Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 42, NWS Atlanta, GA

February 16, 1990Floyd County, Polk County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 16, 1990, 1:22 AM EST for Floyd County, Polk County, Georgia. It was in force for 53 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 16, 1990, 1:22 AM EST (06:22 UTC)
Expired
Feb 16, 1990, 2:15 AM EST
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Floyd County, GA, Polk County, GA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 00:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 00:00Z on 1990-02-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 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 00:00Z on 1990-02-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 131 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1378 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
131 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
171 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 160623
SVRATL
GAC115-233-160715-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
122 AM EST FRI FEB 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  205 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
          ...FLOYD...POLK
 
RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR THE ALABAMA BORDER WEST OF
CEDARTOWN AT 120 AM EST. THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH
AND SHOULD PASS NEAR CEDARTOWN...CAVE SPRING AND LINDALE.
 
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOU*R 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 THE 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, Feb 15, 7:47 PM EST, 5 hours 35 minutes before
GAZ001-003-160230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
748 PM EST THU FEB 15 1990

AT 745 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
MOVING OUT OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA CROSSING INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA.
THIS CLUSTER OF STORMS APPEARED TO BE HEADED TOWARD HARALSON...
POLK...AND FLOYD COUNTIES...OR THE AREA FROM AROUND TALLAPOOSA
NORTH TO CEDARTOWN AND CAVE SPRING.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE ALSO LIKELY. SOME FLOODING OF STREETS
AND AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE IS POSSIBLE.

PEOPLE IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
PROGRESS OF WEATHER EVENTS. THIS EVENING AS ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE NIGHT.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 8:41 PM EST, 4 hours 41 minutes before
GAZ001-003-160230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
840 PM EST THU FEB 15 1990

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVED INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA BETWEEN CAVE
SPRING AND TALLAPOOSA AROUND 8 PM EST. SHEETS OF HEAVY RAIN
AND GUSTY WINDS WERE REPORTED IN CEDARTOWN.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH
TOWARD DALLAS AND LAKE ALLATOONA DROPPING MORE HEAVY RAIN.
GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

IN ADDITON TO THE THUNDERSTORMS MUCH OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA HAS
BEEN RECEIVING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN THIS EVENING. AMOUNTS
OF AROUND ONE INCH HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT SEVERAL PLACES...
INCLUDING ROME AND CHATTANOOGA.

IF HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL...SOME FLOODING OF CREEKS...SMALL
STREAMS...AND AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE MAY DEVELOP THIS EVENING.

AT 835 PM EST RADAR SHOWED MORE THUNDERSTORMS IN ALABAMA HEADED
TOWARD NORTHWEST GEORGIA.

PEOPLE IN THE NORTHWEST COUNTIES SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF
WEATHkER DEVELOPMENTS TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 9:12 PM EST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
GAZ001-003-160400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
910 PM EST THU FEB 15 1990

AT 905 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HEADED TOWRD CARTERSVILLE AND
LAKE ALATOONA APPEARED TO BE WEAKENING. HOWEVER...ANOTHER
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING OUT OF ALABAMA.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD PASS THROUGH TALLAPOOSA AND BREMEN
BY 930 PM...AND SHOULD PASS VARY CLOSE TO BOWDEN...CARROLLTON...
VILLA RICA...DOUGLASVILLE...AND DALLAS DURING THE NEXT HOUR
OR SO.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 40 MPH. HEAVY RAIN...
GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 16, 12:16 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd3 hr
Feb 16, 12:52 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCBartow, Gilmer, Gordon, Pickens3 hr
Feb 16, 12:52 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCFannin, Murray3 hr
Feb 16, 1:23 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCDade, Walker3 hr
Feb 16, 1:23 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCCatoosa, Whitfield3 hr
Feb 16, 3:08 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd3 hr
Feb 16, 3:51 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCPolk4 hr
Feb 16, 3:51 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCFannin4 hr
Feb 16, 3:51 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCBartow, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens4 hr
Feb 16, 4:39 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCCatoosa, Walker, Whitfield3 hr
Feb 16, 4:39 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCDade3 hr
Feb 16, 5:58 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCobb, Douglas, Fulton47 min
Feb 16, 6:29 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCFannin, Gilmer, Murray6 hr
Feb 16, 6:29 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCBartow, Floyd, Gordon, Pickens, Polk6 hr
Feb 16, 6:29 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCChattooga6 hr
Feb 16, 6:58 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHall62 min
Feb 16, 7:03 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGwinnett27 min
Feb 16, 7:20 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCNewton, Walton55 min
Feb 16, 7:20 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBanks, Barrow, Jackson55 min
Feb 16, 7:20 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHabersham55 min
Feb 16, 8:55 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCRockdale35 min
Feb 16, 9:39 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHeard, Troup66 min
Feb 16, 10:04 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta41 min
Feb 16, 10:43 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCCobb, DeKalb, Fulton4 hr
Feb 16, 12:38 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHouston37 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.