AT 530 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
SCATTERED OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
LOCATED IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA...NEAR THE DADE-WALKER COUNTY LINE...NEAR
THE ALABAMA-GEORGIA BORDER IN CHATTOOGA COUNTY...AND WEST OF CEDARTOWN
IN POLK COUNTY. LITTLE MOVEMENT IS INDICATED IN THE THUNDERSTORMS.

PERSONS THROUGHOUT NORTH GEORGIA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS
AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF NECESSARY. DUE TO VERY WARM
TEMPERATURES AND THE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE...THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH GEORGIA.
VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
GUSTY WINDS...AND EVEN SOME HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED TWITH THE STRONGER STORMS.
<
PERSONS ARE ADVISED TO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV
AND RADIO STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 5:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
GAZ002-004-212330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
535 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 667 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM
EDT FOR PART OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE
COUNTIES OF BANKS...HALL...RABUN...WHITE...ELBERT...HART...STEPHENS
FRANKLIN...LUMPKIN...TOWNS...HABERSHAM...MADISON AND UNION.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA NEAR
CRAWFORDVILLE. LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS NOTED.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL GEORGIA EXTENDING INTO THE ADJACENT AREAS OF EASTERN
ALABAMA...EASTERN TENNESSEE AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. THE STRONGEST OF
OF THESE] STORMS WERE NOTED ALONG THE NORTHERN ALABAMA...GEORGIA BORDER.
ALSO OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED OVER THE CAROLINAS BETWEEN
ASHEVILLE AND COLUMBIA AND ANDERSON.
>
LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS INDICATED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 3:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCatoosa43 min
Aug 21, 3:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll42 min
Aug 21, 4:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCChattooga42 min
Aug 21, 5:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWalker47 min
Aug 21, 5:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPolk53 min
Aug 21, 5:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCChattooga53 min
Aug 21, 5:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFloyd50 min
Aug 21, 6:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCJefferson47 min
Aug 21, 6:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll42 min
Aug 21, 6:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow27 min
Aug 21, 6:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Fayette47 min
Aug 21, 6:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHeard52 min
Aug 21, 7:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll44 min
Aug 21, 7:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBanks, Habersham, Hall, Jackson66 min
Aug 21, 7:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCTroup53 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.